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San Fernando JPIC Group Active in Social Justice Ministry October 9th, 2013
The Social Justice Group from Mary Immaculate, Santa Rosa, and San Ferdinand Church participated in a large march for comprehensive immigration reform that was held in Los Angeles over the weekend. Three buses went from San Fernando Valley to Downtown LA.
The group walked together with more that 10,000 people. The march covered about two miles and finished in front of the Los Angeles City Hall.
The Social Justice group has also been offering citizenship classes every Thursday from 6:pm to 9:00pm. More than 40 students ranging from in their 40’s to 70 years old participate. The classes are free.
Thanks to Br Lucio Cruz OMI for this information!
Marching for Immigration Reform in San Antonio October 9th, 2013
The immigration march last weekend in San Antonio went well despite a lot of competition from other good causes!! About 300 people turned out to call on Congress to pass a Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill. An interesting march is planned for San Antonio on October 16 and 17. People will walk 30 miles through Rep. Lamar Smith’s district, taking in some of the small rural areas, to try to influence his position on immigration. Other advocacy actions are also being planned.
Thanks to OMI JPIC Committee Member, Patti Radle, for this information!
October: Celebrate “Respect Life” Month October 4th, 2013
The annual Respect Life Sunday Mass is October 6. This is an opportunity for Catholics throughout the United States to come together to worship, reflect and witness to the dignity of the human person. The 2013 Respect Life Sunday theme is Open Your Hearts to Life. Catholics are being invited to check with local parish and diocese for Respect Life Sunday and the month’s events and schedules. Program information materials are available in English and Spanish at http://www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/respect-life-program/
World’s Scientists Issue urgent Warning on Climate Change October 3rd, 2013
Late rains in Bangladesh stress crops and livestock.
Last week, the highly esteemed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its latest assessment of the science behind human-caused climate change. For the first time, the IPCC has offered guidance on the amount of CO2 that can still be put into the atmosphere and still stay below the temperature rise of 2 decrees Celsius: about 1 trillion tons more. The IPCC—which is made up of thousands of the world’s leading climate scientists from more than 120 countries—is now 95% certain that human activities are causing climate change. Previously, the scientists had been 90% certain.
In response to this report, Dr. Kevin Ahern, assistant professor of religious studies at Manhattan College, wrote The Moral Imperative to Act for Climate Justice. There, Dr. Ahern says that [t]he IPCC report draws attention to two facts that call Catholics and all people of good will to action, and highlights the work of the Coalition as an example of how Catholics are faithfully addressing climate change. It should be noted that the U.S. Catholic bishops used the third IPCC report as the basis for their call to action by the Catholic community when they wrote their 2001 statement, Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good.
The UK charity, Christian Aid, is urging governments to heed the warnings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). According to Independent Catholic News, Christian Aid’s Senior Climate Change Advisor, Dr. Alison Doig, warns that people in developing countries are already facing the grim reality of a changing climate [and says that t]his report demonstrates the urgent action needed to stop climate change in its tracks by committing to rapidly reducing global carbon emissions.”
Thanks to the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change for this information.
Mea Minima Culpa October 2nd, 2013
Rev. Seamus P. Finn, OMI has written a new blog on Huffington Post, called Mea Minima Culpa.
“There is more than a little irony in the long list of stories about the major CEOs of banks negotiating settlements with government regulators and agreeing to fines before going to court to settle…” Read more….
