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The diocese of Youngstown is busy working with welfare reform issues, reports Brian Corbin. The 6 counties that comprise the diocese have unemployment rates that range from 8-27% due to the faltering steel industry and the recession. This also requires the diocese to address food security issues as well. On another front, over the last two years there has been an increasing influx of Central American workers which is leading the diocese more into consciousness-raising work about immigrant issues. Finally, the diocese continues its ongoing efforts in the aftermath of 9/11, this time by conducting special Catholic Relief Service collections for Afghani’s affected by the military strikes in their country.
In the Pacific Northwest, Jane Villanueva, reports from the diocese of Yakima that they are moving into the second year of an Affordable Housing program started last year. Now that the housing is built and occupied the diocesan Housing Service Office is helping to organize tenants and teaching them skills of empowerment around their issues of concern. The diocese is also part of an interfaith coalition addressing immigrant concerns that has begun meeting monthly to foster dialogue between their coalition and the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
After holding a Jubilee Day for Women last March, the diocese of Allentown carried out a study to see if they should form a Commission for Women. Mary Ann Hammer reported that not only was the recommendation to go ahead with the commission but their Bishop Cullen was just recently appointed to the USCCB committee on Women and hopes that the commission will help support his work. The diocese is also trying to get a legislative advocacy network up and running and has an active speakers bureau that covers topics including capital punishment, violence and unity and diversity. Dee Rowland reports that there are intensive lobbying efforts underway in the diocese of Salt Lake City around a new Hate Crimes Bill. Along with work surrounding the death penalty, the diocese is also working on reversing some of the most liberal gun laws in the nation. In Utah carrying a concealed weapon is not only allowed but the burden of proof falls on the state to show cause why a license should not be given, whereas other states that allow concealed weapons lay the burden of proof on the applicant to show why a concealed license should be granted. Finally, the diocese is keeping an eye on a plan to use a Native American reservation as a nuclear waste storage facility while debate continues on Yucca Mountain. In order to respect the tribe’s sovereignty, the diocese is taking no action at this time but watches the unfolding events with obvious concern.
Sean Wendlinder at the diocese of Ft. Wayne-South Bend welcomed Sr. Helen Prejean for a speaking tour on November 6-7. Sr. Helen spoke at a local luncheon , a local high school, and gave a keynote address at a local parish all relating to her work with death penalty issues.
Sr. Joan Pytlik at the diocese of Little Rock is busy with its second year of Public Discipleship and its tailored PD campus program. (See article page 2.)
The diocese of Portland (ME), has received $120,000 in grants for four social service projects. The projects were the Maine Rural Workers Coalition, which organizes rural workers; the Consumer Advocacy Project, which organizes the homeless, the Low-Income Health Access Project, which works for health care justice and the Rural Coalition, which works for just labor/marketing issues. $105,000 came from CCHD grants.
The Catholic dioceses in Iowa are preparing for the 9th annual Iowa Institute for Social Action, scheduled for Jan. 20-21, 2002 in Newton, IA reports Dan Ebener of the diocese of Davenport. The Institute will include a presentation of CCHD’s Education for Solidarity program. Some of the various workshops will include issues such as pro-life/stem cell research, the environment, peacemaking, immigration, sweatshops, and church based organizing.
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