February 24, 2021
With the devastating storms sweeping across Texas and the persistence of COVID-19 infections, the start of Lent this past week may have felt more penitential than usual. Yet we know that this season of almsgiving, fasting, and prayer challenges us to do more than lament. We are called to change our ways, to embrace the redemptive waters of baptism and to live differently. The headlines beckon our prayerful sacrifice and our deliberative action.
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Virginia legislators vote to abolish the death penalty
Journalists note that prosecutors have stopped seeking the death penalty in recent years and the last person executed in the state was in 2017. At that time, Virginia’s Catholic bishops re-affirmed their call for the “practice to be abandoned,” recognizing that all lives have dignity and should be able to proceed to a natural death.
The push for full abolition in Virginia has gained momentum as people recognize the relationship between the death penalty and racism. As the executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center is quoted in the Washington Post, “From 1900 to 1969, he said, Virginia did not execute a single White person for any offense that did not result in death, while 73 Black men were executed for rape, attempted rape or robbery.” The uprisings in the summer of 2020 raised significant awareness about the discriminatory use of capital punishment and are credited in this last push to end it.
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Welcome and support for new immigrant arrivals
Organizations like Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley and HOPE Border Institute are mobilizing to compassionately welcome individuals and families who were detained in Mexico and are now being allowed to proceed with their asylum claims on the U.S. side of the border. Read recent dispatches and the fundraising appeal to learn about what is needed to assist new arrivals in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. In case you missed it, this webinar from Justice for Immigrants offers more on the impact of COVID-19 on immigrant communities as well as implementation suggestions for accompanying immigrants through parish and diocesan outreach.
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Laudato Si': Passionists embrace solar power
This fifth anniversary year of Laudato Si’ has been a time of reflection and accountability. Father Jim O’Shea, CP, provincial for the Passionists of the St. Paul of the Cross Province, and Page Gravely of Catholic Energies, recount their collaboration to plan and implement a series of major solar power installations at Passionist properties in the continental United States and Puerto Rico. Fr. Jim explains, “Our legacy will include the visual witness that we tried to do something about climate change. The Passionists have now created their own story about acting on our beliefs, a story we hope will only motivate others as well.” Read the full story here.
Learn more about implementing solar
If you are interested in learning more about solar power, Catholic Energies, a program of the Catholic Climate Covenant that works with Catholic organizations to implement solar energy, is promoting a webinar with Mission Energy on Feb. 25, 12 p.m. (ET). Topics will include solar opportunities and nonprofits, factors impacting the benefits, and recommendations on how to consider if solar energy may be a good fit. Register here. If you cannot join the session, you can catch a podcast with similar details here.
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Pax Christi mobilizes around the Iran Nuclear Deal
Pax Christi USA is inviting Catholics to sign a petition urging President Biden to salvage the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal. U.S. sanctions have failed to move Iran in a positive direction, and they are crippling the country’s ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The previous administration’s decision to leave the deal severely damaged trust in the U.S., and that mistrust cannot now be leveraged to bring Iran back into compliance. Sanctions relief is a concrete demonstration of the United States’ commitment to diplomacy and the restoration of the agreement. To learn more about the petition and to sign on, visit Pax Christi USA.
Religious communities sign pledge to oppose bullying of LGBTQ youth
A pledge, God Is on Your Side: A Statement from Catholic Bishops on Protecting LGBT Youth, was released by the Tyler Clementi Foundation in January to mobilize Catholic leaders around the message that “Jesus Christ taught love, mercy and welcome for all people, especially for those who felt persecuted or marginalized in any way.” The initiative is part of the foundation’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness regarding the harmful effects of bullying and cyberbullying and to honor the legacy of Clementi who ended his own life at 18 years of age after experiencing harassment.
A number of men’s religious communities have signed onto this statement, including the Paulist Fathers; Edmund Rice Christian Brothers of North America; Xaverian Brothers; Brothers of the Christian Schools, District of North America; and Congregation of the Holy Spirit.
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CMSM JPIC WEBINAR TOMORROW!
This Thursday, Feb. 25, 3 p.m. ET, CMSM will welcome Catholic Relief Services staff Vivi Iglesias, CRS National Advisor for Partnerships; Erica Dahl-Bredine, Director for Global Influence, Learning and Engagement, Changing the Way We Care; Kelley Bunkers, Senior Technical Advisor for the Changing the Way We Care; and Mary Beth Iduh, Senior Program Manager for Faith Engagement, for a dynamic webinar.
This effort addresses the shift away from placing vulnerable children in orphanages toward integration into family-based care, which has been proven to provide the identity, belonging, and continuity that children need to thrive. The webinar on Changing the Way We Care is a first step in what we anticipate is ongoing work with religious congregations to ensure that vulnerable children around the world can thrive in safe and nurturing families. Registration is open to all; sign up here by Thursday morning!
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Reading Black Catholic history
Two new books touching on the Black Catholic experience have been released in these final days of Black History Month. Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood is an edited volume from Our Sunday Visitor (OSV) that explores the lives of the six Black Catholics from the United States whose causes are under formal consideration by the Catholic Church for canonization. Including biographies and personal reflections from diverse contributors, this book shows how Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Venerable Henriette Delille, Venerable Father Augustus Tolton, Servant of God Mother Mary Lange, Servant of God Julia Greeley, and Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman provide a model of holiness for all Catholics and people of good will.
Olga Segura, formerly with America magazine and now a culture editor at National Catholic Reporter, has published Birth of a Movement: Black Lives Matter and the Catholic Church with Orbis Books. Theologian M. Shawn Copeland remarks, “Segura artfully weaves together history, sociology, cultural studies, Catholic social teaching, and interviews with Black women, many of whom are Catholic.”
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Human Trafficking Conference
Hear from advocates, those who accompany victims, and survivors during a free online conference on March 8 and 9. Register here to get the Zoom link or by calling the Sisters of the Good Shepherd National Advocacy Center at 301-622-6838. The Columbans’ Center for Advocacy and Outreach is one of the sponsors.
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Youth & young adult education on protecting life & ending the death penalty
Catholic Mobilizing Network offers respect life resources for educators in Catholic grade schools, colleges, and universities. These materials are best suited for classes on theology or social justice and are designed to be applicable anywhere in the United States, with additional information that can be included for the respective state or jurisdiction for context. This collection of resources aims to be streamlined and simple. All resources are hyperlinked to their original source and CMN handouts can be downloaded from their website. These lessons are recommended for a single class or unit on the topic of the death penalty. Click here to download the packet.
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Labor advocates mourn John J. Sweeney, Catholic labor leader
Prof. Joseph A. McCartin of Georgetown University reflected recently on the legacy of John J. Sweeney, who died at the age of 86 in early February:
“He was a bridge-builder who helped move labor beyond the Cold War, drew young people into the movement, transformed labor’s relationship with immigrants and the immigration question, welcomed women into top leadership, and revamped labor’s political operations. In all of this, he drew generously from the values of his church and its social teachings.”
To read the full statement from the Catholic Labor Network, click here. To learn more about how to get involved in faith-based action around labor, register for the Network’s next check-in here.
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Remember that you can access the lectionary reflections each week on our website. These resources are posted as they are available.
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