The Dog Days of Summer

Welcome to August, maybe the hottest August ever. For so many people, the weather (and the effects thereof) has been devastating - from record high air and water temperatures to massive fires to catastrophic draughts, our world is suffering. And this is to say nothing of wars and political and cultural divisions that continue to pull us apart. We want to lift up all of those who have been affected as well as all of those who working for healing, justice, and peace. 
Despite all of these challenges, we do hope that your summer has had moments of joy, laughter, and family. Parish festival season has been going strong, the Reds and FCC are winning, and the kids (and teachers) still have a couple more weeks to recharge before school resumes. We also pray that you continue to enjoy summer and the many blessings it brings. 

In office news...

• the search continues for a Regional Director for the Dayton Office. See below for more information.

• Our Northern Catholic Rural Life mass got a little wet, but it was still a success. Thank you to the Seifring family for hosting! The Eastern version is coming up next month (see below for more details).

• Finally, the sixth annual Festival of Faiths is coming to the Cintas Center (Xavier U) on Sunday, Aug. 27. Details are below. If you're interested and willing to volunteer, we need help. Click below to sign up. Thanks in advance for your support and spreading the word. 

We humbly ask that you continue to pray for us. There's a lot going on this year, and while we're excited to get (or keep) things moving, your prayers - and engagement! - will make our success all the more likely. God help us!

If there's anything that we can do to support the work happening in your community, please let us know. We're trying to be more present to families of parishes, especially during the Beacons of Light process, and we'd love to (re)connect with you and work to build up God's kingdom of peace, justice, and kinship in your corner of the kingdom.

By now you've realized that our newsletter has a new format. Please let us know what you think and what changes you'd still like us to make (or unmake). This is far from set in stone, and we'd definitely appreciate your feedback. We will continue to send out Regional Updates with time-sensitive reminders and Action Alerts encouraging everyone to bring their voice and power to bear on important issues. 

We wish you a wonderful summer, and - as always - we look forward to seeing you soon as we continue to stand up for justice, solidarity, and equity. 

Peace and all good,

Tammie, Sr. Christine, Glen, & Andrew

We're Hiring!

DAYTON REGIONAL DIRECTOR

This fulltime position will work with the greater Dayton Catholic community and the northern deaneries of our archdiocese to honor the life and dignity of all people. You can find more information here: https://tinyurl.com/CSA-Regional-Director. Please contact Andrew with any questions.

2023 Rural Farm Mass - St. Mary Deanery

The 2023 Southeastern Rural Farm Mass will be held on Fri., September 8, at the home of Gary and Shirley Moran, located at 5565 Moran Rd, Ripley, OH 45167. Archbishop Schnurr will preside. 



It's happening rain or shine at 7:00 pm. Please bring a chair and a dish to share . 

September 8 is a blessing as Shirley has a special devotion to Mary and has a couple of Mary gardens. It is a beautiful 250 acre beef cattle farm with a civil war era house.

Urge Congress to Reauthorize the Farm Bill

Help communities around the world overcome hunger

Communities worldwide are experiencing life-threatening levels of hunger and malnutrition on an unprecedented scale. 

Right now, more than 100 CRS partners are meeting with their members of Congress on Capitol Hill to advocate for timely passage of the Farm Bill, including hunger-reducing international programs authorized by this legislation. 

Email your Congress members now to amplify their message and ensure the continuation of these lifesaving programs!

As families struggle to meet their food and nutrition needs due to the compound effects of conflict, climate change, COVID-19 and rising food costs, you can use your voice to help. 

Urge Congress to prioritize timely passage of the 2023 Farm Bill and to reauthorize existing international programs that address immediate hunger needs and support long-term solutions, including: 

• McGovern-Dole Food for Education, which provides free, nutritious school lunches for millions of children who might not otherwise have a daily meal. 
• Food for Peace, which has provided emergency and developmental support to more than 4 billion people around the world since 1954. 
• Farmer-to-Farmer, which enables U.S. volunteers to help train and support farmers in other countries so they can adapt to climate change and improve their harvests. 

Every person has the right to sufficient, nutritious food to lead a healthy and dignified life. Act now to help communities overcome devastating hunger and have sustainable access to nutritious food. 

