Laudato Si’ Action Platform

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati Care for Creation Task Force is pleased to invite you as a leader of our faith community to join us on December 5th for a 1-hour conversation about the Laudato Si’ Action Platform (www.laudatosiactionplatform.org). You’ll learn what it is about, the actions we are taking, and how you and your family of parishes can get involved in our spiritual calling to care for our God’s Creation. More than ever, we understand that for the faithful to experience the global ecological conversion to which Pope Francis is inviting us, we must ensure that the leaders of our churches connect to the meaning and importance of this plea. 

Please plan to join us at either 10:00am or 6:00pm on Monday, December 5 over Zoom for this introductory conversation. Please know that if there is someone else in your Family or parish who you think would be a good participant in this event, please pass this invitation on to them. All are welcome!  

10:00am - https://catholiccincinnati.zoom.us/j/87638129438,

Dial in: 312 626 6799 Meeting ID: 876 3812 9438 

6:00pm - https://catholiccincinnati.zoom.us/j/82067344137,

Dial in: 312 626 6799 Meeting ID: 820 6734 4137 

RSVPs are not required, but – if you are planning to attend – we would love to know who will be joining us. You can RSVP to csa@catholicaoc.org.  

If you would like to attend but cannot make one of these meetings, we will record the session and be happy to share it with you afterwards.  

If you have any questions, please contact our Laudato Si’ intern, Liliana Sierra, at lsierra@catholicaoc.org.   

Save the date!

On Saturday, March 4, 2023, the Archdiocese Care for Creation Task Force will be holding a full-day Laudato Si Action Platform conference at Curran Place on the University of Dayton campus. It's scheduled for 8:30am - 4:30pm and will include opportunities for prayer, learning, networking, planning, and sharing. We'll have information on multiple topics for multiple audiences, both in large group sessions and breakouts. Visit this website for more information and (coming soon) the registration link.

The Laudato Si Action Platform is the collaborative effort of the global Roman Catholic Church to address caring for God’s creation. You can learn more about it here or contact Andrew Musgrave with any questions. 

Embracing God’s Creation:

An Advent Calendar for Families

The Cincinnati Jesuit Family’s Embracing God’s Creation series will continue in the new year with more presentations and immersions. During Advent, we invite you to slow down for a time of personal and family reflection. To support you in this endeavor, we have put together a daily advent calendar available here as a website and here as a printable PDF. It includes a variety of prayers, articles, videos, actions, advocacy alerts, and more for you and your family to engage each day of Advent. We hope this helps you grow into the call to build the beloved community, to serve as active disciples together caring for our common home.



Love in Action

If you're wondering how your family of parishes might go about engaging in the Love in Action principle, we encourage you to check out the Love in Action page on the Pathways platform - https://pathway.catholicaoc.org/love-in-action. There you'll find a great introductory video, as well as further explanation of the breadth of the principle. Over time, you'll find more resources and support, and of course you know you can always reach out to our office for support. If you're looking for the first tool we created - the parish inventory - you can find it here (along with the inventories from the other principles) - https://pathway.catholicaoc.org/pathway-tools. If you work for a parish or are involved in parish leadership, we'd love to talk with you through the Forums. Don't hesitate to reach out! 

Breaking Open the Sin of Racism

Engage your community in dialogue

The 8-part video series and discussion guide were prepared for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for use by organizations in a 4-part workshop. The videos feature presentations by scholars and professionals at the University of Dayton. The series begins with a macro global and historical examination of race and racism, and progresses to a micro examination of the interpersonal impact of race and racism. Check out the Breaking Open the Sin of Racism site to see how your parish, school, or organization can host workshops.

Questions? Contact Sara Seligmann |  513-546-3143

Urge Your Senators to Pass Bipartisan Anti-Trafficking Legislation

On July 26, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6552, the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022, with a vote of 401 to 20. Three months have passed, but the Senate has so far failed to act on this bipartisan bill. 

H.R. 6552 would do a number of things to combat the scourge of human trafficking, including: 

• Reauthorize various programs under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000;
• Reauthorize the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking;
• Authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a Human Trafficking Survivors Employment and Education Program;
• Authorize grants for programs that prevent and detect trafficking of school-age children; and
• Require the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to encourage integration of activities to counter human trafficking into broader programs. 

As Bishop Mario Dorsonville, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, said in a letter with other Catholic leaders last month, “this legislation is critical for continuing and bolstering our nation’s efforts to eradicate human trafficking and assist human trafficking survivors.”

Stand with survivors of human trafficking by completing this action alert in support of H.R. 6552.

Click here to send your message

Urge Congress to move forward with creating a pathway to permanent legal status for Dreamers today

In June, we observed ten years since the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was created through executive action. This program has given hope to many Dreamers, and DACA recipients have gained well-deserved reputations as high academic achievers, community leaders, and contributors to the American economy. Nevertheless, even DACA recipients continue to lack access to permanent legal status, and their future in the United States remains uncertain.

For many years, the Catholic bishops of the United States have called on Congress to provide Dreamers with the ability to integrate as fully recognized members of our society.

The House of Representatives passed the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6) with broad bipartisan support. Unfortunately, the Senate has failed to take up the bill. If it does not do so by the time the 117th Congress ends on January 3, 2023, the bill will have to be reintroduced and the process begun all over again in the 118th Congress. 

Click here to send a message to your representatives letting them know that you care about Dreamers!

From the Respect Life Office

Tell Congress to prioritize policies that support women, children, and families.

As Catholics in a post-Roe world, we continue to respond to our call to build a culture of life that supports the dignity of every person at every stage. We call on our lawmakers to do the same. Encourage your members of Congress to pass legislation that advances the health, safety, and flourishing of women, children, and families. Passage of bills such as the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act and support for the Child Tax Credit, paid family leave, pregnancy resource centers, child care and pre-kindergarten programs, housing, nutrition, maternal and child health, adoption, healthy relationships, environmental protections, inclusion of immigrant families in social programs, and the end of marriage penalties will help build an authentically life-affirming society.

We encourage you to add your own personal story about why more policies that support women, children, and families are needed.

You can read a recent USCCB letter calling for the passage of life-affirming policies that prioritize families here.

Take Action Now!



From the Office for Persons with Disabilities

On January 17^th at Our Lady of Sorrows, Monroe, Ohio and January 18^th St. Monica-St. George, Cincinnati, Ohio The Office for Persons with Disabilities will sponsor a workshop on how to start Mental Health Ministry in your parish hosted by Deacon Ed Schoener, President of The Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers. 

Why Mental Health Ministry?

·      1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year

·      1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year

·      1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year

·      50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24

·      Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14

 *National Alliance of Mental Illness

 Learn how to serve and provide opportunities for individuals and families suffering with mental illness to grow in faith.

"Whoever suffers from mental illness always bears God's image and likeness in themselves, as does every human being. In addition, they always have the inalienable right not only to be considered as an image of God and therefore as a person, but also to be treated as such.” (Pope John Paul II, International Conference for Health Care Workers, on Illnesses of the Human Mind, November 30, 1996.

Register by email: Lisa Averion

January 17^th registration: Archdiocese of Cincinnati: Mental Health Ministry Workshop (signupgenius.com)

January 18^th registration: Archdiocese of Cincinnati: Mental Health Ministry Workshop (signupgenius.com)



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Andrew Musgrave - Cincinnati, Director

Sara Seligmann - Dayton

Sr. Christine Pratt - Eastern Area

Regional Coordinator - (open)

Tammie Mers - Administrative Assistant

Catholic Social Action Office

Archdiocese of Cincinnati

csa@catholicaoc.org