Office of Radio & Television - Fr. John's Commentaries

>




Back ORTV Donate Online to Support the TV Mass Father John's Corner In The Afterglow The Rainbow Explanation Television The Television Mass Crossroads Magazine ORTV Program Schedule That's The Spirit Streaming Video Request a Program DVD Career Opportunities Live Stream TV Mass Donate Online to Support the TV Mass Watch Live (M-F @ 10 a.m.) View On Demand How to Request Prayers and Intentions Request a TV Mass DVD WJMJ Donate to WJMJ WJMJ Radiothon Meet the Crew Become A Volunteer Directions to WJMJ In The Afterglow WJMJ Editorials Submit An Event WJMJ Programs WJMJ Program Schedule WJMJ Contest Rules Listen Now (opens in a new tab) Other Ways to Listen WJMJ Live Stream Status Podcasts In The Afterglow Podcast The Archbishop's Corner Podcast FCC Matters FCC Applications WJMJ Public Inspection File FCC Applications Donate Now • Donate Online to Support the TV Mass • Donate Now to WJMJ • Information for Donors Career Opportunities • Senior Administrative Assistant • Broadcast Reporter/Writer Links Faithful Citizenship Crossroads Magazine™ That's The Spirit Religious News Archdiocese of Hartford Archbishop's Annual Appeal Catholic Schools Fatih. Excellence. Service. Catholic Transcript Magazine Pope Francis' Encyclical Fratelli Tutti Diocese of Bridgeport Diocese of Norwich The Vatican United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Connecticut Catholic Men's Conference Mass Times for Travelers Pilgrimages • 2025 Jubilee: The Holy Year, Florence, Assisi & Rome, October 26 to November 6, 2025 • Discover American Heritage Holiday, December 5-12, 2025 • Lenten Pilgrimage to Fatima & Lourdes Discovery with Barcelona, March 15-24, 2026 • Spotlight on Northern Italy, May 21-29, 2026 • Sicily and Its Isles, October 15-28, 2026 • Sunny Portugal with Porto, April 12-24, 2027 About Us Our Mission Meet the Crew Become a Volunteer Directions to ORTV Join Our Email List Contact Us
The Radiothon is Coming! The Radiothon is Coming! WJMJ Radio is gearing up for our Spring Radiothon to be held June 19-23, 2025. WJMJ is the Catholic radio station of the Archdiocese of Hartford that plays great music with live announcers and provides inspirational messages you won't find anywhere else, plus local, national and religious news and local weather you may or may not find on commercial radio stations, all without those annoying commercials! Help keep this great station on the air. WJMJ Catholic Radio, Where Faith Meets Life^® Volunteers with basic computer and customer service skills are needed during the Radiothon to man the phone bank for the following shifts: Saturday, noon -3 p.m. and 3 p.m.-6 p.m., and Monday, 6 a.m.-9 a.m. at our studios in Prospect. Contact Traci at 203.758.7367 ext. 1000 or click here to sign up. Want to learn more about this historical tour scheduled for December 2025? Join us for an exciting virtual presentation to learn all about this unforgettable 8-day journey through American history, featuring iconic destinations like Washington, D.C., Arlington National Cemetery, Monticello, Colonial Williamsburg, and the luxurious Greenbrier Resort via Zoom conducted by Collette Tours on Monday, June 16, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. EDT. Advance registration is required. Just click the meeting registration button below to register. Meeting Registration *After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.* For more information, trip details or to Book Now go to https://gateway.gocollette.com/link/1345202 or call 203.805.5036. View the tour flyer .

