The Catholic Transcript has won first prize for overall excellence in the 2012 New England Better Newspaper Competition.

The competition, held each year by the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA), draws nearly 3,000 entries from throughout the region. The NENPA awards were announced on Feb. 8.

The Transcript also earned first prizes for editorial writing, a themed or sponsored advertising page and feature photography. It took second place for a local personality profile story and third place for a local advertisement in color and for a personality photo.

HARTFORD – Gov. Dannel P. Malloy chose the Institute for the Hispanic Family, a service of Catholic Charities located at 45 Wadsworth St., for his Feb. 4 announcement of a plan to coordinate services aimed at improving outcomes for Connecticut’s youngest children.

The initiative, which must first pass the General Assembly, would pull services from the Department of Social Services, Department of Education, Department of Public Health, Board of Regents and the Department of Developmental Services to form an Office of Early Childhood Education. Stating that the new office would "fundamentally transform how we address early childhood issues in the state," Gov. Malloy said the initiative would be phased in over two years and would improve continuity, access and outreach.

BLOOMFIELD – Denise Serafini flies with faith in her carry-on bag. The exhibit she travels with is small enough to fit into a suitcase, but draws large crowds and inspires deep reverence.

"Relics of the Passion" is its name, and the exhibit is traveling through the Archdiocese of Hartford during Lent. Its first stop will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 26 at St. James Parish in Manchester.

Eight tiny relics related to the Passion, death and Resurrection of Christ make up the exhibit, which Ms. Serafini says fascinates children and moves many adults to prayerful reverence.

Representatives of the Prayer Shawl Ministry at St. Joseph Parish in Poquonock present shawls to leaders of the professional association of funeral directors who assisted after the Dec. 14 shootings in Newtown. From left are Darlene Kennedy of Windsor, leader of the Prayer Shawl Ministry; Pasquale Folino, president of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association (CFDA) and a licensed funeral director at Thomas L. Neilan & Sons Funeral Homes in New London and Niantic; John Cascio, executive director of the FDA; and Bunni Barresi of Windsor, Prayer Shall Ministry member. (Photo submitted)

 WETHERSFIELD – The Prayer Shawl Ministry of St. Joseph Parish in Poquonock has wrapped funeral directors who assisted after the Dec. 14 killings in Newtown with love and prayers.

The ministry gathered in January for a “Knit-In” to remember the victims and families of Dec. 14’s Sandy Hook shootings and to thank the funeral directors who helped the grieving families.

As each member knitted or crocheted a shawl, she prayed for the funeral directors, asking for peace, comfort and blessings for their care and service.

Father Robert B. Vargo, pastor of St. Joseph, which is located in the Poquonock section of Windsor, blessed the shawls during a Mass and said a special prayer for funeral directors who have the difficult job of assisting grieving families every day.

WASHINGTON (CNS) – The Catholic Health Association, Our Sunday Visitor newsweekly and two more bishops have joined other Catholic leaders and institutions in weighing in on new proposed rules governing the contraceptive mandate from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.