Bending the Arc

In an age that mocks empathy, one Carmelite made it her path to God. Edith Stein believed that empathy is a doorway to the Divine.

Long before psychologists gave it a name, Edith wrote of “Einfuhlung”—the ability to “feel into” another person—as a sacred participation in the mystery of God’s own compassion. To suffer with another was not weakness for her—it was love made real.

Born into a Jewish family, Edith became an atheist, then one of Europe’s first female philosophers, and finally a Carmelite nun who died at Auschwitz. Through every transformation, her guiding question remained: How do we keep our hearts open when the world is breaking?

For Edith, empathy was not sentimental. It was mystical solidarity—a way of entering the world’s pain without losing faith in its redemption.

In our own time of division and exhaustion, she offers a vision of strength rooted in tenderness, of courage grounded in contemplation.

In a new online class, part of a larger series on 20th Century Mystics & Prophets, discover Edith Stein’s life and wisdom—her journey from atheist to mystic, her theology of empathy, and the hope she offers to all who long to live with compassion in a wounded world.

The Edith Stein: The Saint of Empathy masterclass is live and online Saturday, November 1 at 11 am CT. Can’t join live? Register now to receive the recording afterwards.
 

During the school days, October 20-23, 2025, approximately 400 first year students (100 each day), walked into an experience they were not expecting - 30 roaring adults lined up to welcome and cheer them on as they entered the small gym of Fond du Lac High School for Challenge Day. 

Challenge Day is an interactive anti-bullying program featuring music, exercises, impactful encounters, and discussions over one entire school day. It is led by two energetic, charismatic, and highly trained facilitators who themselves come from a background of overcoming trauma, where they relate openly, speaking honestly about their life experiences and provide stories of hope and inspiration. 

This was the fourth year in a row that United for Diversity and community supporters offered Challenge Day to the entire Fondy High freshmen class over the course of three to four days. Now all four current grade levels have experienced a Challenge Day in their time at Fondy High and together began creating a new culture at the high school. A few families opt to withdraw their students from this experience, otherwise all freshmen are expected to participate. Before it was more of an expectation, Challenge Day was optional and offered to Fondy High students for just one day, starting in 2008. Eventually, as more students talked about their experience, more became interested, and school administrators and staff saw the benefits of the program, the number of days the program was offered began to grow. It was stopped in 2020 because of COVID, but resumed annually in 2021.

A key component to the success each day are the adult volunteers, all of whom are required to complete a background check with the FDL School District. With an average of 100 students participating in the program daily, 30 volunteers are needed each day. Together, adults and students confront stereotypes and prejudices, underlying causes of bullying, and practice deep listening in their family circles and interactive group activities. The “cross the line” activity is probably what students remember the most. This is an experience that shows students they are not alone and stirs care and compassion among classmates, those they thought they knew, and those they never met before.

The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA) has been an important sponsor of Challenge Day over the years. This year, CSA’s generosity supported one full day of the program. They also sent two staff members on day one and Sister Sue Seeby, CSA joined on day two. Sue shared, “I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in Challenge Day at Fondy High School. I was moved by the students' honesty and vulnerability as well as their compassion for one another. It was a very, very enriching experience. I hope to participate again.”

Dusty Krikau shared, “Listening to first year high school students remind one another that it’s ok to ask for help, that it’s ok to be vulnerable, and that they aren’t alone, is exactly what my soul needed. Seeing that vulnerability in action from adults and youth is a powerful and unifying event.”

Visit www.challengeday.org for more information and to watch a short video which beautifully shows what happens in this powerful workshop.

What If “Homosexual” Was Never Meant To Be In The Bible?

1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture is a feature documentary that follows the story of tireless researchers who trace the origins of the anti-gay movement among Christians to a grave mistranslation of the Bible in 1946. It chronicles the discovery of never-before-seen archives at Yale University which unveil astonishing new revelations, and casts significant doubt on any biblical basis for LGBTQIA+ prejudice. Featuring commentary from prominent scholars as well as opposing pastors, including the personal stories of the film’s creators, 1946 is at once challenging, enlightening, and inspiring.

Watch the official trailer here.

1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture will be available Worldwide to watch and own starting November 7 on Fandango (US only), Apple TV, and YouTube Movies. Currently available on Amazon (US & UK) and Eventive.org (worldwide). 

Links can be found on the website: https://www.1946themovie.com/

This powerful, award-winning documentary that began as an independent grassroots mission is about to reach audiences across the globe, complete with subtitles in 10 languages including French, Dutch, Thai, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, and Italian.

On November 23, there will be a special online Worldwide Release Chat with Q&A featuring the director, Sharon “Rocky” Roggio, moderated by dancer and music artist, Blake McGrath.
REGISTER FOR THE ZOOM LINK HERE.

Prior to the live Q&A, viewers can stream 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture for free exclusively through the Eventive platform. To access the film, simply register for the Zoom event — the free streaming link will be included in your confirmation email.

If you’ve already seen the film, you will recognize Kathy Baldock. Watch this exclusive video: Forging A Sacred Weapon: How a 1946 Mistranslation Shifted Culture.

In a September 27, 2025, article in the Gary [Indiana] Crusader, Rev. John Jackson shares an inspirational message about finding light in the darkness of our times. He starts by quoting the late Dr. Frederick G. Sampson who said, “There are times in life when we feel overcast by dreadful and foreboding shadows.” Shadows of insecurity, shadows of uncertainty, shadows of anxiety and fear. Yet, Dr. Sampson said, “Try not to get fixated on the shadows, because no solid object can cast a shadow itself. If there are shadows, that just means that a light is shining from somewhere. Find that light and focus on the light.”

Rev. Jackson goes on to list several Black trailblazers who overcame the nadir/darkness of our U.S. history as he acknowledges that we are experiencing another nadir in this “yet to be united states of America.” He suggests that “the nadir we are presently in cannot stop the light that has passed on to us to create a new beginning of light and hope. Shadows are still non-substantive, and the light is still shining. The death of the way things used to be will lead to the birth of a new reality if we focus on building as a community, rather than individually.”

He concludes by reminding us that “the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness cannot overcome it (John 1:5). We are the light of the world, my people, so shine! Be authentic, Be Encouraged and Stay Woke.”

Rev. Dr. John E.Jackson, Sr. is the Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Gary, Indiana. Read his full article here: https://chicagocrusader.com/from-nadir-to-the-light-of-new-beginnings/ 
 

On September 17, 20256, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers along with Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Tribal Chairman Robert Blanchard and Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Kristina Boardman, announced together the celebration of the newest set of dual-language highway signs unveiled for placement on state highways as part of the Wis DOT’s Dual-Language Sign Program. The new signs identify Bad River’s Tribal boundaries and two river crossings in both the Ojibwe and English languages.

Chairman Blanchard says, “This signage marks an historic event for Bad River as we join other Tribes in the states that have already participated in this initiative of dual-language signing.. It shows that collaboration between the state and Tribes can work for the betterment of all involved.” Read more here: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/3f2b424 

On Aug. 20, 2025, New Ways Ministry hosted a webinar with seasoned Vatican expert Christopher White to discuss his new book Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy.  
White chatted with New Ways Senior Fellow, Brian Flanagan, PhD, about the dynamics behind Leo’s election, his relationship with Pope Francis, and what his election signals for the future of LGBTQ+ Catholic ministry. Watch Now.

