Happy New Year!
Greetings folks. We hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the start of the new year.

I think we all entered 2021 with the hopes of a rebound from a rough 2020, but 2021 proved to be in many ways even more difficult than 2020. Only six days into the year a deadly riot erupted in our nation's capital, and over the next 12 months we continued to weather the pandemic, faced global shipping problems, saw rising levels of mental health challenges and gun violence, and witnessed the fall of the Afghanistan government. We also saw the arrival of multiple vaccines (though there continues to be very inequitable distribution) and another global climate conference which - along with the Laudato Si Action Plan - will move all us towards a healthier planet. We've persevered, remained faithful, and made it through. Let us now look forward to this new year with renewed hope that we can move our communities forwards towards peace, justice, and prosperity for ALL.

Please know that we continue to pray for and support you, and we humbly ask that you continue to pray for us too.

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 deaneries, parishes, schools, and neighborhoods, and we'd love to (re)connect with you and work to build up God's kingdom of peace, justice, and kinship.
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 joyful Advent and Christmas season, and - as always - we look forward to seeing you soon as we continue to stand up for justice, compassion, and equity. 

Peace,
Sara, Tammie, Sr. Christine, Mickey, & Andrew

We're hiring!!

We've reconfigured one of our positions, and it now exists as the Regional Coordinator for the CSA office, focused on the Dayton and northern areas. You can click here to learn more, but essentially this person will work with our two regional collaboratives - Weavers of Justice (Dayton) and Fields of Justice (North) - as well as our northern Catholic Rural Life committee and other gospel justice initiatives. Please spread the word (or apply yourself!) as we're hoping to get this position filled and working asap.

Thanks in advance for your help!
The Synod on Synodality

The Pope has announced that in Oct. 2023 there will be a synod (or assembly). In preparation for this gathering, there will be a Synod on Synodality - a two year process of praying, listening, dialoguing, and discerning which will culminate in the celebration of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops 10/2023. Every diocese in the world will participate. 

In our neck of the woods, there will be a series of meetings to hear from people across the Archdiocese. You can find the schedule of meetings here (1/6 through 2/24) as well learn more about the process. We encourage as many people as possible to show up at this gatherings and make their voices heard, sharing especially about how the Church must stand for the poor, the marginalized, and the forgotten.

World Day of Peace

Jan. 1 marked the 55th World Day of Peace. In his message, Pope Francis talked about how divided we are (due to conflict, disease, environmental concerns, and poverty) and how important it is for us to come together as individuals, within our families and communities, and across the globe. This can happen through encounter, dialogue, solidarity, intergenerational cooperation, investment in education, and a focus on the economy and dignified work.

"...to all men and women of good will, I make this appeal: let us walk together with courage and creativity on the path of intergenerational dialogue, education, and work. May more and more men and women strive daily, with quiet humility and courage, to be artisans of peace. And may they be ever inspired and accompanied by the blessings of the God of peace!" (4)

You can read the full message here.

Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

On Monday, Jan. 17, we observe MLK Day 2022. Please take time to remember and celebrate his legacy of peace and justice.

Check out this parade being organized by the MLK Coalition that will process from the Freedom Center to Music Hall starting at 10:30am. You can attend virtually or in-person.
CSMG 2022 - Justice at the Margins

This year’s Catholic Social Ministry Gathering will occur virtually (1/29 to 2/1), bringing together U.S. Catholic social ministry folks, organized by the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, 10 USCCB departments, and 20 national Catholic organizations! 
We will pray, learn, and advocate together as we seek to create communities of justice where all can thrive. 

You can find information and registration information here.

CCHD 50th Anniversary

Thanks to all who donated for the CCHD collection weekend. Your support is so important.

If you didn't get a chance to contribute and are interested in doing so, you can still give through our online giving portal.

Please also take a few minutes to check out our new video series featuring a few of our grantees. You can view them on our YouTube channel CCHD playlist.