2025 Jubilee: The Holy Year With Optional 2-Night Venice and St. Anthony of Padua Post Tour Extension The Office of Radio & Television and WJMJ Radio invite you to join Father John Gatzak on a special pilgrimage tour to Italy in celebration of Jubilee 2025: The Holy Year of the Roman Catholic Church. The Jubilee is a special year of grace, in which the Catholic Church offers the faithful the possibility of asking for a plenary indulgence, that is, the remission of sins for themselves or for deceased relatives. A Jubilee usually lasts a year and a few days: it begins just before the Christian Christmas and ends on the Epiphany of the following year. *We still have a few seats remaining for this Jubilee year pilgrimage. So, don't miss this opportunity to be among the first to see Pope Leo XIV, the Church's first American born pope!* Florence, Assisi & Rome, October 26 to November 6, 2025 (12 Days) Click for Full Itinerary Do you want to learn more about this exciting 2025 Jubilee pilgrimage hosted by Father John Gatzak, featuring Florence, Assisi and Rome? Please watch our Zoom travel presentation conducted by Collette Tours, originally recorded on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, just click the button below. Watch Zoom Travel Presentation	Habemus Papam! We Have a Pope! Vatican News Photo Leo XIV Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost Elected 267th Pope on May 8, 2025 Pontificate Inaugurated on May 18, 2025 Biography of Pope Leo XIV First Urbi et Orbi of Pope Leo XIV 'Peace be with all of you' Pope Leo XIV's Motto and Coat of Arms Homily Given by Pope Leo XIV during the Mass for the inauguration of his pontificate The Fisherman's Ring fr. john's commentaries Back to Fr. John's Corner Archdiocese of Hartford Reaches Settlement Agreement The following commentary, delivered by Fr. John P. Gatzak, was originally broadcast during Crossroads Magazine™ on November 5 and 6, 2005. This week, the Archdiocese of Hartford settled forty three claims of sexual abuse, following over two years of structured mediation. The reported incidents of abuse occurred primarily during the 1960’s and 1970’s with a few cases occurring in the first half of the 1980’s. The total settlement amount, 22 million dollars, is being paid to 43 claimants who reported acts of sexual misconduct experienced by them as minors, involving 14 priests of the Archdiocese. This settlement is funded primarily by insurance and long-term savings. None of the funding is coming from the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. So what does this mean? As a Connecticut Catholic, what am I to think? I too am a Connecticut Catholic, and as spokesperson for the Archdiocese, I have been intimately involved with this week’s events. I can only tell you what I know, and how I personally have come to terms with all this. Young people’s lives were shattered… there was indeed much pain and suffering, and the handful of priests not only brutally damaged their victims; their actions also brutally challenged our faith. But, mostly what I’ve come to realize this week, these months, is that this is a horrible chapter of our PAST… in Hartford, these events took place mostly 30 + years ago. Also, what I know is that the Archdiocese is not backing away from that past… rather, we are facing the challenge to learn from these very sick mistakes, and never to allow history to repeat itself. In reaching this settlement, the dollars are a symbol of the Church’s pain and sorrow, and a plea for forgiveness. This settlement is just part of a comprehensive program the Archdiocese has in place to make sure that, never never again will a child suffer at the hands of anyone who is associated with the Church. The Archdiocese is proactive in keeping our children safe. We have established a Safe Environment Program which is being implemented in Archdiocesan elementary schools and in parishes. It sensitizes children and young people to the sad fact that not all adults should be trusted. It teaches them how to protect themselves from predators. All archdiocesan clergy, employees and adult volunteers who deal with children on a regular basis are required to attend an intense training session on sexual abuse. And, complete background checks are done on all these employees and volunteers. The Archdiocese has in place a Review Board, consisting mainly of lay-persons not employed by the Archdiocese. They are responsible for the independent review of any charges of sexual abuse and serve as advisors to the Archbishop. Of course, any claims of abuse are immediately reported to the State Department of Children and Families. And, full cooperation is given to the authorities. The Archdiocese has a Victim Assistance Coordinator who works closely with all victims with an offer of therapy, and pastoral care by Archbishop Mansell. The Archdiocese of Hartford is in full compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People established by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2002. We’ve learned a great deal. Forty years ago, very little was known about pedophilia. It was believed to be treatable, and rehabilitation was wrongly assumed in many cases. Today’s Church leaders are working very diligently to make sure that children are safe from sexual abuse everywhere… not only clerical sexual abuse… but the even more prevalent abuse that happens in the home, by families and friends, and strangers. When I read the details of these cases in the news, I like you, cringe… my heart is broken for the victims… my heart is also broken for the rest of us who knew and trusted this handful of sick men who called themselves our spiritual leaders. But, in my heart I know that the vast majority of my brother priests are good, dedicated, prayerful men who hate these events as much as I do. I also know that the sins of a few urgently remind me of my need for faith… and for hope and love. One answer is prayer. Prayers for healing, for forgiveness, for changes of heart. And, of course, prayers for the future… that no child will ever be caused to suffer again, at the hands of any vile predator, and that the Archdiocese and our Archbishop continue on their vigilant chosen path, leading the way for society, to protect our children. Back to the top	If the Vatican Widget should not appear above, please click this link https://www.vaticannews.va/en.html. There’s hope and healing to be found after an abortion at Rachel’s Vineyard. For more information on the organization, contact Marie at 203-631-9030, email her at mlaffin@prolifeministry.org, or visit www.rachelsvineyard.org.

	ORTV, Inc. Office of Radio & Television and WJMJ Radio 15 Peach Orchard Road, Prospect, Connecticut 06712-1052 Telephones: (860) 242-8800 in the Hartford area • (203) 758-7367 in the Waterbury/New Haven area Outside the local calling areas toll-free (877) 342-5956 Fax: (203) 758-7371 Contact Us Bringing Good News To Life^® since 1953 Bringing Good News to Life^®, WJMJ^® and Where Faith Meets Life^® are registered trademarks and/or service marks of ORTV, Inc. Cookies Policy Legal Privacy Policy WJMJ Public Inspection File WJMJ Public File Help Contents of this website and all original works are copyright ©2025 by ORTV, Inc. or by the original creator of the material. All rights reserved. The material on this website may not be reproduced, copied, broadcast, downloaded, stored (in any medium), transmitted, shown or played in public, adapted or changed in any way whatsoever without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Please see our Copyright notice for complete details.