Lenten Journey

Welcome to March. We're looking forward to spending almost the whole month in Lent and then celebrating our holiest of days and the Resurrection of our Lord. 

We hope your Lenten journey has been going well, but if it hasn't, there's no better time to start than now. Here's an article from the Catholic Telegraph reminding us of the rules of fasting and abstinence during the season, a reference guide for fish fries, and daily reflections. And don't forget to use your CRS Rice Bowl! 

We'd like to share this Lenten prayer from CRS with you and encourage you to use it throughout the season.

Meet Me in the Desert

Lord of Lent, Lord of Easter.

As you went into the desert 

So do I follow

Putting aside that which distracts me 

Grabs at me 

Falsely claims me.

To search inside 

To confront myself 

My best, my worst 

My good works and my sins.

And each time, I find you there 

To call to me again

With words of challenge and words of mercy. 

And as I fall to my knees, in prayer, in fasting 

In sacrifice and penitence

Somehow, you have it in yourself to reach out and gently lift me

To renew me 

To claim me as nothing of this world can claim me.

Meet me in the desert, Lord. 

Claim me anew.

Amen.

Also in March, we celebrate St. Patrick's Day. While most people know to wear green and be Irish for a day (corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes anyone?), most don't know that beautiful story of St. Patrick. Take a few minutes to read about a man who was enslaved in Ireland for six years, escaped, was called by God to the priesthood, and returned to Ireland to bring the gospel to the Irish. (You can even learn how he used the shamrock in his conversion efforts.)

We also celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph (3/19 - cheers to all you dads!), the start of Ramadan for our Muslim sisters and brothers (sundown on 3/10 - Ramadan Mubarak!), and Purim for our Jewish sisters and brothers (sundown on 3/23 - chag Purim sameach!). 

Finally, don't forget that CCHD local grant applications are due March 15!

We humbly ask that you continue to pray for us. This continues to be an exciting and challenging year, and your prayers - and engagement! - will make our success possible. 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.

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 remainder to your Lenten journey and a most blessed Triduum, 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, Jill, Glen, & Andrew

Election 2024

As you are most certainly aware, 2024 is an election year - perhaps most notably a presidential election year. And as has been the case for many years, our country is deeply divided as to the how to move forward (and our Church is no different). Thus, as we have tried to do in each of the last several elections, our office will be offering guidance to Catholics: encouraging everyone to vote, imploring people to vote with their faith as their guide (not their political affiliation), and supporting Catholics as they seek to be voices for compassion and understanding (not voices for division and vitriol). Be on the lookout in the coming months for multiple communications, including videos, community presentations, and parish resources.

For now, feel free to (re)visit our Faithful Citizenship webpage which already contains lots of resources - and pray for peace!

Tuesday, April 9th from 9:15 am - 4:30 pm

Every year, thousands of pieces of legislation are proposed, debated, and voted on in state houses around the country. Some of this legislation is mundane, but a lot of it has a direct and significant impact on people’s lives. (We saw this very clearly in OH last year.) As Catholics, we are called to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and work in different ways to create God’s kingdom on Earth, a community where everyone’s dignity is honored and each person is respected and given the opportunity to thrive. One of the those ways is through advocacy with our elected officials.

On Tuesday, April 9, Catholics from around the state will gather in Columbus to advocate for legislation that respects life, cares for the poor, and protects all of God’s creation. Co-sponsored by the Catholic Conference of Ohio and the different Respect Life and Catholic Social Action offices from around the state, this is an opportunity to speak with those women and men we elected and hold them accountable to what matters to us, their constituents. The day will start with a bit of training, every visit will be done with partners, and lunch will be provided.  

If you have any questions, please email Andrew.

Please join us to stand up for life and dignity.

Click here for details and register by April 1st

Local Foods Seminar

On February 4, 2024, 50 people gathered at St George Parish, Georgetown, Ohio for the 15^th Annual Local Foods Seminar. he purpose of the gathering was to bring local producers and potential businesses and consumers together to advance local food production in the five county primarily Appalachian area that includes Adams, Brown, Clermont, Clinton, and Highland counties.  

