Create Awareness, Advocate and Act for Justice
The issues are everywhere and you are ready to get informed and to take positive action. This page is dedicated to ways that you can get involved. Have some suggestions of your own? Please email Mary Niebler.
Interested in learning about opportunities to put your faith into action through community engagement and social justice advocacy opportunities? Sign up to receive our weekly Ways to Engage Newsletter! Sent out every Tuesday, Ways to Engage will provide you with a list of timely opportunities to get involved in your local Dayton community. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.
Miryam Award
Since 1996, the Miryam Award has recognized the work of faculty, staff, students and organizations that make the University a better place for women. The recipients for 2023 are Laura Toomb and Megan Dickinson.
Catholics at the State Capitol
Wednesday, April 26
After several years away, we're finally bring Catholics from across Ohio back to Columbus to meet with our elected officials and advocate for policies that seek to honor all life, take special care of the poor and marginalized, and stand in solidarity with all of our sisters and brothers.
If you're interested in joining us, please register at this link. There's no cost to attend, lunch will be provided, and - if we have enough people interested - we'll provide transportation. (If we're a smaller group, we'll arrange carpooling.)
Care for God's Creation
In 2021, the bishops of Ohio supported advocacy of a critical piece of bi-partisan environmental legislation. HB 389 - The Energy Efficiency Bill - which would have restored incentives offered by utilities for energy efficiency. Sponsored by Representatives Seitz (R) & Leland (D) the bill had three committee hearings and passed unanimously out of committee in Nov. 2021. House leadership failed to call a floor vote. It had widespread support although some are critical for level of compensation included for utilities to operate programs. Please contact members of the Ohio House and Senate to bring it up again in this year's legislative session.
The train derailment and subsequent chemical spill and burning of chemicals has led to bi-partisan legislative proposals on both the federal and state levels. Please encourage your legislators to pass them for the good of God's creation.
Capital Punishment
Ohio Death Penalty Update
Currently, a bipartisan group of Ohio legislators supports repeal of Ohio's death penalty. This is great news on the road to a more consistent ethic of life in Ohio.
Over the past two years, the No Death Penalty Ohio Coalition built a movement that saw historic legislative progress. Though the legislation that would end Ohio’s death penalty did not pass, we are determined to keep pushing for repeal. It’s a new session and new bills ending Ohio’s death penalty are poised for introduction. Join us at a statewide grassroots meeting to learn about the campaign, ignite or reignite the spark for abolishing the death penalty, and to learn how you can play a role.
We need people like you to join the bipartisan movement to end the death penalty.
Anti-Death Penalty Statewide Grassroots Meeting
Monday, April 17, 2023
6:00 - 7:00 PM
Catholic Mobilizing Network
Each semester, CMN welcomes college and graduate student interns to our team, working alongside them on efforts to end the death penalty and promote restorative justice.
CMN interns get hands-on experience and insight into the inner workings of a faith-based non-profit, and explore how their faith calls them to work for justice.
We are currently inviting undergraduate and graduate students ages 19-24 to apply for our Congregation of St. Joseph Summer 2023 Internship Program.
Young people of faith are critical in national efforts to transform our criminal legal system.
CMN is proud to work with young justice seekers all year round, empowering them to cultivate forms of justice that prioritize healing, right relationship, and repair.
Also join the Catholic Mobilizing Network for virtual prayer vigils and other programs.
Gun Violence
"It'll take us all giving up a small chunk of time every few days to win these elections. You can do this as an event for your group as well! No matter where you live now, if we allow Ohio legislators to get away with making our schools more dangerous the effects will be felt nationwide -- I'm going all in to ensure we elect gun sense candidates in Ohio and I hope you'll join me." Jay- Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
For more information about Students Demand Action, visit https://studentsdemandaction.org/
Hunger
2023 Farm Bill
It's that time again! Every five years, Congress reauthorizes the massive legislation that is the Farm Bill. In it there is money for foreign aid, farm subsidies, and food. You can read more about it here.
The Catholic Conference of Ohio and the Social Action Office of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is hosting an event to inform people about the Farm Bill and empower them to advocate for the wise and generous support of these different priorities. We'll have an informative and powerful keynote from Bread For the World, a panel of local speakers, and some great resources with which people take action.
The Cincinnati-area event will be the evening of Thursday, May 4, at the Community of the Good Shepherd (8815 Kemper Rd.). Start time is TBD but likely around 6:00pm.
Please make plans to join us as this is a critically important advocacy opportunity. The Farm Bill has a global reach and supports tens of millions people and our ever-important food system.
Immigration
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops advocates for immigrants and refugees through its Justice for Immigrants program. There is always legislative action that can use your voice!
Peace and Disarmament
Grounded in the Gospel and Catholic social teaching, Pax Christi USA is a membership organization that rejects war, preparation for war, every form of violence and domination, and personal and systemic racism. It is a section of Pax Christi International, the international Catholic peace and justice movement that seeks to model the peace of Christ in its witness to the mandate of the nonviolence of the Cross.
This faith-based organization offers up-to-date information and advocacy opportunities for you to take action on. Plus they offer many prayer resources.
Racial Justice
BREATHE Act
Please join organizations across the country such as the Movement for Black Lives and Faith in Public Life Action in asking your Congresspeople to co-sponsor the BREATHE Act.
The BREATHE Act’s promise is simple: take money from systems of punishment and surveillance that disproportionately harm Black communities and invest in infrastructure that supports growth, learning and equity. We can create a moral budget when we fund schools, affordable housing, culturally competent mental health care and support for people who use drugs. Right now we have the chance to protect our environment, create and sustain community jobs and value the labor of all workers.
We cannot hold our breath any longer waiting for white supremacy to dismantle itself. We must act with the courage of our convictions to demand a future free from anti-Blackness, racist policing, the school-to-prison pipeline and mass incarceration. Building a multiracial coalition of support for the BREATHE Act is a first step. Visit https://breatheact.org/ for more information.
Watch, Listen, Learn, Act and Pray
Racism is on the minds of a lot of people right now. We have adapted a resource that you can use by yourself or with a small faith community that includes videos, podcasts, readings, ideas for action, and prayers that could help in becoming an anti-racist. In adapting this from the Mercy Volunteer Corps, we added a number of items created by members of the UD and Marianist families.
Take the Anti-Racism Challenge