Saturday, October 8, 2011

Catholic Involvement in Public Life

reprinted from California Catholic Conference

Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. Bishops’ instruction on Catholics’ moral and ethical involvement in public life, is traditionally re-written every four years. This year, however, the Bishops have reissued the document which was overwhelming approved by them in 2007. They changed only the introduction saying that the issues faced by the nation in 2007 still challenge us:

“We urge our Catholic pastors and people to continue to use this important statement to help them form their consciences, to contribute to civil and respectful public dialogue, and to shape their choices in the coming election in the light of Catholic teaching,” they write. “It (Faithful Citizenship) does not offer a voter’s guide, scorecard of issues or direction on how to vote. It applies Catholic moral principles to a range of important issues and warns against misguided appeals to ‘conscience’ to ignore fundamental moral claims, to reduce Catholic moral concerns to one or two matters, or to justify choices simply to advance partisan, ideological or personal interests.”
The Introductory Note does not modify or interpret the document itself and emphasizes the importance of religious freedom. It raises six “current and fundamental problems, some involving opposition to intrinsic evils and others raising serious moral questions.” These are: abortion and threats to the lives and dignity of the vulnerable, sick or unwanted; threats to Catholic ministries, including health care, education and social services, to violate their consciences or stop serving those in need; intensifying efforts to redefine marriage; unemployment, poverty and debt; immigration; and wars, terror and violence, particularly in the Middle East.

The entire document, with the new Introductory Note, can be found on the USCCB page.

New Food Law Helps Poor

reprinted from the California Catholic Conference:

Since 2003, the California Catholic Conference has made food security a top priority for Catholic Advocacy (Lobby) Day and thousands of you have added your voice through the Network, phone calls and visits. Yesterday, Governor Brown signed AB 6 CalWORKs and CalFresh (Fuentes, D-Los Angeles) helping to fight hunger, especially for children, in the Golden State. Well done!

AB 6 will simplify the reporting process and eliminate the fingerprinting requirement that impedes low-income Californians from getting federally funded assistance. The Governor also signed AB 69, which will help low-income seniors access nutrition.

The CalFresh program is a critical component of the safety net for Californians, providing modest nutritional aid that helps avert hunger for families living below or near the poverty line. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has also shown that for every dollar of expenditure, CalFresh generates $1.79 of economic activity in local communities. Thank you to all Network members who became engaged in this issue over the years by emailing or speaking to their representative.

PHOTO ALBUM (below)

Please scroll down this page to view our photo album or find more pictures on our facebook page.

Walk for the Poor 2013

Walk for the Poor 2013

Homeless Strategies Workshop

Homeless Strategies Workshop

Feeding the Hungry

Feeding the Hungry

Walk for the Poor 2012

Walk for the Poor 2012

Homeless Ministry

Homeless Ministry
Our New Banner

Bundle Sunday Fall 2010

Bundle Sunday Fall 2010
Donations help the poor

Marian Retreat

Marian Retreat
Vincentians gather for a morning relecting on Marian devotion.

Hospitality Sunday 2010

Hospitality Sunday 2010
Vincentians thank the OLG parish for its genorosity.

Parish Festival 2010

Parish Festival 2010

Nat'l Vincentian Family Gathering 2010

Nat'l Vincentian Family Gathering 2010
Conference members attend via internet link up

West Coast Walk for Life 2010

West Coast Walk for Life 2010

Spirit of Giving

Spirit of Giving
A donation coin box symbolizes personal sacrifice

Hospitality Sunday

Hospitality Sunday
Donations support St. Vincent de Paul

Bundle Sunday

Bundle Sunday


Invitation to Service

Invitation to Service

Working in the Food Locker

Working in the Food Locker