Welcome to fall: great weather and football!
Greetings folks. Fall is officially upon us, and we joyfully embrace this season of harvest and beauty. God continues to bless us and love us unconditionally through all the ups and downs of life, and we pray that we can continuously reorient our hearts towards compassion and peace.

We continue to hold in our prayers the people of Afghanistan, Haiti, and the Gulf Coast. If you're able, we encourage you to support the work of CRS as they seek to support the people of Haiti, Catholic Charities SW Ohio as they do their part to support the Afghan refugees coming to our area, and Catholic Charities USA as they work to support those affected by Hurricane Ida.

The trends are currently moving in the right direction with the pandemic, but the U.S. is still averaging almost 2000 deaths/day and we're moving closer and closer to 700 thousand total deaths (globally over 7500 deaths/day and 4.7M deaths). We must continue to work together to protect ourselves, our friends and family, and the whole of humanity. We encourage you to keep up safety with masks and social distancing - and get vaccinated!

Today, Oct. 1, the draft plan for the Beacons of Light pastoral planning process was released through the Beacons website. We know that this multi-year process will be challenging, and we want you to know that our office (and the whole of the Life, Human Dignity, and Charity Department) stands ready to support and walk with you. If there's anything at all we can do - whether that's offering resources or ideas or simply being there to listen and answer any questions you might have - know that you can count on us to be there.

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 wonderful start of fall, Feast of St. Francis, and football and soccer 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


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.

Friday, October 8th – Sunday, October 17th

We're asking all parishes and Catholic communities to join people of faith across Ohio to stand in solidarity for abolition of the death penalty. Recognizing the injustices in our criminal justice system, we are unwilling to participate in the cruel and inhumane practice of sentencing our fellow neighbors to death. We join together across religious traditions calling in one voice for the abolition of the death penalty.
Register your communities participation and get more information here. You can also see events already planned in which you could join.

There are several ways to participate:
·     Yard sign or public display of support
·     Bulletin insert or email to community
·     Prayer service or vigil
·     Inclusion in sermon/message during service
·     Letter writing or phone banking party – write to our legislators
·     Letter to the editor from faith leader or member
·     October 19 Lobby day at the statehouse
·     Sign onto the Ohio Faith Leader letter urging Ohio to repeal the death penalty

Email bekky@IJPCcincinnati.org with questions or for more information.

Our hope is that there will be an action in every county of the state. If you're interested in organizing something in your parish or community, please let us know. We're here to help!

In Hamilton County, we have an event planned for Tues. 10/12 at 5:45pm outside of Bellarmine Chapel on Xavier University's campus. For the flyer and more information, click here.

Immediately after Faith Week is Advocacy Week. 10/19/21 marks the 40th anniversary of the current death penalty policy so it's only fitting that we kick of a week of advocacy to end the death penalty in OH on this day. For more information on how you can advocate, check out this website.

Explore Pope Francis' encyclical
Fratelli Tutti

Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio and the Archdiocesan Social Action Office invite you to delve into the riches of Pope Francis' newest Encylical and its implications for the faithful. This presentation offers a summary of the document and ways in which communities can put its teachings into practice. To learn more or to schedule a presentation contact Andrew Musgrave.

A Mighty Steam

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.

Laudato Si’ Action Platform

In May of this year the Vatican launched the 7-year Laudato Si’ Action Platform. 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 will focus on seven sectors: families, parishes, schools, hospitals, businesses, organizations, and religious orders. The pope explained that the action plan also 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.
Following the Season of Creation (September 1st-October 4th), more specific steps will be released (on 11/14) about how the various sectors can become active participants in working towards the action plan goals. To learn more about Laudato Si’ and the 7-year plan go to: 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.”

If you're interested in being involved in the work on the Action Platform - whether as part of the Care for Creation Task Force or in your own community - please let Andrew know. This is going to take all of us working together!!

CCHD 50th anniversary

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the principle way the U.S. bishops and U.S. Catholic Church fight domestic poverty and see to create equity and justice in our communities.
Look out for some great promotional materials sharing the great work local CCHD-funded groups are doing or visit our CCHD website.
If you're in a position to financially support the work of CCHD, you can donate safely and securing through our online giving portal. Thanks in advance for your generosity!

From the Respect Life Office

Continuing this month, the Respect Life Office – our sister office in the Department for Life, Human Dignity, and Charity – is sharing content from their office in order that we might further partner is our efforts to respect all life, from womb to tomb, and work for dignity and justice.

