Catholic Transcript Online

WASHINGTON (CNS) – Fourty-three Catholic dioceses, schools, hospitals, social service agencies and other institutions filed suit in federal court May 21 to stop three government agencies from implementing a mandate that would require them to cover contraceptives and sterilization in their health plans.

"Through this lawsuit, plaintiffs do not seek to impose their religious beliefs on others," said one of the suits, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana by the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, diocesan Catholic Charities, St. Anne Home and Retirement Community, Franciscan Alliance, University of St. Francis and Our Sunday Visitor.

HARTFORD – It was a joyous day for celebration and "firsts"on May 12 as Archbishop Henry J. Mansell ordained four men to the priesthood, including the first married priest and the first Vietnamese priest to serve in the Archdiocese of Hartford.

The Cathedral of St. Joseph was the setting in which clergy, seminarians, family and friends gathered to celebrate the ordination of Father Mathieu Isaac, Father Robert Nelson Landback, Father Timothy Edward Ryan, and Father Nicola Nghĩa Hũu  Trân. (See photo gallery at right.)

Archbishop Henry J. Mansell poses with nuns from the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem after celebrating Mass there on May 13 in thanksgiving for the 50th anniversary of Mother Abbess David Serna’s profession of her final vows as a member of the Order of St. Benedict of the Strict Observance. The nuns, from left, are Mother Prioress Dolores Hart, Mother David and Mother Subprioress Maria Immaculata Matarese. (Photo by Father Jeffrey V. Romans, assistant chancellor of the Archdiocese of Hartford)

WASHINGTON (CNA/EWTN News) – Ahead of Mother’s Day, the U.S. bishops’ conference has published a prayer to bless an unborn child, the child’s pregnant mother, the child’s father and the child’s family.

WASHINGTON (CNS) – Catholic leaders rejected President Barack Obama's May 9 declaration in a television interview that "personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."

"President Obama's words today are not surprising since they follow upon various actions already taken by his administration that erode or ignore the unique meaning of marriage," said Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. bishops, in a May 9 statement.

Kerry Driscoll, a senior at East Catholic, expresses gratitude to her teacher, Lisa Kirsche (See photo gallery at right)

BLOOMFIELD – Dr. Pamela Trotman Reid, president of St. Joseph College in West Hartford, offered hope and encouragement to 23 students from the four archdiocesan high schools as they received the Superintendent’s Summa Scholar Award April 30. The award, which recognizes superior academic performance, was inaugurated last year by archdiocesan superintendent of schools Dale R. Hoyt.

Archbishop Henry J. Mansell incenses the new altar at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford as part of its consecration ceremony, which took place at a Mass celebrated on April 28. (See Photo Gallery by Lenora Sumsky at right)

HARTFORD – When Archbishop Henry J. Mansell celebrates the Mass on May 20 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, it will be on a recently installed permanent altar.

That’s because the altar that had been used for the past 48 years was erected as a temporary altar.

"I assume it is because the cathedral was built before the changes in the liturgy were implemented, so the main altar – the main altar is the one that you see in the back – was put in when the priest had his back to the people," said Msgr. John J. McCarthy, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Hartford and rector of the cathedral.