Did you hear?? New Ways Ministry has a podcast called, “One Body, Many Parts.” Check out the first podcast here.

Click here to read New Ways Ministry Bondings 2.0 blogs: https://www.newwaysministry.org/blog/ 
 

The Mission Integration Committee of Marian University is pleased to present a series on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. This 9-part series will be presented by Sister Dianne Bergant, CSA, Ph.D. in Stayer Auditorium, Marian University, 45 S. National Ave. from 3:00-4:00 p.m. on Tuesday afternoons throughout the academic year. The public is invited to attend. Sister Dianne was widely interviewed recently after one of her students became Pope.

A livestream will also be available on the CSA YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@csasisters 

The first session will take place on Tuesday, August 26 and focus on the Dignity of the Human Person.

The full list of topics and dates are

• August 26 - Dignity of the Human Person: Image of God
• September 23 - Appreciation of Creation: Interconnected
• October 21 - Commitment to Universal Truth: Anthropocentric to Cosmocentric
• November 18 - Faith & Reason: What is Theology?
• January 27 - Integral Relationship with the Catholic Church: Missionary Disciple
• February 24 - Hospitality & Tradition: Dialogue
• March 31 - Sacramental Vision: Mystery
• April 21 - Power of Beauty: Vision or Reality
• May 5 - Innovation for the Common Good: Interdependence

Sister Dianne served as President of Catholic Biblical Association of America (2000-2001) and as the Rev. Robert J. Randall Distinguished Professor of Christian Culture, Providence College, Providence, RI (2009-2010). She was awarded honorary doctorates from the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, CA (2013), Marian University, Fond du Lac, WI (2014), and the Catholic University of Australia, Melbourne, Victoria (2015). She was an active member of the Chicago Catholic/Jewish Scholars Dialogue (1988-2017), a member of the Board of Trustees, Sacred Heart School of Theology (1983-1989), and of St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee, WI (1996-2005). She sat on the editorial boards of The Bible Today (1979-2005), Biblical Theology Bulletin (1990-2014), Catholic Biblical Quarterly (1992-2001), New Theology Review (1997-2003), Teaching Theology and Religion (2003-2005), and Chicago Studies (2003-2009). She has taught and lectured in various places in the United States, as well as in South Africa and Namibia, Trinidad, England and Ireland, Kiribati, Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, Nicaragua, Rome, Australia and New Zealand.

Go to the event website

In June of this year, Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took a decommissioned airport in the Everglades surrounded on all sides by the Big Cypress National Preserve, home and sacred refuge for the Miccosukee and Seminole Nations for centuries, and illegally built an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention camp they’ve called Alligator Alcatraz.

People are packed into cages with overflowing toilets and sewage spilled on the floor, malfunctioning air conditioning in sweltering heat, and food that reportedly contains maggots. Florida has already expanded their plan to include a new location in Northern Florida they’re calling Deportation Depot. The conditions at this facility are also intentionally inadequate.

From “traditional” ICE jails in Louisiana to these new concentration camps in Florida, human rights abuses appear to take place daily with no or extremely limited access to lawyers and constitutionally required due process. Its incarceration is intended to inflame racism and scare immigrants as well all those potentially targeted by racial profiling as ICE continues its raids.

All of this is on purpose, and with $10 billion in new funding provided by the recently passed budget bill, the goal is for Alligator Alcatraz and Deportation Depot to just be the beginning.

Now, according to Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund, some Nevada politicians are pushing for a new ICE concentration camp they want to call Coyote Compound. There’s still time to stop it from happening. 

Sign and send a direct message to Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo demanding he reject Coyote Compound or any other detention camp proposals. Our Christian values tell us this is no way to treat human beings or our environment.

Hawwih (thank you) for standing together and demanding justice today. 

GOOD NEWS UPDATE from Earth Justice, August 21: Judge Halts Operations at Everglades Detention Center with Preliminary Junction.
 

Pope Leo XVI will receive a pro-LGBTQ+ Catholic reform organization during celebrations in October, the first time the group has been invited “in this form,” the Vatican announced this week.

Eight representatives from We Are Church will visit the Vatican from October 24 to 26, during a “Jubilee of synodal teams and participatory bodies,” the Vatican’s official news source confirmed on Tuesday. The visit will come as part of the 2025 Holy Year observations, initiated by Pope Francis prior to his death in April.

Founded in 1995, We Are Church has been a persistent critic of the Vatican from within the Catholic Church, particularly criticizing the Church’s history of sexual abuse and its exclusion of women from religious leadership. The organization, which says it “has a presence in or is co-operating with similar groups” in more than 30 countries, also advocates for LGBTQ+ reforms within the Church, endorsing blessings for same-sex couples and calling for an “end of the exclusion of LGBTQ persons” in 2021. Read more here. 

As we prepare for Members of Congress to return to Washington later this month, NETWORK's Government Relations team wants to make sure you're prepared to continue our work ensuring that Congress is working for the common good - that everyone, no matter what we look like or where we come from, has access to food, housing, and healthcare; that families can live in safety in their own neighborhoods; and that we the people, not just the billionaires, have a say in the kind of world we want to live in.

Join the August 28 conversation at 6 pm CT to learn what's on the horizon in September and beyond. Register here: https://actionnetwork.org/events/welcome-back-congress 

A new presidential executive order was signed earlier this week directing states to criminalize unhoused people and institutionalize people with mental health disabilities and substance use disorders.

Scout Katovich, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Trone Center for Justice and Equality, issued the following statement in response to the executive order:

“Pushing people into locked institutions and forcing treatment won’t solve homelessness or support people with disabilities. The exact opposite is true – institutions are dangerous and deadly, and forced treatment doesn’t work. We need safe, decent, and affordable housing as well as equal access to medical care and voluntary, community-based mental health and evidence-based substance use treatment from trusted providers. But instead of investing in these proven solutions, President Trump is blaming individuals for systemic failures and doubling down on policies that punish people with nowhere else to go – all after signing a law that decimates Medicaid, the number one payer for addiction and mental health services.
“Homelessness is a policy failure. Weaponizing federal funding to fuel cruel and ineffective approaches to homelessness won’t solve this crisis.”

Read more here.

Wisconsin housing advocates also see it as a step backward. Read this JSonline article here.

At their 25th biennial General Synod in July 2025, the United Church of Christ passed a Resolution of Witness called “Responding to the federal government’s attack on immigrants, migrants and refugees. This public denunciation, calling ICE raids “domestic terrorism,” marks one of the strongest rebukes of President Trump’s immigration enforcement by a major U.S. Christian denomination, according to this Newsweek article or this NCR article.

Other similar rebukes have come from Catholic figures such as Rev. Michael Pham, bishop of San Diego, CA, who joined several of his colleagues in calling for priests, deacons and parish leaders to accompany migrants to court and stand in solidarity with them.

Here in Wisconsin, 15 orders of Catholic sisters, including the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes, took out full (some smaller) page ads in major newspapers across the state to express their vision for a “future full of hope” that centered on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. They encourage us all to “love our neighbor! Welcome the stranger! Care for the most vulnerable amongst us! Speak the truth! Work for justice! Only when ‘we the people’ lead with compassion and empathy will a future filled with hope for generations be possible.” Read more here.
 

