Prayer
We invite you to confess the sin of racism, privately and communally. As we move through this lenten season of conversion, we invite you to follow some of the "racial examination of conscience: written by Mark Schmidt, the director of the Respect of Life/Social Justice Office of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
- Do I interact with people who are different from me outside of work or school?
- Do I read books or stories written by people of different ethnic or religious heritage than myself?
- Have I taken the time to listen to the voices of others who don’t look like me or have a different background and life experience than me?
(Loosely interpreted from Just Love, Monthly Newsletter of the Office of Justice, Peace and Ecological Integrity of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, March 2024.)
The Laudato Si’ Movement (formerly The Catholic Climate Covenant) invites you to return to encounters with yourself, with creation, and with God this Lent, through contemplation. They have developed a website to provide you with a step-by-step guide to this practice, as well as frequently asked questions and resources to help you go deeper.
"The best antidote against this misuse of our common home is contemplation."
Pope Francis
Advocacy and Action
At the hearing last Thursday, the judge blocked Attorney General Paxton’s request for Annunciations House’s records. That is a good first step. The outpouring of support for Annunciation House from dioceses, religious orders, and faith-based organizations has been tremendous. While not out of the woods, many are putting public pressure on the Attorney General to stop the harassment. Keep praying for a satisfactory resolution to this process. You may also be interested in this NCR article for a broader take on what the persecution of Annunciation House means for religious freedom.
For our Ohio folks, on Tuesday, April 9, Catholics from around the state will gather in Columbus for a Catholic Advocacy Day, to advocate for legislation that respects life, cares for the poor, and protects all of God’s creation. It is co-sponsored by the Catholic Conference of Ohio and the different Respect Life and Catholic Social Action offices from around the state. If you are interested in attending, let me know. I will get you connected.
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act has been reintroduced in Congress. If passed, this legislation would lower barriers to voting that many experience, especially marginalized communities. Through this tool at Common Cause, you can send a letter to your Congressional representatives asking them to support it.
Education
The Center for Migration Studies recently hosted a webinar titled: Telling the Truth About the Border. The Center for Migration Studies does rather an in-depth study on immigration. In this webinar, experts from the US-Mexico border, including Bishop Mark Seitz and Joanna Williams from KINO Border Initiative, spoke about the realities along the border and the human consequences of US border enforcement policy. They offered more humane ways to manage migration at the US-Mexico border. If you ever wonder why the information from the news media is contradictory, this is the webinar for you.
If the plastics industry was a country, it would be at least the fifth largest producer of the emissions that cause climate change. That’s a lot of greenhouse gas! This is only one of the connections between climate change and plastics. Thursday, March 14 at 7 PM, Beyond Plastics will host a presentation by Holly Kaufman, the writer of one of the first articles on Why Plastics Are Also A Climate Issue. She will explain the science of climate change and plastics today — what we know and what we don’t know — and discuss ways to move forward on policy and activism. Holly is the founder and President of Environment & Enterprise Strategies, where she advises such organizations as the Union of Concerned Scientists and the National Science Foundation. You can join the presentation by clicking here.
Democracy Watch
More and more justice advocates are paying attention to several concerning our democratic process. It is something I have frankly tried to ignore. It seems so big and so frightening. However, ignoring concerning things has never helped anyone. I have added a section to the Weekly Update. It will appear as needed.
The USCCB is bringing back their “Civilize It” campaign for this election season. On March 20 at 4 PM (EDT), Catholic Charities USA will host "Civilize It: Our Catholic Response in a Polarized World" Topics will include the challenge of polarization and the tools from our Catholic tradition that can help us heal Church and society. The moderator is Gloria Purvis; panelists are Kerry Alys Robinson, president and CEO of CCUSA, and Rev. Aaron Wessman, G.H.M., author of The Church's Mission in a Polarized World. No registration is required. It will be livestreamed here.
For Review:
The USCCB has released new materials for Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. We are invited to read and share these materials' guidance on our political responsibility as Catholics and faithful citizens. You will find information in English and Spanish.
New Introductory Note to Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: English | Spanish.
The Role of the Church in American Political Life: English | Spanish.
The Dignity of the Human Person: English | Spanish.
The Common Good: English | Spanish.
Solidarity: English | Spanish.
Subsidiarity: English | Spanish.
“In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.” — Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, No. 13. The USCCB encourages us all to form our conscience and vote! It is a call of our faith.
Early voting for the primary IN OHIO has begun. Voting day is March 19. Check your voter registration status and make your plan to vote. You can vote early in-person now. Find early voting locations in Ohio or get your absentee/mail-in ballot for Ohio. Deadline to request an absentee ballot is March 12. You can see a sample ballot by going to the website and clicking on your county. Those in other states, your information is just a Google search away. Type in “my voter registration status {state}” “Early voting {state}” “Mail-in ballot {state}” Or simply “county Board of Elections {county, state}” for all the information.