On September 27 President Biden signed a Presidential Determination (PD) of 125,000 refugees. This will be the target number of refugees to be admitted into the US in the upcoming fiscal year. In this USCCB press release, Bishop Mario Dorsonville, chair of the USCCB Committee on Migration, welcomed this goal and emphasized the Church's commitment to welcome refugees. Earlier this year the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced that the number of displaced persons around the world has reached an all-time high of 100 million people.
A year ago Pope Francis invited the worldwide Catholic Church to participate in a two-year "Synod on Synodality" and to reflect on walking together and listening to one another. Earlier this month the USCCB released the National Synthesis of the People of God in the United States of America, a compilation of the voices of hundreds of thousands Catholics who participated in listening sessions. Learn more about the next steps of the Synod here.
As President Putin has reiterated threats to employ nuclear weapons in Russia's war against Ukraine, Bishop David Malloy, chair of the USCCB's Committee on International Justice and Peace, issued a statement condemning nuclear weapons. Bishop Malloy called for prayer and noted the "heinous nature" of nuclear weapons and the "disastrous consequences for all of humanity" should nuclear weapons be employed.
The WSCC is hiring a part-time contractor to work on communications. Join us in our advocacy work! Click here to view the job description and to learn more about how to apply. We are accepting applications through October 15.
Election day is around the corner! Click here to register to vote or update your voter information. The 18-day voting period begins on October 21. Deposit your ballot by Tuesday, November 8 at 8 pm in an official ballot box, or be sure your ballot is postmarked by November 8 if sending it through the mail. Contact your county elections department to locate official ballot box locations near you. The USCCB offers Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States, a teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics. The publication includes Church teachings on numerous public policy issues, including respecting life, promoting peace, economic justice, immigration, racial justice, caring for creation, religious liberty, and more. Additionally, as polarization permeates politics, the USCCB invites you to join their Civilize It campaign. Civilize It seeks "a better kind of politics, one truly at the service of the common good," as Pope Francis calls for in Fratelli Tutti.
What does the Catholic Church have to say about issues that we vote on? Join us on October 13 to learn more. WSCC's executive director, Mario Villanueva will be presenting a Forming A Conscience for Faithful Citizenship webinar via Zoom. Click here to sign up and receive the Zoom link.
October is Respect Life Month, a time to build a culture of life, pray for the unborn, and serve mothers and families in need. Access resources for individuals and parishes here. Learn about accompanying and serving families in need through the Pregnancy and Parenting Support (PREPARES) program. PREPARES is a nurturing response of the Catholic community in Washington state providing meaningful, local and sustainable support to mothers, fathers, and families as they nurture their children through pregnancy and early childhood. Respect Life Month is also an opportune time to learn about and support local pro-life pregnancy resource centers in your area.
October 10 is the World Day Against the Death Penalty. Governor Jay Inslee declared a moratorium on the death penalty in Washington state in 2014, and in 2018 the Washington Supreme Court ruled that the state's death penalty statute violates Washington's constitution. Nonetheless, the death penalty statute remains on the books. The WSCC opposes Washington's death penalty statute. More information on restorative justice and advocating for an end to the use of the death penalty throughout the US may be obtained from the Catholic Mobilizing Network.
November 13 is World Day of the Poor. Read Pope Francis's 2022 World Day of the Poor message here. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is the USCCB's domestic anti-poverty program. Learn more about poverty in America through Poverty USA, a USCCB educational resource.
Adrienne Corpuz Joyce, Director of Policy & Communications
adrienne.joyce@wacatholics.org
Tracey Wilson Yackley, Operations Manager
tracey.yackley@wacatholics.org
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