On August 2, members of the Holy Wisdom worshipping community are leading an interfaith walk to the Wisconsin State Capitol. Participants will meet at 11 am on the corner of State and Lake Streets in Madison and peacefully walk an 8-ft cross to the steps of the Capitol Building.

Though inspired by Christian symbolism, people of all faiths and goodwill are invited to join this walk reflecting Jesus’ words, “If you want to be my followers…take up your cross and follow me.” Participants will be able to sign the cross. This simple, symbolic act is a response to the cruelty of some of our national government's, and many of our state government’s, policies.

Why “Take Up Your Cross?”

• To lift the gospel call of Jesus to justice, mercy, and truth
• To resist Christian Nationalist and the misuse of faith in politics
• To protest disproportionate military spending (now over 60% of the U.S. discretionary budget)
• To affirm that public discipleship means showing up when others are harmed, including our environment

“Taking up the cross means standing with the suffering, even when it costs us comfort or safety,” said Rev. David Couper, Episcopal priest and former Madison Police Chief. “We cannot stay silent as faith is used to justify fear, exclusion, and violence.

This event is supported by the Wisconsin Council of Churches, calling it “a call to conscience.” Find more information here.

If your church or organization is interested in participating, please contact Rev. Jerry Folk at jerrylfolk55@gmail.com 

In case you missed it, Network Lobby offered its sixth session on White Supremacy and American Christianity with Father Bryan Massingale and Robert P. Jones last Saturday, don’t worry, it was recorded and now available on Network’s YouTube channel. Watch it here: Fascism or Faith.

After hearing how good it was from some who attended it live, I was anxious to watch the recording and highly recommend you do too - and share it with others!

Stay on until the very end with Robert Jones refers to bending the arc of justice, which has been an aspiring concept popularized by Dr. Martin Lither King, Jr., and what inspired the name of CSA’s justice newsletter, Bending the Arc. WE are the ones who have to bend the arc!

Learn. Show Up. Speak Up. Live out your faith.

“The arc of the moral universe may bend towards justice, but it doesn’t bend on its own.” - Barack Obama

 The Reconciliation in Place Names Committee was established by U.S. Secretary of Interior, Deb Haaland, in 2021. Haaland was the first Native American person to serve in the role, which oversees the nation’s public lands and Bureau of Indian Affairs. The committee was tasked to remove racist names from landmarks.

Unfortunately, the committee was dismantled earlier this year.

During her time as Secretary of Interior, Haaland signed an order to remove the derogatory name “squ*w” from place names in the country under the U.S. Geological Survey. In Wisconsin, that meant 28 places using that racial slur, used to describe female Indigenous people, were changed in 2022.

Read the rest of this story from Frank Vaisvilas, the Indigenous affairs reporter for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin based at the  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 

The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes has always responded in our own times to those whose faith life and human dignity is threatened. This is absolutely one of those times for the moral voice of religious sisters to be expressed - and heard.

By now, you’ve probably heard of Alligator Alcatraz, a highly controversial migrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades put up a little over a week ago. Some compare it to Nazi concentration camps with steel cages and horrific conditions. Some politicians have laughed at the idea of alligators eating immigrants, calling them “gator bait,” while others are proudly profiting from selling Alligator Alcatraz merchandise. All this while human beings are suffering. The Archdiocese of Miami is condemning the facility, calling it "unbecoming of public officials” and “corrosive of the common good.”

Detainees are locked in cages inside tents. They are reporting swarms of massive mosquitos, maggots in their food, bright lights on 24/7, extreme temperatures of heat and cold, denial of water, basic medical care, flushing toilets, showers, and religious rights. Its remote location makes legal and family visits near impossible - isolating detainees even further from the outside world. This is shocking and cruel.

Additionally, the detention center was built on sacred land, ignoring fierce opposition from indigenous communities, environmental advocates, and grassroots organizations.

This cruelty must end. Congress must demand immediate access and block all federal funds until this environmental and humanitarian disaster is shut down. Call your members of Congress TODAY and tell them to Shut Down Alligator Alcatraz.

ACLU has also created this online petition you can sign.
 

John Lewis was an American civil rights leader and politician best known for his chairmanship of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and leading the march in Selma, Alabama in 1965 across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

That day, protesters were confronted by a large force of sheriff’s deputies, state troopers, and deputized “possemen” (some on horseback) who had been authorized by Alabama’s segregationist governor George Wallace to “take whatever means necessary” to prevent the march. Given two minutes to disperse, the marchers were almost immediately set upon. They were quickly doused with tear gas, overrun by horses, and attacked with bullwhips and billy clubs. As a result of the brutal assault, more than 50 marchers were hospitalized, including Lewis, whose skull was fractured but who spoke to television reporters before going to the hospital, and called on Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson to take action in Alabama. Millions of American television viewers witnessed the event, which became known as “Bloody Sunday,” and within 48 hours demonstrations in support of the marchers had taken place in some 80 American cities. The resulting heightened awareness would contribute mightily to the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act, which was signed into law by Johnson on August 6, 1965. More of this history found at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Lewis-American-civil-rights-leader-and-politician 

John Lewis served in the US House of Representatives for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death on July 17, 2020. He had a famous saying, which was “Get into good trouble, necessary trouble,” which encourages people to actively confront injustice and inequality.

Since his passing, July 17 has become the John Lewis Day of Action. On this day, Americans have been urged to schedule meetings with our Members of Congress to talk with them about the merits of expanding access to voting, many of which are addressed in the current Voting Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act would modernize and revitalize the Voting Rights Act of 1965, strengthening legal protections against discriminatory voting policies and practices.  

This year, however, some have renamed the day, “Good Trouble Lives On,” which is a national day of nonviolent action to respond to defend our democracy and carry forward the legacy of Good Trouble.

On July 17, 2025 events are happening across the country, such as this one in Oshkosh, WI. Find an event in your area by visiting https://goodtroubleliveson.org/ 

It should be noted that a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll reveals that 76% of Americans believe democracy is facing a serious threat. That percentage includes 89% of Democrats, 80% of Independents and 57% of Republicans. Additionally, 73% view politically motivated violence as a significant issue.
 

Georgetown University invites you to another fantastic public dialogue next week, July 10 at 5:00 pm CT titled, Pope Leo XIV: What Happened, Why, and What it Means for Catholic Social Thought and U.S.Public Life. This event is offered online via livestream.

RSVP HERE

Pope Leo XIV brings to the papacy his roots in the United States, an Augustinian religious vocation, decades of ministry in a poor diocese in Peru, and service to Pope Francis at the Vatican. He began his papacy by calling for peace, mercy, and justice in our hurting world. He spoke of the importance of building bridges and has a track record of doing so.

In choosing the name of Leo XIV, our new Holy Father honors Pope Leo XIII, the father of modern Catholic social teaching who championed the dignity of work and the rights of workers. Pope Leo XIV said he chose his name
“because Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution. In our own day, the church offers everyone the treasury of its social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor.”

This dialogue will take a deeper look at how Cardinal Robert Prevost became the first pope from the United States and the significance of his choice of Leo XIV as his name. It will also examine the legacy of Leo XIII and the potential role of Catholic social teaching in the leadership of Pope Leo XIV. In addition, the dialogue will explore some of the “new things (rerum novarum)” we face today in our Church, nation, and world, along with the implications in U.S. public life of a pope with roots in the United States, ministry in Latin America, and leadership in our global Church.

