During the 2016 election season, several offices in the Archdiocese partnered together to launch a program – Civilize It – that called on both the principles of USCCB’s Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship and our faith’s demand that we recognize and honor the dignity of every person. (Prior to the 2020 election, the USCCB adopted this program as part of their national initiative to call for charity, clarity, and creativity in our politics.) At the same time…

In the wake of the very divisive 2016 election, a new organization – Braver Angels – was formed to heal the division that was tearing us apart. The founders harkened back to President Lincoln’s call for us to appeal to our “better angels” to guide us towards reconciliation, peace, and civility. (Since that time, Braver Angels has grown into a national organization with coordinators in all 50 states.)

In recent months, the Respect Life and Social Action offices have been working with Braver Angels to bring these two programs together: using the ideals and values of Civilize It and the proven practices of Braver Angels. The overlap of the ideas of the two programs is overwhelming, and the synergy that has been created has been significant.

We are proud to now be able to offer the first fruits of this work. The primary workshop of Braver Angels is the Red-Blue Workshop, and we are offering, for the first time, the Red-Blue Workshop – Catholic version. We’ll share more about the content of the workshop next month, but here are details to save on your calendar: the workshop will take place on two successive Thursdays – June 2nd and 9th from 6:00-9:00pm (over Zoom). There are a limited number of spots available so we’ll have registration for the program, and we’ll be sure to have an equal number of people who tend to lean red and tend to lean blue. 

If you have any questions, please contact us.

Don’t forget to save the dates, and look for more information next month. 



The Catholic Relief Services Collection (which also supports the USCCB Department of Migration and Refugee Services, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., the USCCB Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church, the USCCB Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, and the Holy Father's Relief fund) will be taken up in our Archdiocese the weekend of April 30/May 1. We encourage you to use the resources below to promote this important collection in your parish.

• The Archbishop's letter
• Bulletin Insert
• Parish Resource Guide
• Posters and social media toolkit



RICE BOWL LOCAL FUNDS APPLICATION

Seventy-five percent of the CRS Rice Bowl funds raised are used for CRS’s international development projects. Twenty-five percent is distributed locally. Local entities working to alleviate hunger or poverty may apply to receive a grant. 

Priority for the funds will be for efforts alleviating hunger and food insecurity.

Projects that respond to the root causes of hunger, i.e., projects dealing with economic development, anti-hunger advocacy, and organizing, etc., also meet the criteria. Grant amount will range in size from $1,000-$3,500

The application must be submitted by April 20th.



Good Friday Walk (Dayton)

April 15th noon. The Walk for Peace and Justice starts at the Old Courthouse at Third and Main Streets and ends with a soup luncheon at First Baptist Church with 14 stops along the way. Each year 14 current issues are chosen to correspond with the 14 Stations of the Cross. The walk is held rain or shine. Contact Sara Seligmann for more information.

Imagining Community Symposium:

Shaping a More Equitable Dayton

The Imagining Community Symposium is a space for community partners across the Miami Valley to come together in a space of education, dialogue, and action. The symposium is inspired by the  UnDesign the Redline exhibit which will be on display in the glass rotunda of the beautifully restored Dayton Arcade.

The symposium is open to all community members, activists, artists, students, scholars and academics with the goal of exploring the history, legacy and impact of Dayton’s racial segregation, and how to move toward a more just, equitable and inclusive Dayton.

When: Thursday, April 7 and Friday, April 8, 2022 

Where: The Hub Powered by PNC Bank at the Dayton Arcade (Enter through the Arcade entrance at 35 W. Fourth Street, Dayton, OH 45402)

The symposium is free and open to the public

• Advanced registration is preferred; same-day registration will be available at the door.
• Registration is required to attend one or more sessions.
• No registration is required to view the UnDesign the Redline exhibit in the Rotunda.

Find out more and register here.

