Archbishop Mansell Implements Precautions for Mass

Hartford Archbishop Henry Mansell is asking all parishes take three temporary precautions to prevent the spreading of swine flu:

1. "The faithful should be encouraged to share the sign of peace without physical contact. A smile, a wave, or a nod of the head would be appropriate."
2. "Communion should preferably be given only under the species of the consecrated host, and communicants should be encouraged to receive in their hands rather than on the tongue. If, however, there are communicants in your parish who have Celiac disease and can receive Communion only from the cup, they should be allowed to decide for themselves whether to receive from the cup despite potential health risks. "
3. "The faithful should be encouraged not to hold hands during the Our Father."

The Archbishop also asks that priests, deacons, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion wash their hands before and after Mass.

Live Mass at St. Francis of Assisi in Naugatuck

The Office of Radio and Television offers a daily televised Mass on TXX at 10 a.m. Once a month, we're honored to take our television crew on the road to highlight a parish in Connecticut, and televise their Mass, live on location.

This month, we'll be at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Naugatuck, on Sunday, April 26.

There are 2,400 families that make up the St. Francis parish, which is the oldest Catholic Church in Naugatuck. It's located prominently in the center of town.

The origins of the parish date back to the late 1840s when Waterbury and Derby priests started celebrating Mass in private homes and in the Naugatuck Hotel. It soon moved to Water Street. This first small wooden church, named St. Anne, received mission status and was dedicated in 1860. Six years later, St. Anne mission was elevated to parish status, changing its name to St. Francis of Assisi. It later moved to Church Street, where it remains today.

If you'd like to attend, the parish is located at 318 Church Street. The Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 26.