Cannot make this event? Don’t worry, this recording and all their past webinar recordings are available on their YouTube page

Friday, June 20, was World Refugee Day. Organized by the United Nations, it is designed to celebrate and honor refugees from around the world. The day was established on June 20, 2001 in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.

Read this USCCB statement for World Refugee Day 2025: A Call to Compassion, Welcome, and Witness.

In the latest biweekly review of Justice for Immigrants from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Migration and Refugee Services, several updates and resources were shared. This included a new statement from USCCB President, Archbishop Timothy Broglio’s new statement that reflects on the surge in immigration enforcement actions. Read the full statement in English or en Español.

For decades, the USCCB has worked with and supported Catholic dioceses and communities across the country with well-established expertise in “welcoming, protecting, promoting, and integrating” newcomers, consistent with the Gospel, Catholic Social Teaching, and applicable laws. Click here to read the explainer for Refugee Resettlement & the Catholic Church.

CALL TO ACTION! Urge Senators to address unjust immigration provisions in the Reconciliation Bill. Ask them to remain consistent in protecting human life and dignity and promoting the common good by addressing these harmful provisions before moving the reconciliation bill forward. Click here to send or share the action alert. 

Earlier this week, Catholics from 56 religious congregations and organizations joined the Sisters Speak Out event in Washington, DC. Catholic Sisters and others braved the heat to speak in favor of their gospel values and against cuts in the Senate reconciliation bill that would cut healthcare and food programs for the most vulnerable. Sisters prayed, sang, and met with lawmakers inside the Capitol. 

For more details, read this June 25, 2025 article in Global Sisters Report: https://www.globalsistersreport.org/social-justice/trumps-big-beautiful-bill-not-beautiful-these-catholic-sisters 

In a recent Global Sisters Report, Dan Stockman, details how proposed Medicaid cuts would slash US Catholic sisters’ fragile finances.

He shares that if the U.S. Congress continues with its plan to cut spending on Medicaid by more than $800 billion over 10 years, critics say nearly 11 million people will lose their health insurance. More than 13,000 of those could be men and women religious.

Mercy Sr. Mary Haddad, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association, said in the press briefing the proposals cannot be justified.
"The bill unconscionably deepens Medicaid cuts, which will only result in more people losing coverage, more facilities struggling to stay open, and more patients unable to receive the life-saving care they so desperately need," Haddad said. "The bill would harm critical health and social safety net programs that millions of Americans rely on to live with health, dignity and security."

Read more here.

It is more important than ever to call your Senators and tell them “no cuts to Medicaid.” Recommend proposals to increase revenue instead that could include taxing the rich their fair share and cutting military spending. 
 

In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized marriage equality nationwide with the landmark decision on Obergefell v. Hodges. The Court ruled that the 14th Amendment guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry and have their marriages recognized in all states.

The following year, President Barack Obama, declared June as LGBT Pride Month in this official proclamation.

On June 2, 2025, the Trump Administration declared that June will now be recognized as Title IX Month, not Pride Month, an unrelated observation.

Title IX has been protecting women in sports since 1972. The official language reads: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

A Title IX explainer from Harvard University notes that "Title IX regulations guide how colleges and universities, including Harvard, must respond to sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct through appropriate grievance procedures, supportive measures, and related policies."

As DEI has been under attack in the last several months, big brands are pulling back on Pride merchandise. However, cities across the country continue to celebrate the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Pride is more than a month, it’s a way of life. It is estimated that 10% of American adults identify as LGBTQ+.

This website shows where cities across Wisconsin are holding their Pride festivals. A Google search will help you find events near you. Here in Fond du Lac,  Pride Picnic will be Sunday, June 22 from 1-7 pm at Lakeside Park. 

Read more about The History of Pride. 

Five years ago, people around the United States—and the world—watched a police officer kneel on the neck of George Floyd on a street in Minneapolis, Minnesota, ending his life, shocking our nation, and leading to protests, reflection, and predictions of a racial justice reckoning. In response, the Initiative held one of our most powerful and widely viewed dialogues, which challenged us to resist the racism in our streets, structures, and ourselves. On this sad anniversary and as we remember Juneteenth, our nation is still in pain and still needs greater justice. For Catholics and all believers, racism is not just a political issue: it is a sin, a national moral failure, and a fundamental test of our faith. 

Now five years later, a Pulitzer prize-winning historian, a leader in Catholic social ministry, and a journalist and pro-life leader will look back at what happened and what didn’t, look around at signs of both progress and retreat on racial justice, and look ahead to what we are called to do now in light of Catholic social teaching.

Join the Georgetown University Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life for their next online dialogue on What Happened to America’s Racial Reckoning? Faith, Justice, and Catholic Social Teaching Five Years after the Killing of George Floyd.
Tuesday, June 10, 2025 5:00 - 6:00 CT
 

RSVP
 

The dialogue will be recorded and posted online for later viewing. You can also watch previous streams here: https://www.youtube.com/@GlobalGeorgetown/streams
 

Watch this video to understand the work of the Initiative.
 

Last week, House Republicans passed their Budget Reconciliation bill which guts health care, food assistance, and many other necessary programs that promote an Economy for All by:

• Putting nearly 11 million people, including 4 million kids, at risk of losing food assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);
• Taking away health insurance from an estimated 15 million people;
• Kicking 4.5 million kids off the Child Tax Credit; and
• Supercharging immigration enforcement by expanding the detention of adults and families.

As Budget Reconciliation shifts to the Senate, our mission ahead is clear: we must make our community’s opposition to this bill so loud and clear that we are impossible to ignore.

To prepare yourself to take action, join NETWORK on Tuesday, June 3 at 6:00 pm CT for an update on the Budget Reconciliation Bill and our call to action in the Senate.

Register Now

Together, as faith-filled justice seekers, we can create beloved community where every person has healthcare, food, living wages, and the housing they need to thrive, not just survive.
 

In May 2025, a sober-living home for women and children (under 7) will open in Fond du Lac, WI. ARYA (Adult Recovery & Youth Alliance) will have programming available for women living in the home related to trauma, mental health, substance abuse, and overall wellness. They will also have activities and support for the children in the home to foster growth and family connection.

Too many women face homelessness, relapse, and lack of resources after completing treatment for substance-use disorder. The mission at ARYA is to change that by providing a stable, safe, nurturing environment where women can continue to rebuild their lives with dignity and support while allowing their children to stay with them on site. There are not enough resources like this, and they are desperately needed.

Learn how you can get involved at https://www.aryaprograms.com/ 

Mass terminations at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are “crippling” the agency, upending federal workers’ lives and leaving farmers and rural communities without needed support, according to interviews with 15 recently fired employees stationed across the U.S. Read more here.

A February 28, 2025 farmer press conference in South Portland, Maine featured farmers who are directly impacted by the federal funding freeze on payments from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Their stories must be heard. No doubt they represent the concerns of farmers in every state. You can read the press release and watch the full press conference on the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) website.

Millions of dollars in USDA funding, including funding for a variety of innovative, science-based programs that support farmers across the country, is now in question. Despite USDA stating that some payments are moving forward, the farmers who spoke last week have not had their payments resumed. 