Faith leaders are invited to attend the

Anti-Death Penalty Clergy Symposium

Tuesday, April 26th | 11:00am - 12:30pm

via Zoom - Register Here

The Symposium will feature:

• An interfaith panel of clergy leaders
• Dedicated study time for faith texts
• Examples of how to share this message

with your congregation

• A discussion of why faith communities are called to act on this issue



Don’t miss Warmup Days!

Join other parish leaders – clergy and staff – to get warmed up for pastoral planning. We’ll check in on how Phase 0 is going, provide an orientation to the Pastoral Planning Pathway and the online platform for planning resources, and make sure you are up to speed before Phase 1 of Beacons of Light.

We’ll also focus on the importance of good leadership in the pastoral planning process and developing essential leadership skills. It will also be a great opportunity to meet parish leaders from other Families. Click here for more information and to register: https://pathway.catholicaoc.org/phase-0-prepare/warmup-day



Join our team!!

CCHD Internship

As we do each year, our office is hosting a 15-16 hour/week, paid internship to support our activities for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the U.S. Catholic Church’s social justice, anti-poverty campaign in America. The intern helps to administer grants to projects developed by grassroots groups of empowered poor persons who are working to address the root causes of poverty in their communities. S/he also works to increase Catholics’ awareness of poverty in the U.S., educate about the Catholic social tradition, and build bridges between poor and non-poor communities. Young Catholics, ages 18 to 30, are especially encouraged to apply, as are others with a heart for the poor and justice. The internship will run from Sept. 2022 to May 2023. To receive an application or learn more, please contact us at (513) 263-6690 or csa@catholiccincinnati.org. Applications are due April 8th.

Regional Coordinator

We're looking for the right person to join our team as the Regional Coordinator (part-time). This person will work out of our Dayton and Sidney offices and work with our Dayton-area collaborative, Weavers of Justice, and our Northern-area collaborative, Fields of Justice. They will also work with the northern Rural Life conference and work on other initiatives of the Social Action office to form, advocate, and empower for gospel justice.

If you have any questions, please contact Sara Seligmann.

To apply, click here.

Thanks in advance for considering and for passing the word on to your contacts, parish, and friends.



Abolishing the Death Penalty

For many decades, the Catholic Church has strongly discouraged the use of the death penalty as a means to protect citizens. Sadly, despite multiple attempts to end its use in OH, it is still legal.

Thankfully, there is a real possibility that we can abolish the death penalty in OH this year. Two key pieces of legislation – SB 108 and HB 183 – have been introduced that would abolish the death penalty. The Ohio bishops collectively and Archbishop Schnurr individually have issued statements supporting this legislation, and their voices joining a growing state-wide coalition working to end the death penalty. We encourage all Catholics in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to join in the effort to end this state-sanctioned violence and respect all life, from womb to tomb.

Laudato Si’ Action Platform

In May of this year the Vatican launched the 7-year Laudato Si’ Action Platform (laudatosiactionplatform.org). Archbishop Schnurr has announced that the Archdiocese of Cincinnati will be joining the platform as an official partner.

As a reminder, the Laudato Si’ Action Platform focuses on seven sectors: families, parishes, schools, hospitals, businesses, organizations, and religious orders. It has seven goals: the response to the cry of the earth, the response to the cry of the poor, ecological economics, adoption of simple lifestyles, ecological education, ecological spirituality, and community involvement.

Our Care for Creation Task Force is looking for people to join the ad hoc committees we're forming (one for each of the seven constituencies: families, parishes, schools, hospitals, businesses, organizations, and religious orders) to promulgate these ideas. If you're interested in joining this effort (or know someone who might be), please contact Andrew.



A Mighty Stream

EquaSion, the parent organization of the Festival of Faiths, has launched a new interfaith educational and action initiative to address racism. It is called 'A Mighty Stream' and the Social Action has signed on as one of the initial partners. You can click here to learn more, and if your parish is interested in joining this wonderful effort, please let Andrew know.