Lift your voice alongside people who are advocating on Capitol Hill for hunger-reducing international programs in the Farm Bill.

• Date: Sunday, August 27

• Time: 12:00-5:00pm

• Location: Cintas Center (on Xavier University’s campus)

The Archdiocesan Interfaith & Ecumenical Office partners with different groups throughout the year to both support our sisters and brothers of other faiths and to present a united faith-inspired front on issues that face our society. Pope Francis wrote in Fratelli Tutti, “The Church esteems the ways in which God works in other religions, and “rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions.”” (#277) Thus, one of the most important functions of this office (run through Catholic Social Action) is to build relationships and come to know all that is “true, good and just” (Gaudium et spes #42 ).

One of the greatest and most accessible ways you can take part in this wonderful ministry is to attend the Festival of Faiths, an annual event sponsored by EquaSion which the Archdiocese strongly supports.  Dozens of faith traditions and faith-related organizations will be there to share, listen, learn, and celebrate the beautiful religious tapestry that is Cincinnati. Virtual programming will follow from Monday through Thursday, Aug. 28-31, culminating in the Cincinnati Festival of Faiths Peace Walk at Ault Park on Thursday Aug. 31 from 7 – 9 PM. All are encouraged to come!

This video series and discussion guide was prepared for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for use by organizations in a 4-part workshop. Check out the Breaking Open the Sin of Racism site to see how your parish, school, or organization can host workshops or use the resources in other ways. 

Questions? Contact Andrew Musgrave  | 513-263-6691

From the Respect Life Office

The dignity of life in its earliest stages is threatened by a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution to expand and enshrine abortion at the expense of existing protections for preborn children and women. As Catholics, we cannot remain on the sidelines when confronted with such a clear threat to human life. 

The Catholic Conference of Ohio has created a page on our website dedicated to resources to help Catholics unite in prayer and learn more about the proposed amendment and help defeat it. Visit www.ohiocathconf.org/protect to download a flyer and prayer card and learn more about how to take action.  

The FY23-25 Ohio Budget: Helping Ohio Families and Women

Ohio’s new budget was approved last month, and included several items supported by the Catholic Conference of Ohio (CCO) that help support pregnant women, children and families.

Perhaps the piece most are already aware of is the expansion of Ohio’s EdChoice Scholarship Program. This is now available to all Ohioans who wish to send their children to a Catholic school, effective immediately. Now, most families can receive the full scholarship of $6,165 for grade school and $8,407 for high school. Full details can be found on the Ohio Department of Education website.   

In addition to the EdChoice expansion, the approved budget included a number of items which the CCO advocated for to invest in pregnant women, children, and families. These included such things as:

• Eliminating sales tax for baby products
• Investing more in housing for vulnerable pregnant women
• Extending Ohio Works First cash assistance eligibility for the full duration of a woman's pregnancy
• A new doula program to address infant and maternal mortality rates, especially in minority communities
• Supporting pregnancy resource centers
• Expanding Medicaid for pregnant women and children
• Reforming Ohio adoption law
• Increasing the child tax credit.

Check out Bob Wurzelbacher’s Being Pro Life interview with Will Kuehlne of the OCC for more details on some of the good things included in Ohio’s new budget to support women and families in need.

From the Office for Persons with Disabilities

Thirty-three years ago, on July 26^th the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all places that are open to the general public.This changed the course of life for so many!   As a church, we are legally exempted from that law in many instances, but at the same time, we should to be reaching out and going above and beyond what the law requires.

The Office for Persons with Disabilities advocates for those who benefit from this important law in your parish.  How accessible is your parish for those who are blind, deaf, hard of hearing, or have a cognitive or intellectual disability?  Do you offer braille missiles and support for the blind, ASL for the Deaf Community, FM or Loop devices for the hard of hearing, and Sensory Friendly Mass for those with autism, dementia, or Alzheimer’s?  We must serve everyone in our parish, and we want to create a culture of belonging for all! Contact Lisa Averion if you need help! 

Who We Are

csa@catholicaoc.org | 513-263-6690
https://resources.catholicaoc.org/offices/catholic-social-action

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