Dear Parishioners:
Political opponents yell over each other at a political rally.
Last week, I was in Washington, DC, attending the Annual Meeting of the National Association of State Catholic Conference Directors. We gather in Washington annually to get updates from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' staff and other policy experts. At this meeting, part of our discussion was how to advocate effectively in an increasingly partisan political situation and a very ideologically polarized nation. The recent election results demonstrate that we are a deeply divided nation. We discussed strategies that can help with certain public policy issues in such an environment.
We also heard an excellent talk from Professor Helen Alvare, the Dean at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. She discussed her book, Religious Freedom After the Sexual Revolution. Drawing upon Scripture, tradition, history, theology, and empirical evidence, the book attempts to help Catholics defend religious liberty and explain how our institutions and communities foster authentic love, freedom, and happiness.
Catholic Charities Respite Center for Migrants in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas.
We received an update from Catholic Charities USA, and the USCCB Office of Migration and Refugee Services on the terrible migration problems as our country grapples with the increasing migration of people fleeing poverty and oppression. Catholic Charities and other Catholic institutions across the nation, especially along the southern border, face growing challenges because there seems to be no end to poverty, war, oppression, and misery in the world. Many developed nations like the U.S. continue to experience pressure from a growing number of people who desire to resettle in their lands. Catholic social teaching is realistic: While people have the right to move, no country has to receive so many immigrants that its social and economic life is jeopardized.
Migrants being held on the US southern border.
The Catholic Church in the United States is an immigrant Church with a long history of embracing newcomers from across the globe and providing assistance and pastoral care to immigrants, migrants, refugees, and people on the move. Our Church has responded to Christ's call to "welcome the stranger among us," for, in this encounter with the immigrant, the migrant, and the refugee in our midst, we encounter Christ. Yet our Catholic agencies continue to work in a broken system that government and elected officials of both political parties do not seem to desire to fix in a meaningful manner.
We also heard from a panel of economic experts about policies that assist economically poor women and families in thriving and flourishing. Many of these policies advance the culture of life by assisting economically poor women choose life for their unborn children.
The Catholic Church teaches respect for life from the womb until the tomb!
We heard from Charles Camosy, a Professor of Ethics at Creighton University School of Medicine and Moral Theology at St. Joseph Seminary in New York. He discussed the promotion of a consistent ethic of life and provided insight into how to address threats to human life and dignity consistently. Much of his very insightful talk was based upon his excellent book, Resisting Throwaway Culture: How a Consistent Life Ethic Can Unite a Fractured People. He also discussed his new and timely book, One Church: How to Rekindle Trust, Negotiate Difference and Reclaim Catholic Unity.
It was an excellent meeting, and it is always good to be with colleagues from across the country who advocate on behalf of the Catholic Church. We share challenges to our advocacy and learn about legislative efforts to promote good policies on the state level that truly serve the common good and respect human life and dignity. It certainly helps as we prepare to advocate at a new Congress in Washington and a new General Assembly on Smith Hill.
I invite you to attend the Annual OLM School Christmas Pageant on Thursday at 6:00 pm. It is a night of beautiful music, singing, and a living Nativity. It is always a joyous and festive night. The Christmas and New Years' Mass and Confession schedules are in the bulletin. Please share it with your family, friends, and neighbors. You might encourage them to go to Confession before Christmas and perhaps invite them to attend Mass on Christmas!
Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats! A Blessed Advent!