From the Respect Life Office

The Time is Now to Prepare for a Post-Roe State

In just a few months, depending on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs case, it is quite possible we will find ourselves in a state where abortion is much more restricted than it has been for nearly 50 years. While, on the one hand, that is a day for which many of us have been praying for virtually all of our lives, it is also a day we may not be as prepared for as we realize. While legal abortion may thankfully at least become much more difficult to obtain, the plight of women in difficult or crisis pregnancies will only continue. It is a critical time to show the world that we are pro-life not only in word, but also in action. We must commit ourselves to a society that cares for women, children, and families, such that no one ever feels like the life of one’s own child could become a necessary choice.

Here are some ideas on how we can help prepare for a post-Roe state:

• Continue to pray and fast for a positive outcome in the Dobbs case. To that end, continue to make your parish aware of the resources available at www.prayfordobbs.com.
• Keep abreast of current legislation in our state, such as the Human Life Protection Act. In addition, contact your local senator and representative to encourage them to vote for life, as well as other services that support families and those in need
• Learn about where the existing service agencies nearest your parish are, including pregnancy care centers, maternity homes, and social service agencies, so that you can quickly and easily refer someone in need. It isn’t always simply about helping a mom choose life, but helping them to continue to care for the children they already have
• Learn more about Project Rachel, our post-abortive healing ministry, and encourage widespread awareness through bulletin, pulpit, and social media announcements

For more on what the U.S. Bishops have to say about the matter, see their recently issued statement, Standing with Moms in Need, that helps give us more direction. May we all renew our commitment to creating a world where abortion is not just illegal, but unthinkable for all.  



From the Office for Persons with Disabilities

Autism Acceptance Month

April is Autism Acceptance Month! This month, the Office for Persons with Disabilities invites you to work to raise awareness and acceptance of persons with autism in your parishes. Autism is often referred to as an “invisible disorder,” so there are often not any outward indicators that a person is autistic. Neurodiversity is something to celebrate. Persons who are autistic have a unique perspective through which they see the world and have a great deal to contribute to our church.   Your parish can help to spread this message by promoting awareness this month in a variety of ways. Check out our Autism RESOURCE PAGE that will be growing over the course of the month. The NCPD has also created some excellent resources that could be incorporated into bulletins or liturgy including a bulletin announcement, prayers of the faithful, a printable BULLETIN INSERT, and an AWARENESS PRAYER. Finally, if you have active parish Social Media pages, follow the Office for Persons with Disabilities and share some of our upcoming posts to highlight persons with developmental disabilities in our very own Archdiocese of Cincinnati! The first step towards creating a culture of inclusion and meaningful participation in our Church is to provide opportunities for awareness and acceptance. Let us all work together to establish a sense of belonging in our parishes, Archdiocese, and universal Church.



Follow us on social media!

Our office is now on multiple social media platforms. Please add us to your contacts, friends, or following list so we keep you up to date on what's going on.

Twitter: @AoCincinnatiCsa

Instagram: @aocincinnati_csa

YouTube: @CatholicSocialActionAOC

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/csacinci



COVID-19 Vaccine Information

There have been questions about the current Covid-19 vaccines and any moral issues that Catholics might have with taking them. The Ohio Bishops and the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith have both issued statements that address and support the moral use of these vaccines to save lives by fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Addresses the Use of Anti-COVID-19 Vaccines

USCCB Document 1 | USSCB Document 2

Ohio Bishops Issue Letter on Vaccines

Vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer to combat COVID-19 may be taken without moral reservations, and some pro-life Catholic scholars have stated that all vaccines are morally acceptable.



Andrew Musgrave - Cincinnati, Director

Sara Seligmann - Dayton

Sr. Christine Pratt - Eastern Area

Regional Coordinator - (open)

Tammie Mers - Administrative Assistant

Mickey Townsend - CCHD intern

Catholic Social Action Office

Archdiocese of Cincinnati

csa@catholicaoc.org