Waterbury Native One Step Closer to Sainthood

Hartford Archbishop Henry Mansell has just signed the documents of the investigation into a possible miracle attributed to the founder of the Knights of Columbus, Venerable Fr. Michael McGivney. The information is now being sent to the Holy See, where a team of medical experts and theologians at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints will investigate the potential miracle.

Make sure to watch Crossroads Magazine this Saturday for the full story. Crossroads airs Saturday on WTXX at 10:30 a.m., and My TV 9 at 10:35 p.m.

Guadalupe Celebration

Crossroads Magazine will be on hand for the Guadalupe Celebration tonight in New Haven. We hope to meet many of you there. Here's the information, from the Knights of Columbus:

On Wednesday, Sept. 9, the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council will host a festive Guadalupe Celebration and procession in New Haven, Conn., featuring a rare relic of St. Juan Diego – a small piece of his miraculous tilma, nearly 500 years old. A special Mass will be offered by Archbishop Henry Mansell at 5 pm in St. Mary’s Church, with a homily by Bishop William Lori. At 6 pm, Msgr. Eduardo Chavez, the world’s foremost expert on Our Lady of Guadalupe, will speak about the apparitions. At 6:30 pm, a procession with the relic will begin from St. Mary’s Church, leading through the streets of New Haven to the K of C Museum for a fiesta in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Festivities will include a chance to individually venerate the relic, as well as Mexican food, performances, artworks and much more. All are invited. Please see kofc.org/guadalupe for more information.

Cathedral Green Dedicated and Blessed!

Archbishop Henry Mansell cuts the ribbon at the brand new Cathedral Green, which will be the home for 28 low income families.

Click here for the complete story, with pictures.

This Saturday, Crossroads Magazine will give you a tour of the new space and share the touching stories of some of the families who will soon move into Cathedral Green. (In the above photo, you can see the hard work of one of our videographers, Bruce Tumyol, as he and his camera peer down into the ribbon cutting crowd.)

In order to help furnish the new rooms, Catholic Charities still needs some monetary donations. You can contact Peter O'Donnell for more information:
J Peter O’Donnell
Director of Fund Development
Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Hartford
860-728-2571 or email
podonnell@ccaoh.org

WJMJ News Headlines

Respected Priest Remembered



The Archdiocese of Hartford is remembering a retired priest today. Father Joseph Graziani passed away this weekend, at the age of 88. He was ordained in 1945 by Archbishop Henry O’Brien, serving at Saint Luke in Hartford, Saint Augustine in South Glastonbury and Saint Peter in Torrington until he retired in 1989.

A wake is being held Wednesday at Saint Peter’s Church in Torrington from 3 to 7, followed by a parish mass. The mass for Christian Burial will be Thursday morning at 10:30 at Saint Peter’s Church.

We extend our deepest sympathy and offer our prayers for Father Graziani’s family and his parish families.



Other News Headlines:

School Reopens After Swine Flu Outbreak
Pay Cuts in the Fairbanks Diocese
Planned Protests at Notre Dame
Christians Fight to See Pope in Middle East

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 The Shrine of St. Anne, Waterbury

Each month, ORTV broadcasts a Mass in a different parish live for TXX. On May 3rd, we will be at St. Anne's Church, in Waterbury.

The Shrine of Saint Anne, in Waterbury, became a church in the 1880s after French-Canadians living in the city decided to open a parish of their own. Now, more than 600 families worship there. In 2006, Archbishop Henry Mansell declared the church a Shrine. This means the site is now marked for pilgrimage, where motherhood is honored.

Over the years, St. Anne's has gone through two fires, and it has had some major reconstruction work done. Its sanctuary was recently completed; brought back to its original gilded splendor, and slowly the church is being restored to its former glory.

The Office of Radio and Television, through the generosity and facilities of Counterpoint Communications, Inc., is honored to share with all of Connecticut this prayerful celebration of the fourth Sunday of Easter.

If you would like to attend, the address is 515 South Main St., Waterbury, CT. The Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m., May 2, 2009.

SB 899 Passes - Voter Reaction

SB 899, the same-sex marriage codification bill, has passed through both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but not without a strong amendment protecting religious freedom. The amendment allows church organizations to opt out of the requirements of the law, meaning priests will not have to wed gay couples, nor will organizations such as the Knights of Columbus have to rent their halls for that purpose. Archbishop Henry Mansell personally thanked Catholics across Connecticut, saying that constituent phone calls and emails to representatives resulted in the amendment. He spoke on WJMJ.






Governor Jodi Rell says she will sign the bill when it reaches her desk. It then goes into effect in October of 2010. Crossroads Magazine asked voters, senators and lobbyists what they thought of the law, and what it means for residents. Click here to hear the full story.

SB 899, Gay Marriage in CT

The State Senate may vote tomorrow on SB 899, the same-sex marriage codeification bill. Archbishop Henry Mansell has asked all Catholics to write or call their representatives, claiming that religious freedom is now at risk.

Last week, the Family Institute of Connecticut staged a rally on the North Steps of the Capital building. 125 people showed up, in dreary weather, holding signs, and shouting slogans, all in opposition to this bill. The Family Institute is not connected with the Catholic Church.

Crossroads has been following this story closely. We covered the rally, and both sides of the debate last week.

The Hartford Courant covered the story yesterday, as a preview to tomorrow's possible vote.

We'll be there again tomorrow, and bring you another update as soon as we have new information.

If you don't want to wait that long, you can visit the Family Institute's website to contact your representatives.