Nearly every farmer in the U.S. works with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), on a regular basis, and every single American benefits from the programs of USDA. For the last month, freezes on payments at the federal level have impacted farmers throughout the country. Despite being told that once Secretary Rollins was confirmed the payments would quickly resume, farmers are still waiting for payments, many of which are for reimbursements on signed contracts, for work that has already been done.

“Taking these funding opportunities away from farmers, breaking existing contracts with farmers — it affects all of us,” said Janelle Plummer, co-owner of New Spoke Farm in West Paris, Maine, at the Feb 28 press conference. “In the same way that food starts in a farmer’s field and ends on your plate, the repercussions of these political decisions will ripple out into all of our communities. The effect of this doesn’t end on my farm, it only begins there.”

Farmers face incredible uncertainty every season, but one thing that has always been stable — until now — is USDA contracts. The farmers who spoke in this press conference work hard day in and day out to grow healthy food that feeds our communities. We need them.

ACTION: Please call on your congressional leaders to ensure that the USDA honors the contracts and pays our farmers.

UPDATE: Read this March 11, 2025 press release from Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/3d65c65 
The Trump Administration has indicated it plans to renege on its contractual obligations and intends to terminate critical federal funding that supports Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) programs designed to strengthen food supply chains, support farmers and producers, and distribute locally grown food to local communities.

The Trump administration’s efforts to halt funding and dismantle the United States’ capacity to provide food for the hungry, health care for the sick, and hope for the poorest people on earth are destroying the lives and dignity of millions of our sisters and brothers around the world. Much of the debate on these reckless actions has focused on who did this, how it was done, and the political dimensions of these actions.

Join the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life for their program March 13, 2025 at 12:30 pm CT.

This online Initiative dialogue takes a very different approach. It focuses on the human consequences and moral implications of this abandonment of our nation’s traditional commitment to the poor around the world. We will look at these actions through the experience and expertise of Catholic sisters serving the poor around the globe and the work of Catholic Relief Services, which offers life-saving humanitarian assistance in almost 100 nations. We will hear directly from sisters and CRS leaders who feed the hungry, care for the sick, provide shelter to those without it, and meet the needs of those affected by conflict and disaster.

This timely dialogue will examine how to assess these unprecedented challenges in light of the Gospel and Catholic social teaching. It will explore through the eyes of those on the front lines what we should do to resist these destructive actions and how we can express solidarity with the poor and vulnerable around the world as well as with those who serve them. 

Kimberly Mazyck, associate director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, will moderate the dialogue.

The dialogue will be recorded and posted online for later viewing. 

REGISTER HERE

March is Women’s History Month and here are a few of the amazing women who are making history and a positive change for good in Indian Country in Wisconsin, as reported recently in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

•  Marj Stevens is one of three Oneida women who founded the Indian Community School in Milwaukee, now located in Franklin. Today, the school enrolls more than 300 students representing more than 30 tribal nations across North America. Its mission is to provide an Indigenous American education with a special emphasis on teaching Indigenous history, culture, language and practices. Stevens also helped to revive traditional ways for the Oneida community in Wisconsin, which had nearly been lost because of assimilation. 

• Alaqua Cox is an actress from the Menominee Nation who starred as Marvel’s first live-action superhero and had her own series on Disney+ called “Echo.” It is a role that has inspired many Indigenous girls across the country after seeing themselves represented as a superhero. 

• Carol Amour is not Native, but her late husband, George Amour, was Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe from Wisconsin. She has done a lot of volunteer work in Indian Country in Wisconsin and her current project is to save the pow wow exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum. She is helping to lead those efforts along with a committee of mostly Indigenous people from the Milwaukee area who have personal connections with the lifelike exhibit. The museum is being closed as a new building is being built and museum officials do not plan to move the exhibit to the new museum.

• Elena Terry is a Ho-Chunk chef who founded Wild Bearies, an educational non-profit looking to build stronger tribal communities through Indigenous food systems and farming techniques. She recently competed on a Food Network TV show called “BBQ Brawl” and faced off against some top pitmasters.

• McKaylin Peters is a Menominee woman who recently created the short documentary, Fighting the Fight, highlighting the epidemic of violence against Indigenous people. She spoke about the issue in Washington D.C. with former Vice President Kamala Harris and other decision-makers in the federal government. Peters currently works as the spokesperson for the Menominee tribal chair’s office. 

We are grateful that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has chosen to highlight these remarkable Indigenous women from Wisconsin who are making history, and hope for the continued success of their work.

One of President Trump’s first executive orders placed federal DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) staffers on administrative leave as work began to dismantle their departments.

The pullback on DEI in the private sector began before Trump took office. A slew of companies - including Meta, Walmart, and McDonalds - either reduced or ended their own DEI initiatives. Some had been targeted by conservative activist groups. However, amid the tensions, some executives are taking a public stance in supporting their firms’ DEI policies. Costco is one of those businesses.

Former Costco International Division Senior Vice President Roger Campbell, claims DEI is not a new thing for their business. He recently shared with Fox News, "The term DEI didn't even exist to us, it was the way we ran our business...It's who we are.” Campbell, who spent 29 years working at Costco, told Fox News that Costco never had an official diversity program, the company has just always strived to employ people at their warehouses who reflect the demographics of where their store is located.

Campbell, who said he is a conservative, also told Fox News that Costco has never denied someone a job because they are a white man. He said that if two people with equal qualifications were up for the same job then they would take diversity into account.

Per this Business Insider article, the list of CEO’s voicing support for their companies’ DEI initiatives is growing. In addition to the big names on the list, other well-known DEI supporters include: Apple, Delta, American and Southwest Airlines, Meijer, Kroger, Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, TJ Maxx, and Walgreens. 

Learn more

Taking a Faithful Stand for Equity, a program of the Wisconsin Council of Churches, started as a one-time teaching webinar whose work expanded into a statewide campaign working on equity with a particular focus on what is happening in our schools. Currently, this group gathers for monthly webinars featuring speakers on a variety of topics related to equity and a time for local organizing around the state. 

The next meeting of Taking a Faithful Stand for Equity will be on Tuesday, January 14, at 6:30 PM on Zoom.

Attendees will consider What Is The Beloved Community's "Project 2025?" What do we, who are trying to build the Beloved Community, need to work on in 2025? What tools do we have for doing that work?

Join the conversation and exercise your holy imagination! 

Register here
 

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was introduced to congress in 1971, proposing that it should be clearly written into the constitution that people should be protected equally under the law in the United States no matter their gender. The House of Representatives passed the legislation with overwhelming margins in both parties. One year later it passed the Senate with an eighty-four to eight majority. The next step would be for 3/4 of the states to adopt and then it would be added as a constitutional amendment. In five years they were only three states short of the number needed. Unfortunately, this is when a vocal high profile anti-feminist conservative activist, Phyllis Schlafly, led a resistance to the ERA effort using scare tactics and misinformation. It worked and the legislation was stalled for years.

Then in 2020 three more states, Nevada, Illinois and Virginia adopted the ERA through the work of women activists in response to the loss of women’s rights - hitting the magic number for ratification. At that point the ERA cleared all the bars for becoming a constitutional amendment. All that was left was for the President to contact the national archivist and tell them to publish the ERA into law.

