In recent years, leaders of the Catholic Church in Connecticut have participated in anti-gay marriage protests at the state Capitol.
They also spoke out at a massive rally in 2009 against a controversial bill that would have shifted control of parish finances away from bishops and priests and toward lay members of the church.
Next week, the Catholic archdiocese will be back at the Capitol, this time to participate in what is expected to be a large show of force in favor of repealing Connecticut's death penalty.
The April 5 vigil on the north grounds of the Capitol is also being organized by the CT Network to Abolish the Death Penalty and state Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield, a member of the judiciary committee and a leading proponent of the repeal effort.
Death penalty opponents are hopeful the measure will pass during the current legislative session. In 2009, the General Assembly passed a repeal bill but it was vetoed by then-Gov. M. Jodi Rell. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, elected in November, has said he would sign such a measure.