BRING LENT TO LIFE WITH CRS RICE BOWL

Through CRS Rice Bowl, we journey with members of our human family around the world and commit our Lenten prayers, fasting, and almsgiving to deepening our faith and serving those in need. There is something to deepen everyone’s Lenten journey with CRS Rice Bowl. There are lessons and prayers for all ages, videos, reflections, Stations of the Cross, and even delicious yet simple recipes to share as a community or a family. Communicate easily using CRS’ premade materials such as these bulletin entries for each week. Rice bowl orders are recurring each year, but if your parish is new to it or needs to make changes, please do so ASAP. Visit www.crsricebowl.org or contact Jillian Foster jfoster@catholicaoc.org for more information.

Grant Application Season

The application to receive local CCHD grant money is available on our website - https://resources.catholicaoc.org/offices/catholic-social-action/task-forces-committees/cchd. The application is due Friday, March 15.  

For those that don't know, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), founded in 1969, is the U.S. bishops’ social justice, anti-poverty campaign. Locally, CCHD operates out of our office and is supported by the Archdiocesan CCHD Committee that consists of parishioners from across the archdiocese. Groups within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati can apply for grants up to $10,000.

Besides the application, you can also find information about our current grantees (national and local), the criteria for applying, and our annual collection (which occurs in November). 

If you have any questions about CCHD, please reach out to Glen in our office. 

Advocacy Opportunities

End the Death Penalty in Ohio

The time is NOW to change state law.

Make your voice heard and urge your state legislators to support Senate Bill 101 and House Bill 259 to abolish the death penalty in Ohio. We cannot solve violence with more violence or obtain justice via the state of Ohio directly and intentionally killing a defenseless human life.

Action Alert for Senate Bill 101

Action Alert for House Bill 259  

Protect Those Seeking Safety

Stand in Solidarity with Vulnerable People

Join with the U.S. bishops in opposing harmful and counterproductive changes to immigration law as a condition for supplemental funding. Speak out here.

Immigration Reform that Respects Religious Liberty

Serving newcomers is compelled by Sacred Scripture and Catholic social teaching, and it is a core ministry of the Church.

Encourage members of Congress to work toward bipartisan immigration reform that furthers the common good, upholds religious freedom, and respects the God-given dignity of all.  

Combat Human Trafficking and Protect Survivors

Urge your US Senator to Pass bi-partisan Anti-Trafficking Legislation

Support the House-passed Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2023 (H.R. 5856), an important, bipartisan bill that will help combat the evil of human trafficking. 

Help Communities Affected by Climate Change

Urge Congress to support the Green Climate Fund and Development Assistance.

Urge Congress to address the impact of climate change by providing robust funding for poverty-reducing international assistance programs in the fiscal year 2024 budget, especially for the Green Climate Fund and Development Assistance. 

Pass Funding Measures to Support People in Ukraine and Gaza

Fund vital humanitarian assistance for people caught in these brutal conflicts.

The lives and safety of millions of our sisters and brothers in Gaza and Ukraine are at stake. Our faith calls us to act quickly and decisively in the face of these humanitarian emergencies to avoid further suffering.

Support Women and Families in Need

Tell Congress to Fund WIC for All Families in Need.

Tell Congress to continue its long history of bipartisan support for WIC by providing the program with adequate resources to serve all eligible participants with food that meets their nutrition needs, including the current benefit for fruits and vegetables. Supporting WIC is one way we can help build a society that welcomes new life and is oriented toward helping children and their parents, especially those who are most vulnerable.

Advocate for Women and Children

Last year, our state mobilized like never before to protect the sanctity of life and support families, women, and children. It was an amazing and beautiful effort, and our work is of course far from done. We must continue to Stand With Moms in Need.

We now have before us an additional opportunity to carry on this work of protecting life, this time at the federal level. This bill, now before Congress and endorsed by the USCCB, moves us toward this goal.

The bill is an effort to Fund WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) for All Families in Need. WIC provides financial support for healthy food and nutrition. If Congress doesn’t act, there is the very real possibility that – for the first time in decades – people could be waitlisted to receive support, and we all know that you can’t wait to get food to support yourself and your children. You can click here to contact your elected officials about this legislation.

From the Respect Life Office

The Supreme Court and the Abortion Pill Regimen

Bob Wurzelbacher, Director of Respect Life Ministries

The US Supreme court this month will again take up the case of the FDA approval of the abortion pill regimen. When it was originally approved in 2000, it was only allowed for abortions up to 7 weeks gestation and required three in-person doctor visits. Since then, chemical abortions have been approved for up to 10 weeks, follow-up visits have been eliminated, and the one required visit can be by telemedicine and with someone who is not a physician. The Supreme Court may keep things as they are, disallow the regimen all together, or perhaps most likely, roll back the regulations to its original form of requiring 3 in-person doctor visits and only approve up to 7 weeks gestation.

