Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo, has asked pastors to bring to the attention of their parishioners a new government mandate that jeopardizes their religious freedoms. The United States government announced on Jan. 23 that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs and contraception. This is a contradiction to Catholic beliefs.

Letters were distributed this week to all parishes in the eight counties of Western New York, and priests throughout the diocese will be addressing this matter at Masses over the weekend.

This interview with Msgr. James Campbell, rector of St. Joseph Cathedral in Buffalo, focuses on a rare reliquary that was recently discovered after being stored away for more than 100 years.  Currents is produced by the Diocese of Brooklyn.

                               

The Catholic bishops of the United States called “literally unconscionable” a decision by the Obama Administration to continue to demand that sterilization, abortifacients and contraception be included in virtually all health plans. The Jan. 20 announcement means that this mandate and its very narrow exemption will not change at all; instead there will only be a delay in enforcement against some employers.

First as a student and now as a faculty member, Patty Page has been making a difference in the lives of Holy Family School students in LeRoy for the past 23 years. A 1965 graduate of the school located in eastern Genesee County, Page will receive the “Sister Lucille Socciarelli-Father John Sturm Making a Difference Award” on Jan. 26, 2012, at the annual dinner that raises funds for needs-based tuition assistance for students attending Catholic elementary schools in the Diocese of Buffalo.