But, when those last three states ratified, the Trump White House sent a memo saying that the national archivist could not publish the ERA because the original piece of legislation had a deadline of 1982.

Because of that deadline you would think the amendment was over. But there is clear legal argument for the continuation of the ERA. Including the fact that constitutional amendments don’t normally have time limits. The 27th Amendment was ratified in 1992, a full 223 years after it was introduced. Also there is nothing in the constitution that says an amendment has to be passed within a particular time limit. In August of 2024, the American Bar Association made a public statement that a deadline for ratification of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution is not consistent with Article V of the Constitution.

The point is that there is a real legal challenge to Trump’s White House memo to the archivist. All President Joe Biden has to do is pick up the phone and tell the national archivist to publish the ERA (which has jumped every constitutional hoop - passing overwhelmingly in the House and Senate, and 3/4 of the states adopting the legislation).

Yes, there will be undoubtedly a legal challenge. Currently over 45 Senators and over 100 House members have written and encouraged Biden to call the national archivist and put the publishing of the ERA into motion — then let it work through the courts as it should.

The publishing of the ERA would be a significant firewall for legislation that would discriminate against women and persons in the LGBTQ+ community. 
Contact President Biden and Vice President Harris today, requesting they make publishing the ERA before the end of their term a priority.

Read more about the full 100-year history of the ERA
 

On Friday, December 13 - and every second Friday of the month - JCoR, the Justice Coalition of Religious, offers a global community hour. These monthly online gatherings are for Religious around the world to come together in prayer for our world and to shine a light on the most pressing justice issues emerging in your respective nations and regions.

In recognition of Human Rights Day, the theme for December’s gathering is human rights. Therefore, JCoR is especially inviting individuals to share their experiences in protecting, upholding, and fighting for human rights. As usual, all voice and justice concerns are welcome in this communal space, or simply attend to learn from others.

The time for this is 7:00 am CST. Click here to register. Sisters, Brothers, priests, lay associates, and partners in mission are all welcome!

The Catholic Church is clear: the death penalty is inadmissible because it violates the sanctity of life. Every human being is created in the image and likeness of God, giving them an inherent dignity. This dignity is never lost, even if someone commits a serious crime.

Additionally, the U.S. death penalty system is ineffective, costly, and deeply flawed. It damages not only the lives it takes, but also victims' families, the innocent, people of color, vulnerable populations, and society. See more at Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN).

Today, there are 40 men on the federal death row - and their lives are at stake.

With a temporary federal execution moratorium currently in place, no death sentences can be carried out. But that status could change by any future administration. The only way to protect the lives of those currently on the federal death row - with certainty - is to commute their death sentence.

President Biden has the constitutional power to commute the entire federal death row and save the lives of  40 men.

Please join CMN in urging President Biden to leave a legacy of justice and mercy by taking this concrete action to oppose the use of the death penalty before he leaves office. SIGN THIS PETITION.

Take another action on same issue from ACLU.
 

On October 18, NETWORK made its last stop in San Francisco to conclude their 3-week “Vote Our Future” tour. With stops in both Gary, IN and Milwaukee, WI on October 8 and a stop in Chicago on October 9, CSA Sisters and friends joined others from across the country in rallies,  site visits, and town halls to emphasize Pope Francis’ message: “The only future worth building includes everyone.”

Pope Francis also makes it clear: Catholics and all people of good will are called to be multi-issue voters, not single-issue voters, in the 2024 elections and in our continued participation in public life. CSA supports these sediments and supports the use of this “Equally Sacred Voter Checklist” as a resource to support others in education themselves as faithful voters on the issues and concerns that are equally sacred - the freedom to be healthy, freedom to live on a healthy planet, freedom to participate in a vibrant democracy, freedom to care for ourselves and our families, freedom from harm, and freedom to live in a welcoming country that values dignity and human rights.

Explore the posts from tour stops and valuable election resources here: https://www.nunsonthebus.org/ 
   

Challenge Day is an interactive anti-bullying program featuring music, exercises, impactful encounters, and discussions over one entire school day. It will be held in the small gymnasium of Fond du Lac High School and led by two energetic, charismatic, and highly trained facilitators dispatched from California. Each day 100 students and 30 volunteers confront stereotypes and prejudices and other underlying causes of bullying. See www.challengeday.org for a short video on the home page which beautifully shows what happens in this powerful workshop.

Adult volunteers participate side-by-side with the 100 freshman students per day selected by the administration, staff, and teachers. The Challenge Day facilitators (from Oakley, CA) will provide the necessary training for volunteers on the selected day(s), prior to the students entering the small gym.

Thirty (30) adults are needed each of the four days, October 14-17, from 8:00 am - 3:45 pm. Volunteers are required to commit themselves to the whole day in order to provide the optimum support for students. Lunch is provided to volunteers without charge. You may sign up for one or multiple days. If more than one day, you might consider a rest day in between.

BACKGROUND CHECK: All volunteers are required to complete a background check per the Fond du Lac School District. This is standard procedure for involvement in student activities such as Challenge Day. All volunteers are required to complete this form, even those returning from previous years. After you have submitted this form, you will be sent an email to complete the background check process.

Challenge Day is an annual effort by United for Diversity. CSA is a membership partner of United for Diversity and a co-sponsor of Challenge Day.

On September 11, 6-8 pm CT, NETWORK will offer the virtual event, White Supremacy and American Christianity: We Choose Freedom. Participants will explore how, when we exercise our freedom to participate in our country’s public life, we ensure the future of all the freedoms that we enjoy in a vibrant democracy. This builds a future where every person can thrive, no exceptions.

This is the fifth conversation in a series of dialogues, where we will once more engage Fr. Bryan Massingale of Fordham University and Dr. Robert P. Jones of the Public Religion Research Institute on what it means to choose freedom, especially through the practice of multi-issue voting.

Register here!
 

For many of us, diversity, equity and inclusion seem like goals that are obviously good and worthwhile. But, in recent years, DEI has come under attack. For example, the Wisconsin legislature cut $32 million from the University of Wisconsin budget, mostly aimed at DEI programs. To many, this feels like an attack on years of work to balance opportunity and access for people of color, people with disabilities and any other group that has been systematically excluded in the past. 

On Tuesday, August 13 at 6:30 pm, the Faithful Stance for Equity group will host a webinar titled “DEI: Why the Backlash,” featuring Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billing. She is known for her work in the fields of culturally relevant pedagogy and critical race theory, and the pernicious effects of systemic racism and economic inequality on educational opportunities. In 1995, Dr. GLB became the first Black woman to be tenured as a professor in UW Madison’s School of Education.

Please join us and share this invitation with anyone you think will be interested. 

Register

Since the Emancipation Proclamation reached the last U.S. slave state on June 19, 1865, the struggle for Black freedom, reparations, and sovereignty has remained as relevant as ever. In the last century, Black land ownership plummeted from a total of 15 million acres in 1907 to only 2.4 million in 1997, as a result of systemic discrimination, racist land use policies and more.

Today, we honor the ongoing struggle for Black liberation and land justice by introducing the work of Black Land and Power, an initiative of the National Black Food & Land Justice Alliance.
The Black Land and Power (BLP) project works to deepen collective visioning and strategies toward Black land retention, recovery, stewardship, and defense. Black land, safe space, and the means for self-determination continue to be assaulted and undermined, thus the need to form an organized, multifaceted response is urgent.

