Catholic Transcript Online

Al Terzi, left, Emmy Award-winning anchor for Channel 3 EyeWitness News, prepares to receive the Jim Calhoun Community Service Award from Mr. Calhoun, head basketball coach for the UConn men’s team, during the 25th annual Franciscan Sports Banquet June 1 at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville. George Grande, longtime announcer for the Cincinnati Reds and a pioneer anchor for ESPN, received the St. Francis Award. George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN and ABC Sports and co-chair of Disney Media Networks, accepted the 2010 Corporate Sponsorship Award on behalf of ESPN. Proceeds from the banquet benefit the Franciscan Life Center and Franciscan Home Care and Hospice Care. (Photo by Jack Sheedy)

Theresa Oei and friend (Photo by Lenora Sumsky)

MANCHESTER – Theresa Oei may be the only person at her school who would use "really lucky" to explain her perfect score on the SAT.

The East Catholic High School junior was in Glasgow, Scotland, to compete in the World Irish Step Championships in April on the first day SAT scores were posted online.

NEW YORK (CNS) – Brushing off calls from political leaders and others to reconsider, the Empire State Building management stood by its decision to deny a request that the building pay tribute to Blessed Mother Teresa with a lighting display on the 100th anniversary of her birth Aug. 26.

A protest outside the iconic Manhattan building will be held instead, led by William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI has appointed the leader of a prominent United States bioethics think tank to the board of the Pontifical Academy for Life, a Vatican statement said June 22.

John Haas, president of the Philadelphia-based National Catholic Bioethics Center, was one of five new members named to sit on the board of the academy that studies and advises the Pope on questions regarding abortion, euthanasia, stem-cell research, health care and other issues.

Photo by Jack Sheedy. Other photos may be found in the Photo Gallery.

HARTFORD – The ordination of nine men to the permanent diaconate drew four bishops and about 25 priests, 50 deacons and 300 family members and friends to the Cathedral of St. Joseph on June 5.

Archbishop Henry J. Mansell, the ordaining prelate, began the celebration by speaking of how the new deacons signify new growth and regeneration in the Archdiocese by contributing their various gifts to the service of God’s people.

As the Year for Priests entered its final week, 103 Connecticut priests, including 16 jubilarians, gathered at the Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield for a Mass celebrating the annual Connecticut Priests Day on June 7. Concelebrants were, from left in front row, Auxiliary Bishop Christie A. Macaluso, Archbishop-Emeritus Daniel A. Cronin, principal celebrant Archbishop Henry J. Mansell, Norwich Bishop Michael R. Cote and Auxiliary Bishop Peter A. Rosazza. Bishop Rosazza was homilist and said that the jubilarians represented 2,270 years of priestly service. He commended all the priests for understanding what it means to be poor in spirit and to be "in sympathy with your people." He passed along advice he once received as a young priest: "Be yourself. Let Jesus be your model. And let Jesus work through you." Archbishop Mansell thanked Bishop Rosazza for 49 years of priestly service and thanked all the priests for understanding "what it means to be a priest." (Photo by Jack Sheedy)

WASHINGTON (CNS) – Six organizations that perform or promote abortion received at least $967 million in federal funding in fiscal years 2002 through 2009, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

The report, made public June 16, looked at government funding given to Advocates for Youth, the Guttmacher Institute, International Planned Parenthood Federation, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Population Council of the United States, and Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States.