Last year I wrote an article on the dangers of chemical abortion by telemedicine. Head to the Newsletter archives and check out the July 2023 issue. This month, I just want to point out that it should come as no surprise that the big news related to the upcoming court case is a study of how safe and effective telemedicine appointments are for dispensing chemical abortion drugs. Of course I am not a researcher, but I did read the study here, not just the plethora of articles repeating how wonderful and conclusive it is. The first glaring problem was that only 76% of the 6,034 women in the study responded to follow-up contact (4,454). So the status of 1,580 women is unknown. One can only wonder what the likelihood is of a person who does suffer severe complications to respond to a follow-up survey. Is it likely the non-responders have the same rate of non-complications as those who did respond, or might the people with severe complications be less likely to respond? Another noteworthy point of the study is that it involved patients who received what is called “synchronous care” (video) and “asynchronous care” (texting). Until I read this study, I didn’t even know that the required telemedicine appointment could be done entirely by text. Over 70% of the women in the study received text-only care. The non-response rate from video appointments was about 15%. The non-response rate from the texters was double (30%). So this 97.7% effectiveness rate is based entirely on self-reporting, with a significant lack of follow-up contact, especially from the texting group. How can we trust these results? A woman receiving chemical abortion drugs by telemedicine is likely hiding her abortion from others in her life. If she experiences complications, she may suffer them silently, and if she does have to go to the hospital (since it isn’t with the original provider), she may not be honest with the doctors about what brought her there. If she isn’t honest with the hospital, she may not be honest with the follow-up surveys if she even responds at all. It could be that she wants nothing to do with the people who gave her these pills and told her they were completely safe and will fail to respond to follow-up. Is that not at least a possibility? One interesting point the researchers also noted was that among the 4,454 who reported back, not even one of them was determined to have been beyond 10 weeks of pregnancy. Is it likely that no one underestimated their gestational age? Or is it possible that those who underestimated their gestational age by telemedicine and expelled a sizable fetus were afraid to admit it because they were afraid of the consequences of lying about their gestational age? This even brings into question the veracity of the 74%. Admitting complications opens up more questions and more intrusion, and most of these women want to move on and never talk about it again. If we want good research on the effects of the abortion pill, it seems to me we must have in-person follow-ups with a doctor who prescribed the pills, where the patient feels safe to disclose any ill-effects. This seems to be the best way to come close to knowing the truth. 

Parish Coordinator Training Reminder

Now that Issue One has passed our work is more important than ever. The Office for Respect Life Ministries of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is offering four training opportunities for parish leaders on how we can better serve women in this critical time. We encourage every parish to send key leaders in your respect life ministry who are interested in assisting with these efforts.  Leaders could be volunteers, staff members, or clergy.

These meetings will focus on how to implement the USCCB program Walking With Moms in Need in your parish family, as well as the importance of the ministry of prayer and presence outside of local surgical abortion facilities. We'll also have time to discuss best practices among peers as well as the ways in which the Respect Life office can continue to support you in these efforts. We encourage you to attend the session nearest to your parish, but feel free to attend the session that best fits your schedule.

Please be sure to RSVP so we have enough 2024 Handbooks for everyone.

Join us for a meeting:

Wednesday, March 6, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cincinnati

Thursday, March 7, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
St. Francis of Assisi, Centerville

Wednesday, March 13, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
St. Ann Parish, Groesbeck

Wednesday, March 20, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Holy Angels, Sydney

Register Here

From the Office for Persons with Disabilities

Retreat for Adults with Special Needs

Lisa Averion, Associate Director of Office for Persons with Disabilities

Last spring the Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD) hosted the first retreat for adults with special needs. The NET (National Evangelization Team, WWW.NETUSA.ORG) shared the gospel through words, music, and skits. Fr. Kyle Schnipple listened to confessions and celebrated Mass with those who attended. It was a beautiful day for our friends and family who attended. Due to the wonderful response and needs of our adult friends with special needs throughout the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, we will be hosting two NET retreats in 2024. Save the date for our northern NET Retreat on March 23rd (location and time TBA) and southern NET Retreat on April 27th (location and time TBA). Fr. Kyle Schnipple will be the celebrant again this year. If you would like to learn more about the upcoming retreats, please email Lisa Averion LAVERION@CATHOLICAOC.ORG to receive updates on time, location, and registration. Registration is now open.