Ending the Death Penalty?
    Kwame was just 17 years old when he, along with his older brother and another childhood friend were sentenced to death for the robbery and murder of a man outside a convenience store in Cleveland, OH. The three had no criminal records, no physical evidence against them was found, and credible eye-witnesses testified it could not have been them. The sole evidence in their convictions was the testimony of a 12-year old boy, Edward Vernon. Thirty-nine years later, Edward came forward to admit that police detectives coerced him to testify falsely under threat of putting his mother in jail. That evidence was also uncovered by the Ohio Innocence Project in their re-investigation of the case, and that evidence was never turned over to the defense attorneys prior to the original trial. The case was finally overturned and the three men exonerated in 2014.
     On the other side of the aisle, Rev. Dr. Crystal Walker stands with those who have lost loved ones to violent crime. When she was in the seminary, she was expressing her position against the death penalty when the professor told her she would feel differently about it if one of her family members was killed. Years later, her son, Eddie, was killed by gun violence, when his daughter was only 2 years old. Meeting with family members of prisoners on death row, she realized that taking another life would not make things better. For her own heart, she chooses forgiveness over death.
     Tessie Castillo is a journalist and author whose book, Crimson Letters: Voices from Death Row, offers a searing portrait of men on North Carolina’s death row and the broken systems that put them there. She talks of incredible imbalance of money and power in prosecution offices vs. defense, the lack of consistency in what crimes are given death sentences, and the legality of highly incentivizing witnesses to falsely testify.
     All three of these give reason to abolish the death penalty, and there are identical bills currently going through the Ohio House and Senate to accomplish just that. The Catholic Conference of Ohio is supporting the campaign to pass this legislation, and we encourage you to get your parish involved. You can participate through bulletin announcements, holding an education event or prayer service, sharing posts on social media, or even organizing a letter writing night at your parish to local legislators. Get other ideas and educate yourself on what is going on at www.nodeathpenaltyoh.com. 
     To hear the stories of Kwame, Crystal, Tessie and others, head to www.catholicaoc.org/beingprolife, or just check out podcast at Being Pro Life (buzzsprout.com) or the video channel at Being Pro Life - YouTube. Educate yourself on the issues, and get involved in helping to end the death penalty here in Ohio! 
 
For more stories from the Office for Respect Life Ministries,
check out their Newsletter here. 

Supporting Returning Citizens

The HELP Program, based at St Francis DeSales Parish, is a CCHD-funded partner ministering to the imprisoned throughout the greater Cincinnati area when they are released - helping them overcome the numerous barriers to restoring a productive life for themselves and their families. Focusing primarily on employment, HELP also offers mentoring, basic needs aid, personal development planning, and - perhaps most important - a free ride to and from the job, restoration of driver's licenses, and assistance is getting a car. To learn more about the Transportation program and how you can help, please check out the attachments below.


Celebrating 200 Years of Service in the
Archdiocese of Cincinnati

“Let Your Service Shine”

What: An Archdiocesan-wide Service Day
When: Saturday, October 9, 2021
Where: Across the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Who: As many people as possible across the Archdiocese - Young and old, families, parishes, schools, colleges and universities, young adults, youth groups, senior living centers, religious congregations, etc.
Why: Many religious congregations of women and men came to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati 200 or more years ago to serve new immigrants, especially German, Italian, Irish, and others, through education, health care, and other social services. Partnering with and engaging people of all ages today in service across the Archdiocese is a fitting way to honor and extend the 200 years of service given by Sisters, Brothers and Priests.
How: Each organization is invited to chose one of the following options.

A. Choose a ready-made project. For example, donate to a Catholic Charities food pantry, or partner with the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center (IJPC) by writing letters for the World Day against the Death Penalty, which is October 10, with St. Vincent de Paul in Cincinnati or Dayton or with another organization.

B. Create your own project.
  •  Select a committee and a chair or coordinator for your 10.09.2021 project(s). Groups within a parish or small parishes could work together on the project(s).
  •  Create projects that will benefit those most in need and involve volunteers of all ages and capabilities.
  • Invite the volunteers.
  • Send your service plans to Cerb@sistersofmercy.org
  • On your service day, take pictures.
  • Send pictures, the number of volunteers who participated in your service projects, and a simple name or description of the service projects in each photo to Cerb@sistersofmercy.org
  • Help us spread the good news of the number serving and the number of those being served.
  • Celebrate with your volunteers the many ways that your group assisted others. 

Go to www.Cincy200.com for updates, timelines, service ideas, contact information for agencies, etc.  

Stay up-to-date about Beacons of Light
 
It may seem that every time you read an email from a Pastoral Center office or communication from your parish Beacons of Light is featured. Or you may wish you knew more about this process of planning for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. No matter how informed you are about Beacons of Light, now is the time to sign up for regular Beacons communications if you have not already done so. The most recent Beacons Update included a brief video of Archbishop Schnurr talking about Beacons of Light, a description of the evangelizing communities that are the goal of Beacons, a glossary of terms, and a response to one of the most frequently asked questions about Beacons of Light. Sign up here for Beacons of Light communication.

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
Tammie Mers - Administrative Assistant
Mickey Townsend - CCHD intern

Archdiocese of Cincinnati