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).  This initiative’s aim is to have every Catholic institution, from the family to large organizations, become ecologically sustainable in seven years. Pope Francis’ goal is “to help lead the world’s Catholics along a journey of intensified action in caring for creation.” In his video message on May 24th, Pope Francis stated that “We need a new ecological approach that can transform our way of dwelling in the world, our styles of life, our relationship with the resources of the Earth and, in general, our way of looking at humanity and of living life.”

“Our selfishness, our indifference and our irresponsible ways are threatening the future of our children…I therefore renew my appeal: let us overcome the temptation of selfishness that makes us predators of resources; let us cultivate respect for the gifts of the Earth and creation, let us inaugurate a lifestyle and a society that is finally eco-sustainable,” said Francis in his video address.

In his encyclical Laudato Si’, published five years ago, Pope Francis identified the ecological crisis as “a summons to profound interior conversion; a reexamining of our relationships with the Creator, with creation, and with our sisters and brothers.” He also noted that “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue…and calls for a spiritual and cultural revolution to realize integral ecology.”

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. More specific steps about how the various sectors can become active participants in working towards the action plan goals are available at www.catholicclimatecovenant.org.

“There is hope,” Pope Francis says. “We can all collaborate, each one with his own culture and experience, each one with her own initiatives and capacities, so that our mother Earth may be restored to her original beauty and creation may once again shine according to God’s plan.”

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.



MARCC is one of the key partners in our interfaith work. We've partnered with them on several projects, including the MARCC ID and advocacy on multiple justice issues.
Many of our current representatives have worked on this initiative for several years, and we're now looking for a couple new folks to represent the Archdiocese with this group. If this might be of interest to you, please let Andrew know.

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

ASL MASS AND RECONCILIATION
We are excited to announce that Fr. Michael Depcik will be returning to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for ASL Mass and Reconciliation on Saturday, January 29 offering Reconciliation from 1:30PM – 2:30PM with Mass at 3PM at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Centerville. Fr. MD, as he is known, was ordained a priest in 2000 in the congregation of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and is among fewer than a handful of culturally Deaf priests worldwide. He currently ministers to Deaf Catholics in the Archdiocese of Detroit, and is a graduate of St. Rita School for the Deaf in our very own Archdiocese. While these sacramental opportunities are are being offered predominately for the Deaf Community, hearing people are also encouraged to attend the Mass. There will be an interpreter available for the hearing at these liturgies. All are welcome!

Might the Abortion Facilities Close in SW Ohio?
The Born Alive Protection Act, SB 157, was signed into law on December 27. Sponsored by Senators Terry Johnson and Steve Huffman, the Bill makes it a crime to withhold life-saving treatments on babies who survive an abortion attempt. Many thanks to those of you among the hundreds who called and sent emails to our representatives in support of this bill.
Another key aspect to this bill is that it prohibits physicians employed at state-funded universities from working as back-up doctors at abortion facilities. In Ohio, surgical centers outside of hospitals must have transfer agreements with local hospitals in case of emergency. The two abortion facilities in our area (Dayton and Cincinnati) do not have transfer agreements, but rely on a variance to employ physicians also employed by state universities. Once this law goes into effect, if these two facilities cannot find different physicians, both facilities could close. See wrightstateabortion.com for more details on the Dayton facility.
While the rest of the world was struggling with a pandemic last year, abortion facilities remained open and abortion rates increased. As we continue to pray that the Dobbs case will soon end the tragedy of Roe in this country, here in Ohio we are already putting in place laws that protect the unborn regardless of what happens in that case. Let us continue to do everything we can to truly help women in crisis pregnancies, and end the scourge of abortion in our communities.   

For more stories from the Office for Respect Life Ministries,
check out their newsletter here. 

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. 




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 - (we're hiring!)
Tammie Mers - Administrative Assistant
Mickey Townsend - CCHD intern