Diocese of Winona-Rochester Social Concerns
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"To promote and support parish social action through education"
Our committee meets on a monthly basis to discuss the issues of Social Concerns within our Diocese, and to plan opportunities to learn and explore issues of concern. Updates and information are available below. Feel free to contact us by responding to this newsletter or through the feedback button at the bottom of the newsletter with any questions or feedback.
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Migrants in Our Midst: A Lesson in Solidarity
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Isaac Landsteiner, Parish Social Ministry Coordinator | Mankato Deanery
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On October 5th and 7th, at Good Counsel in Mankato and at St. Mary’s University in Winona, about two hundred and eighty people from across the Diocese gathered for the Fall Social Concerns Day
. In the morning, participants watched the film
Abrazos
, which tells the story of immigrant children from Worthington, who returned to Guatemala to meet their grandparents for the first time. Afterwards, many of the children in the film were present to share what that experience was like for them.
The conversation continued over a delicious meal of tacos and churros. After lunch, the film’s director,
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Luis Argueta, spoke for a bit about how the trip and the film came about, and the panel answered follow up questions about their daily life in Minnesota. The day came to a close with the screening of
The U-turn
, another Luis Argueta film, about immigrant women and children in Postville, Iowa, who spoke out about the abuses committed against them, and were able to obtain U Visas in return for their testimony. . .
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Click on the red "take action" line to get more information and to take action today!
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Last month, the USCCB spoke out against a
proposed rule
that limited eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), our nation's foremost anti-hunger program. While it was initially believed that up to 500,000 children would lose direct certification for free school meals as a result of this proposed rule, The Department of Agriculture recently released
information
that up to 982,000 children would no longer be directly certified for school meals. Because this data was left out of the Department’s initial impact analysis of the proposed rule, the public comment period is once again open to allow input on this new information.
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Violence and conflict are now the leading causes of forced migration and displacement worldwide. At a time of great need, it is critical that the United States remains a global leader not only supporting our human family suffering around the world but working to prevent the conflict and violence that cause so much suffering. Lift your voice to call on your Senators to pass the Global Fragility Act (S. 727) and advance the cause of peace!
If passed into law, H.R. 6 would provide a pathway to citizenship for qualifying Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders living in the United States.
The USCCB’s Committee on Migration Chairman, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Texas, has voiced support for the bill numerous times: issuing a March 15, 2019
statement
endorsing H.R. 6, sending
a letter
to each Member of the U.S. House of Representatives in support of the bill, and
endorsing
individual component bills of H.R. 6 prior to markup in the House Judiciary Committee on May 22nd.
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Throughout the legislative session, our elected leaders will be faced with many decisions, big and small, that affect life and human dignity. Whether you voted for those who are now in office or voted for someone else, those who are now leading our state and country need your authentic friendship and goodwill; they need you - their constituent- as a resource to help inform their decisions. We can do this by building relationships with them; this starts with prayer and sharing the truth of the Gospel.
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As the most significant piece of bipartisan climate legislation to be introduced since 2009, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (EICDA) seeks to reduce national carbon pollution emissions by over 90% by 2050 by pricing carbon at $15 per metric ton and increasing $10 every year. This level of ambition would be a significant step towards addressing the climate challenge, especially its impacts our poor and vulnerable neighbors, and our shared future.
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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2019
8:30AM - 4:00PM
Our Lady of Good Counsel
Conference Center
170 Good Counsel Dr.
Mankato, MN 56001
Join us for a day meeting some amazing women from around the state as they discuss how their connection informs their living with and advocating for the land.
Cost is $55, or $60 at the Door
Cost for Students is $15
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Pax Christi's
Sunday Speaker Series:
Homelessness
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Pax Christi Church's Sunday Speaker Series will host a panel discussing homelessness.
Location: Pax Christi
18th Ave NW, Rochester
Date: Sunday, November 10
th
Time: 4:00 PM
This is open to all interested people, no fee or registration needed.
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Save the Date: 7th Annual Social Justice Retreat!
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Saturday, January 25th, 2020
8:30AM - 1:00PM
Holy Spirit Catholic Church
More Details to follow
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"Today, the world produces more food than ever before, as incredible advances in agricultural technology and models of heightened efficiency have combined to create bountiful yields and a surplus of life-giving sustenance. Yet the development of globalized and industrialized food systems has not come about without its share of alarming consequences: family farms are being squeezed out of existence by the powerful forces of a global market; new technologies, while promising greater food security, pose ethical challenges and threaten long-term sustainability; and industrialized systems of food production all too often lend themselves to wasteful and destructive practices that degrade the environment and have an impact far beyond the farm . . . "
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"Catholic social teaching is not a set of policy prescriptions or an attempt to tell people how to vote. Rather, it is a mental framework through which we address challenging social problems in light of the Gospel.
Understanding and putting into practice Catholic social teaching (CST) is vital to addressing the challenges of creation stewardship without falling into environmental activism that today often mimics religious apocalypticism. . . "
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Human Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery
Tool Kit Prepared by Sisters of St. Francis
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Available for use in your school/parish or social group: The
Human Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery
(Now called Human Exploitation) Tool Kit explores Who are Victims and Traffickers, Pornography effects, Federal and MN State Legislation, Catholic social Teaching, Where it exists and What you can do?
Tool Kit includes a Power Point Presentation and instructors Manuel and Answers to frequently asked questions. Kit will be sent to your requesting group in adequate time for preparation to your group.
Another option is to request a presenter(s) to come to your location. Contact Darlene Kelly 507-282-0578
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What are you doing in your community?
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Is your community doing a project or working on an issue that you would like to share? We would love to highlight your efforts, events and ministry!
Let us know what you are doing.
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We would love to hear your feedback on this newsletter. What do you like? What is helpful? What would you like to see? We can't wait to hear from you!
Send Feedback
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Looking for past editions of our newsletter? You can access them ALL on Catholic Charities of Southern MN's
Parish Social Ministry Page.
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