Black Land and Power aims to save 15 million acres of land from the speculative market for the benefit of Black farmers and land stewards. Right now, they are raising $150,000 in their first social media fundraising campaign, #defendblackland.They are more than a third of the way there with a little over a week left!

The CSA JPIC Office has proudly made a donation to Black Land & Power. We hope others will consider doing the same! Donate here.
 

The Civil Rights Act shapes our current choices and how faith calls us to advance the common good through a principled and active commitment to resist racism.

Sixty years ago, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed and signed into law after a long moral and political struggle. This act fundamentally changed the United States, enacting legal protections against racial discrimination, prohibiting discrimination in public places, integrating schools and other public facilities, and making employment discrimination illegal. Catholic and other religious communities played key roles in this effort, which offered hope to people who had been excluded from opportunities in education, housing, and employment simply based on race, color, or national origin.

These are not abstract or historical issues. As Pope Francis has said, “Racism is a virus that quickly mutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding and lurks in waiting. Instances of racism continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive as we think.” For Catholics and others of goodwill, we are called to examine our history and act now to defend the lives and dignity of all our sisters and brothers. After 60 years, what has changed and what has not? How has racial discrimination been overcome, and where and how does it continue? In particular, what are the key racial justice issues facing voters, parties, and candidates as we choose a future for our nation this November?

On June 4, a dialogue, co-sponsored with Georgetown University’s Racial Justice Institute and Center on Faith and Justice, explored how this history shapes our current choices and how faith calls us to advance the common good through a principled and active commitment to resist racism and ensure that we continue to honor and protect the essential freedoms that the Civil Rights Act enacted for all Americans 60 years ago. This recording is available now.
 

Sisters formally announce the adoption of their anti-racism stance just as the country celebrates Juneteenth.

Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States.

On June 11, 2024, CSA released the following press release to announce their formal adoption of their Anti-Racism stance. They continue their celebration - and the response that comes with anti-racist work - at Fond du Lac’s annual Juneteenth Celebration, Saturday, June 15 at Buttermilk Park from 11 am - 5 pm. All are encouraged to attend or find a celebration in your area. Here are details of a couple more events happening in Wisconsin this month: 

June 15 @ Penn Park in Madison - 11am - 6 pm

June 19 in Milwaukee - 9 am - 4 pm  

The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA) has officially adopted a corporate stance on anti-racism. The stance has also been affirmed by the US CSA Associates.

CSA Corporate Stance on Anti-Racism
Reaffirming our commitment to those whose faith life or human dignity is threatened in any way, the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA) opposes racism in all forms, encourages education, and supports actions to eliminate racism, bringing understanding of our complicity, prejudice, bias, and privilege to the forefront.

Sisters of St. Agnes have been working to reduce the impacts of racism and bigotry in various ways for many years. As early as 1850, CSA Founder Father Rehrl opened schools to all children regardless of background or religion. In the 1960s, many sisters took part in fair housing marches in Chicago and Milwaukee. In 1983, CSA opened Unity House in inner-city Chicago as a haven for those seeking cross-cultural immersion through residential living. These are a few examples of activities that contributed to CSA receiving the MLK Spirit Award from Marian University in 2020. Today, CSA continues this long-standing culture of justice and call to action with their adoption of the CSA Corporate Stance on Anti-Racism.

During the last half of 2023, the sisters and associates spent time intentionally studying racism and how to be actively anti-racist on a day-to-day basis. Each month, sisters and associates spent time researching individually and in small groups focusing on topics of defining race and racism, how to be an anti-racist, recognizing personal bias and bias in media, racial inequities in housing, education, and criminal justice systems, exploring white privilege, white fragility, and public fear around critical race theory and white replacement theory, and finally delving into healing, repair, and justice. A small group also gathered for an intergenerational discussion with local high schoolers on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January.

In early February, the entire congregation voted to issue an official corporate stance on anti-racism. CSA has issued six corporate stances since 1987 with the following rationale: 
“As CSA, our promise has, from the start, been to follow and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have done so through teaching, care of the sick, the aged, orphans, and wayfarers. As global realities have become increasingly apparent, so also has our awareness been heightened to issues regarding the dignity of persons, human rights, and justice; the need for structural change; efforts at ‘simplicity of life’ and a greater appreciation of the gifts of creation. The concerns that we pray about and the causes that we pray for have grown.

“That is not enough. We must use all the power we have, first in areas where we have direct impact, through the services we ourselves provide or through our sponsored ministries, then through wise use of our power as shareholders in significant corporations and membership in significant organizations with a social justice agenda. After appropriate study and discussion, we can make public statements of our convictions in areas of major or global importance and concern. These statements, our corporate stance, help create the positive pressure that can lead to a more just society.” - CSA Policy on Corporate Stances

CSA will have a booth at Ebony Vision’s 16th Annual Juneteenth Celebration at Buttermilk Park, June 15, 2024, from 11:00am-5:00pm. Juneteenth, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
 

In June, we celebrate and recognize Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questing, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA) Pride Month in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history; locally, nationally, and internationally.  The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that LGBTQIA individuals have had on history; locally, nationally, and internationally. Learn more about the history of Pride Month here.    

The Wisconsin Unitarian Universalist State Action Network has put this impressive list of Pride events happening in communities across Wisconsin this month. Attend one in your area!

• Wausau Pride - June 1
• Pridefest Milwaukee - June 6-8
• Chippewa Valley Pride - June 8
• Stevens Point Pride - June 14
• The Big Gay Market - Madison - June 15
• Viroqua Pride - June 22
• Sheboygan Pride Picnic - June 22
• Fox Valley Pride - June 22
• Pride Picnic Fond du Lac - June 23
• Open Door Pride - Sturgeon Bay - June 29
• Oshkosh Pride - June 29
• Marshfield Pride - June 29
• Kenosha Pride - July 6
• Watertown Pride - July 27
• Pride in the Park - LaCrosse - September 7
• N.E.W. Pride - Green Bay - September 20 & 21

If you know of a Pride event that is not listed above, please call or text Building Unity at 608-630-3633 to have it added to the list.

The U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, in partnership with the Ministry of the Arts, offers a Prayer Card for Pride 2024.

CSA’s JPIC Office is a proud co-sponsor of a special virtual Pride Month Prayer Service on June 25 at 6 pm CT. 

Register here

This summer, the Fond du Lac Public Library will offer monthly showings of the documentary “The Right to Read” in the McLane Room (32 Sheboygan St., Fond du Lac).

• June 19 at 6 p.m.
• July 24 at noon
• August 21 at 6 p.m.

The Right to Read shares the stories of an activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read. 

When a child can’t read, their chances of incarceration, homelessness, and unemployment increase. That's why Oakland-based NAACP activist Kareem Weaver believes literacy is one of the greatest civil rights issues of our time and is fighting for better reading instruction. “What good is winning the right to vote if we can’t even read the ballot?” Fed up with the bleak reading scores in his own community, Kareem files a petition with the Oakland Unified School District demanding change. 

No RSVP required!

Visit The Right to Read film website

Georgetown University offers another great public dialogue that will address challenges and questions for voters and the nation in 2024.

