An Orange church has filed a request for a restraining order against the town's health director after they say he banned religious gatherings in town.

Father Bernard Champagne of Our Lady of Sorrows is a traditionalist who works separately from the Catholic diocese and still does his Mass in Latin.

"I been doing it for 16 years here, until the police told me, uh-uh, you can't do it no more," said Champagne. "The first line in the First Amendment is providing for religious freedom."

Attorney Christian Young says the director of the town Health Department D. Amir Mohammad enacted a policy March 16 banning religious gatherings in town.

He points to exemptions in Gov. Ned Lamont's executive orders that currently allow up to 50 people to gather and worship in the state.

First Selectman Jim Zeoli is standing by his health director's order and noting that with nine or so other religious groups in town, no one else has had a problem.

The town's lawyers say their Health Department just did what it felt needed to be done.

If a federal judge grants that restraining order it will go into effect immediately. Town officials say either way, Orange's faith communities can gather with appropriate precautions starting May 20.