Register Radio: HHS Mandate Update and Chart-topping Advent Music

Attorney Emily Hardman DeMontfort Music founder Monica Fitzgibbons

Today on Register Radio, Emily Hardman, attorney and communications director with The Becket Fund provided a timely update on the various cases filed against the government’s Health and Human Service’s contraceptive mandate. She pointed out that currently there are more than 40 lawsuits, including at least 30 from non-profit agencies and nine from for-profit organizations.

Hardman pointed said that businesses are subject to the mandate almost immediately, so four different business cases have gone before the court. Of those, there have been three victories, with the court allowing injunctions. The case that was lost was The Hobby Lobby case, but that is currently under appeal.

“We got a huge victory yesterday with the Archdiocese of New York,” said Hardman. “The court ruled in their favor.”

Some courts, Hardman explained, have rejected the cases, saying that the administration has given these organizations an extra year, and that if changes aren’t made, they can bring the case back later.

Hardman, however, said that organizations are having to make decisions now regarding budgeting, hiring, and insurance, so they are being affected, and are suffering the effects of the mandate now.

“If they do not comply, they will face devastating and crippling fines,” said Hardman. “

Advent at Ephesus CD
In our second half, music-industry veteran Monica Fitzgibbons, co-founder of DeMontfort Music spoke about the release of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles' album "Advent at Ephesus." The CD has topped Billboard magazine's Traditional Classical Music chart for the past two weeks.

Fitzgibbons talked about her and her husband Kevin's move out of the major music industry to start their own company focused on sacred and chant music.

"We have Vivaldi and Beethoven, Mozart's requiems, and Palestrina," said Fitzgibbons. "The Church has been the leading source of art."

Fitzgibbons spoke about what it was like working with the Benedictine Sisters.

"It was beautiful. They are very musical," explained Fitzgibbons. "Part of their charism is singing the office. They sing the psalms eight times a day, so the were already of one voice. We had three days to record 16 tracks."

“When we first sat down with the marketing folks at Decca Records, their first question was: ‘What is Advent?’” said Fitzgibbons. “They really didn’t know. That made me think that maybe this whole project is about the Lord helping more people to know about Advent, which has really been lost in the world.”

To hear the entire show, and an excerpt from the CD, listen to the entire show at 2 p.m. EASTERN Friday on any EWTN Radio affiliate or Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. The program re-airs at 7 p.m. EASTERN on Saturday and 11 a.m. EASTERN on Sunday, and is also available on the Register Radio web page, and via podcast.