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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….
UN Days in October October 1st, 2013
Learn about the U.N. Observance Days in October, here. Watch U.N. Web-TV, here.
- October 2, 2013: International Day of Non-Violence is held on Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday and is an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness.” Available: In English; in Spanish; In French.
- October 11, 2013: Day of the Girl Child: Innovating for Girls’ Education: The fulfillment of girls’ “right to education” is first and foremost an obligation and moral imperative. Girls’ education, especially at the secondary level, has been proven to be a powerful transformative force for societies and girls themselves. Click here; in Spanish; in French. Read about the Techno Girl program in South Africa, here. Join in the Day of the Girl Summit here.
- October 16, 2013: World Food Day: Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition: Healthy People Depend on Healthy Food Systems helps increase understanding of problems and solutions in the drive to end hunger. Available: In English; In Spanish; In French; In Italian.
- October 17, 2013: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is intended to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries. Fighting poverty remains at the core of the U.N. development agenda. Available: In English; In Spanish; In French.
- October 20, 2013: World Mission Sunday.
- October 20-24, 2013: CONGO Week will be celebrated all around the world in an effort to bring attention to the ongoing violence in DR-Congo. Visit here.
- October 24, 2013: United Nations Day: Available: In English; In Spanish; In French.
Northern Virginia Community Organization Develops $30 Million Redevelopment Fund October 1st, 2013
VOICE, the northern Virginia community organization that has been addressing housing blight in the region, was highlighted in a Washington Post article recently. The organization has put together the $30 million “Prince William, VA Restoration Fund” from mortgage lenders responsible for a major foreclosure crisis in the area. The fund is designed to address neighborhood blight caused by the foreclosure & predatory loan crisis in town home communities like Georgetown South in Manassas, VA. The Oblates have actively supported VOICE’s efforts to develop this community redevelopment fund through our activist shareholder connections.
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