Category Archives: Action Items

Act Now! Tell the Federal Government to Do No Harm to Catholic Health Care Ministries

The Church’s ministries of healing, education, and social services bear witness to Jesus Christ and build up the common good. Church institutions are not mere providers of so-cial services. They are expressions of Christian ministry dedicated to human flourishing. We serve all people, without regard to race, sex, religion, or any other status, because God has imbued every person with inherent human dignity. Most Americans understand that mission-driven organizations should be free to operate in accordance with their missions. But a recent rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Ser-vices (HHS) would prevent Catholic hospitals, clinics, assisted living facilities, and health care workers from carrying out their work. HHS needs to hear your opinion by October 3rd! Click here to read the full statement and visit www.usccb.org/do-no-harm to learn more.

Catholic Relief Services Accepting Donations to Aid Ukraine

There is great risk of additional suffering both within Ukraine and for those who are fleeing to neighboring countries for safety. CRS and their partners need immediate support to meet both ongoing needs as the situation intensifies.

Years of conflict along the eastern border have already displaced 1.3 million people from their homes and claimed 14,000 lives. Throughout this time, Caritas Ukraine, with support from CRS, has been providing emergency relief and recovery.

CRS and Caritas partners on the ground are preparing across Ukraine and in bordering countries, ready to provide safe shelter, hot meals, hygiene supplies, transport to safe areas, counseling support and more.

The situation there is rapidly unfolding, and we could not do this work without your help. When you donate, you provide immediate assistance for your Ukrainian sisters and brothers affected by this crisis.

Click here to donate:

https://support.crs.org/donate/donate-ukraine?ms=agigoo0922ukr00gen00&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgtrk_9609gIVFo7ICh2YHwSfEAAYASAAEgJeGvD_BwE

Repeal the Federal Death Penalty

Until recently, Congressional repeal of the federal death penalty was not thought politically viable. But in January 2021, lawmakers introduced The Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act (H.R. 262/S. 582) which would abolish the federal death penalty.

Now over a year since its introduction, national decision-makers from both sides of the aisle need to hear that ending the federal death penalty is still a top priority. This legislation will need strong bipartisan support in order to pass.

Contact your members of Congress and ask them whether they support federal death penalty abolition:

https://catholicsmobilizing.org/contact-congress

USCCB Chemical Abortion Fact Sheets

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it is eliminating some of the safety requirements for chemical abortion under its Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). The USCCB has created fact sheets providing background information on chemical abortion, safety protocols to protect the mother, and why the abortion lobby opposes the REMS and encourages in-home, mail-order abortion. Click here for more information: https://www.usccb.org/chemical-abortion-fact-sheets

Be sure to sign up for USCCB alerts to receive texts on critical life issues across the United States!

A Dark Day in America: Your action needed more than ever!

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Action Center:  Email Congress

Last Friday was a very dark day as the House of Representatives voted to pass the most radical abortion bill ever. The so-called Women’s Health Protection Act, H.R. 3755, would:

  • Allow abortion on demand nationwide throughout EVERY STAGE of pregnancy
  • BAN pro-life laws in every state and local government 
  • Force Americans to support abortions with their tax dollars
  • Likely eliminate conscience protections for doctors—among other extreme actions

Of those present, all but one House Democrat voted for the bill and all House Republicans voted against. The single House Democrat to vote against the bill was Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas. You can see how your representative voted here.

In his statement responding to this vote, Archbishop Joseph Naumann, Chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, called this bill “the most extreme pro-abortion bill our nation has ever seen.”

Please contact your Representative today either to thank him/her for voting against H.R. 3755 or to express strong, but respectful, disagreement with their vote for the bill while urging him/her to reconsider support for this radical bill.

In addition, we believe it is likely that the Senate will also vote on this bill in the very near future. So, please also contact your two Senators to strongly urge their opposition to the Senate version of this bill (S. 1975) when it comes up for a vote.

As always, we are grateful for any action you can take on this matter and for all you do to proclaim the Gospel of Life. Please also join us in praying that our nation and its leaders will fully embrace this Gospel.

Further background:

Archbishop Naumann’s letter to Congress urging opposition to this bill

This fact sheet explaining the radical nature of this bill.

 

NOURISH NY Action Needed

The New York State Legislature voted to make NOURISH NEW YORK (NYS Senate Bill S4892A), the state’s farm to food bank/pantry initiative, a permanent state program.  This pandemic-initiative provides funding to New York’s food banks and emergency food providers (such as Catholic parish food pantries and other community food pantries) for the direct purchase of New York-produced fruit, vegetables and dairy products to feed those in need.   To-date, food banks have purchased and passed through to food pantries, 21 million pounds of agricultural products from New York farms which fed 1.3 million food-insecure families across the state.  NOURISH NEW YORK invests in a statewide food system that expands market opportunities for farmers, eliminates food waste, and makes sure no New Yorker goes hungry.   

Our advocacy on Diocesan Public Policy Weekend (February 2021) helped make the NOURISH NEW YORK program permanent, but legislative leaders never sent the bill to the Governor for signature!

Nourish NY action needed