Advocacy Day is A Huge Success!

Thanks to all of Bishops, staff, volunteers, advocates, and people back home praying to make our day a success. We made tremendous progress on several of our major issues today and it could not have happened without your efforts, prayers, and the power of the Holy Spirit! Thanks be to God for our day! We have posted a few pictures on our facebook page and will have more news and photos posted to our site soon. Read our legislative communication intern, Chris Pinkalla's report on the day below. Just because Advocacy day is over doesn't mean that advocacy work for the session is over! View our action alerts page and our news blog often for updates on how you can continue to advocate for the Bishops' public policy priorities. You can also sign up for our Texas Catholic Voice e-newsletter to get updates and action alerts from us. 

Faithful Citizenship in Action During Advocacy Day
By: Chris Pinkalla, Legislative Communication Intern, Texas Catholic Conference

Hundreds of Catholics, from all walks of life, accompanied by nine Catholic Bishops, traveled to Austin from all around Texas to advocate for the legislative priorities of the Texas Bishops for the Catholic Faith in Action Advocacy Day on April 6, 2011. Kicking off the day, the Bishops passionately spoke to the great moral and social challenges facing our state on the South Steps of the Capitol at a rally and press conference. They addressed a wide range of diverse issues including the state budget, sonogram access, payday lending, immigration, an education tax credit program, human trafficking, and the death penalty.

“We’ve trained well…we’re delighting in this sun, but we know there might be a rainy day in sight,” said Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, referring to the current debate on the state budget and the controversy over the use of the Rainy Day Fund.

“We don’t leave our faith at the doorsteps of our churches, our homes…It also enters into the public square, [and] together we can make our case known, about the elements of our moral and social teaching that are important in the State of Texas…[because] the centerpiece of our teaching is so simple, elegant, and profound… the human person, whether that person doesn’t have a voice yet in the womb, whether they are aging and in a nursing home, whether in need of education, whether that person is a frightened immigrant, whatever, it’s the person and their human rights that motivate what we do as the foundation of our Catholic social teaching…” said Cardinal DiNardo. (Photo right: Jeff Dixon, East Texas Catholic) Read Full Story >>

Federal Action Alert - House to Vote Soon on the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act!
It is anticipated that the House of Representatives could soon vote on an important measure preventing use of federal funds for elective abortions in all government programs. Please contact your Representative and ask that he/she support H.R. 3, and oppose any substitute or weakening amendments. This bill will ensure that the government does not pay for elective abortions, and does not force others to take part in abortions, in any federal program.” See full NCHLA action alert here.

Federal Action Alert - Tell Congress that Careless Cuts Cost Lives!
Contact your members of Congress now and urge them to preserve poverty-focused international assistance in the FY 2011 Continuing Resolution at the President’s FY 2011 request level. To tell them that:

• It is morally unacceptable for our nation to balance its budget on the backs of poor people at home and abroad.
• Fiscal responsibility is important, but it requires shared sacrifice, not disproportionate cuts in programs that serve poor persons and promote peace.
• Responsible leadership for the common good is needed to avert a government shutdown that would most negatively impact those with the least resources.