In collaboration with the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio and the Christ Church Cathedral’s Taft Lecture Series, Faith Communities Go Green announces an Environmental Justice event.

In-Person Lecture: Dr. Robert Bullard, “The Father of Environmental Justice”
March 13, 2024, 7-8pm

Register HERE

Robert D. Bullard, Ph.D., the “father of environmental justice,” was the first scientist to publish systematic research on the links between race and exposure to pollution, which he documented for a 1979 lawsuit. Prior to that no one fully understood how a person’s surroundings can affect their health. For more than four decades, Bullard integrated human and civil rights with environmental justice. He embraced the principle that all people and communities have a right to equal protection and equal enforcement of environmental laws and regulations.

Graduate Assistant Program Recruiting

Campus Ministry at University of Dayton is currently seeking faith filled individuals who have ministerial gifts and a desire to continue to be formed for service in the church. Our Campus Ministry Graduate Assistant Program is a unique opportunity to engage in direct ministry while studying for a Masters in theology or pastoral ministry.

The Campus Ministry GA program is designed to be a holistic formation experience, and we are seeking candidates who are looking to take the next step in their ministry formation and education. For more information about the program, including next steps if you feel called to apply, please see our website. You can also contact Kelly Adamson, the director of the program, at kadamson1@udayton.edu if you have any questions.

Justice Opportunities with the Sisters of the Precious Blood

The Peace Justice, and Ecology Department of the Sisters of the Precious Blood and the League of Women Voters of the Greater Dayton Area are pleased to host author David Pepper for a discussion about how everyday Americans can play a role in protecting democracy. The event will be held on Monday March 11 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at the Dayton Metro Library, 215 E. Third Street, Dayton OH 45402. The event is free and open to the public, including parking. Registration is required by emailing the League at league@lwvdayton.org. For more information contact the League at 937-228-4041.

Please join Abolition Ohio and the Sisters of the Precious Blood in the Fight Against Human Trafficking.  You are invited to be a part of SOAP Up the First Four Anti-Human Trafficking Event on March 9th from 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM in Keller Hall at the University of Dayton. This event will include human trafficking prevention training, essential resources and information to raise awareness on the topic of sexual exploitation, and community outreach. We will visit local hotels and distribute bars of soap with resources for trafficked individuals. Register here! 

We have all been devastated by the war going on in the Holy Land. The loss of life, trauma, and violence have been horrific; and we pray ardently for an end to the fighting and the safety for all people.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued two statements since the conflict started in October, and we wanted to share a bit of their words.

From their Oct. 8^th statement:

The world is once again shocked and horrified by the outbreak of ferocious violence in the Holy Land… (We) join with Pope Francis in his call for peace and his condemnation of this widespread outbreak of violence… May all who love the Holy Land seek to bring about among all the parties engaged in the fighting a cessation of violence, respect for civilian populations and the release of hostages.

From their Oct. 27^th statement:

As Pope Francis reminds the world, ‘War is always a defeat; it is a destruction of human fraternity.’ We continue to pray for the victims caught in this cycle of violence as well as the regional and international actors who are being drawn into the conflict. We must not grow weary of offering our prayers and support for peace and justice for all concerned. A lasting solution respecting the rights, needs, and aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians remains essential to these ends.

Finally, we would like to share a few words from a local perspective. EquaSion, a strong, local partner in the Cincinnati interfaith world and the parent organization of the Festival of Faiths, has issued a statement:

Even though this is all happening thousands of miles away, it is as local as it can be and is impacting us directly… We are neighbors. We work together. We break bread together. Our children go to school together. We must recognize the humanity in one another and will continue to fight antisemitism and Islamophobia right here in our own community. Despite our differences, we keep the lines of communication open, and we listen. 

The war is so far away. We feel helpless, not sure what we can do that’s constructive… As individuals, we can reach out to our neighbors who are feeling the pain of this conflict to let them know we’re thinking of them with words of love and support. 

Please keep all of those affected by this awful situation in your prayers, and please do all you can do to bring peace into the world and into the lives of our neighbors.

Who We Are

Andrew Musgrave
Cincinnati | Director

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

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