Sixty years ago, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed and signed into law after a long moral and political struggle. This act fundamentally changed the United States, enacting legal protections against racial discrimination, prohibiting discrimination in public places, integrating schools and other public facilities, and making employment discrimination illegal. Catholic and other religious communities played key roles in this effort, which offered hope to people who had been excluded from opportunities in education, housing, and employment simply based on race, color, or national origin. 

These are not abstract or historical issues. As Pope Francis has said, “Racism is a virus that quickly mutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding and lurks in waiting. Instances of racism continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive as we think.” For Catholics and others of goodwill, we are called to examine our history and act now to defend the lives and dignity of all our sisters and brothers. After 60 years, what has changed and what has not? How has racial discrimination been overcome, and where and how does it continue? In particular, what are the key racial justice issues facing voters, parties, and candidates as we choose a future for our nation this November?

Join Tuesday, June 4 at 6 pm CT. The event will be livestreamed and recorded for later viewing. 

REGISTER HERE

This Public Dialogue with four respected leaders will explore how this history shapes our current choices and how faith calls us to advance the common good through a principled and active commitment to resist racism and ensure that we continue to honor and protect the essential freedoms that the Civil Rights Act enacted for all Americans 60 years ago.
 

During Black History Month 2024, CSA Sisters and Associates affirmed a stance on Anti-Racism. How are we doing today?

The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes’ Corporate Stance on Anti-Racism states: “Reaffirming our commitment to those whose faith life or human dignity is threatened in any way, the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA) opposes racism in all forms, encourages education, and supports actions to eliminate racism, bringing understanding of our complicity, prejudice, bias, and privilege to the forefront.”

After an extensive 6-month study on racism, CSA sisters and associates discovered there is always more to learn and that the work of anti-racism is ours to do, always. The article, 6 Things White People Say That Highlight Their Privilege was first written by Kelsey Borreson in June 2020, very shortly after the murder of George Floyd. She updated this article earlier this year, and it is a must-read for all who want to be an ally in the fight against racism. To do so, we must acknowledge our white privilege. Then take action that supports the Black community. Read her article.

After you’ve read the article, return to this post and start a conversation by commenting at the bottom. We’d love to hear how you are doing and what you’re learning.  

For example, I’d like to share that a few weeks ago I found these “Our Tone” Band-Aids in my local grocery store. Until I realized my white privilege, I took for granted that band-aids matched my skin tone, but not the tones of some of my friends.

Lastly, please be sure to find a Juneteenth celebration in your community next month. CSA is a co-sponsor of Ebony Vision’s 16th Annual Juneteenth celebration here in Fond du Lac, WI on June 15 at Buttermilk Park. If able, please stop by our table to say hello and engage in additional anti-racism activities.

The Sisters of Notre Dame are hosting a special screening of the film Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom on Monday, June 17 at 6:30 pm CT. This feature length documentary reveals the deep spiritual significance of America’s newest federal holiday. Viewers are taken on an emotional and inspiring journey highlighting Juneteenth as a day we celebrate the resilient hope that empowered the formerly enslaved and their descendants to fight for freedom and justice. No advance registration is required. Simply use the following Zoom link (Meeting ID: 871 4892 1669) to attend the June 17th film screening.  
 

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Reflect and celebrate the important role AANHPIs have played in our shared history.

You are encouraged to explore the many resources available online or find and attend events in your area. The Paine Art Center in Oshkosh, WI has the current exhibit, Mao Lor: A Journey through Hmoob Paj Ntaub and Suitcase from Niam: Khoom Phij Cuam. May 19, 2024, is Hmong Celebration Free Day. Free programs during the day include a panel discussion with the artists and curators of this exhibition; dance and musical performances; and artmaking workshops. As the day begins, free food will be served while supplies last. All ages are encouraged to attend. No reservation is necessary.

Learn more here

You may also wish to visit the federal website for other interesting stories, events and resources.

During the week of April 15, the Fond du Lac campus of Moraine Park Technical College invites the community to walk through a “Tunnel of Oppression.” Tunnel of Oppression features the emotionally immersive experience of a live interactive theater in a safe environment. Groups can request a facilitated debrief by contacting Leslie Laster at llaster1@morainepark.edu. Some content may be difficult for younger viewers.

April 15-19, 2024
Mon: 10am-6pm // COMMUNITY NIGHT 4-6pm
Tue, Wed, Thu: 8am-4:30pm & Fri 8am - 12pm
MPTC FDL Campus Conference Center
Parking Lot C, Door O-2

This exhibit is free and open to the public. No registration required.
 

Black Catholic groups in Missouri will celebrate the late African-American nun and activist with a centennial Mass and honorary presentation, which will be livestreamed for all to join.

This week celebrates the centennial of the birth of the late Sister Mary Antona Ebo, FSM, a Catholic nun who broke barriers for Black women and famously marched with Dr. Martin Luther King as one of the “Sisters of Selma.” A special event on Saturday, April 13 at 2 pm will be livestreamed on the St. Alphonsus YouTube channel for all to partake in the celebration.

Read the full article from Black Catholic Messenger
 

Last week, star CNN Reporter Donie O'Sullivan, had a two-hour conversation with MICAH Reverends Richard Shaw, Joseph Jackson Jr., and Dennis Jacobsen. Part of that conversation discussing MICAH’s “We All Belong Campaign” will be included in a CNN story on White Christian Nationalism featured on Anderson Cooper Show, April 11..

Pastors Richard, Joe and Jake each chair a Team of the “We All Belong Campaign,” designed to Save Democracy, Resist White "Christian" Nationalism, and Build Beloved Community. The Campaign is driven by these Teams: Direct Action, Education, Media, IVE (Integrated Voter Education), and Logistics. The Campaign is coordinated by the We All Belong Steering Committee, composed of MICAH Religious Leaders.

Additionally, last Friday night, the United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay, WI, hosted nearly 700 people in-person and via live stream for a We All Belong event featuring Jim Wallis. Mr. Wallis shared a message both biblical and agitational. Click here for that recording and please share it broadly!

We All Belong is an important Campaign! You can participate by joining one of the Teams or helping out with data input, phone calls or correspondence.

Contact: weallbelong@wisdomwisconsin.org
Make a donation: https://bit.ly/WeAllBelongDonate
Check out their website: https://bit.ly/WABwebsite 
 

Use their resources:
Talking Points We All Belong
We All Belong Campaign Brochure
White Christian Nationalism Resource List
What is White Christian Nationalism and How Do We Recognize It?
Save the Dates Flyer for the Rally for Democracy!
 

March 25 is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. 

The racialized system of enslavement brutally dehumanized Africans and their descendants for centuries. Its legacy persists to this day. You are invited to take some time to view the short 2023 video messages from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the address by Professor Bryan Stevenson on reckoning with the legacy of slavery and creating a new era of liberation, justice and truth that our world desperately needs.  

On a trip to New York in February 2023, Justice Coordinator, Tracy Abler, visited the Ark of Return memorial on the United Nations Visitors Plaza. This was dedicated on March 25, 2015 and serves as a permanent memorial to the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, which the UN has acknowledged as one of the most horrific tragedies of modern history. Tracy will be in New York again on March 25 and hopes to visit the memorial again in honor of the 9-year anniversary of its installation.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on March 21.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination commemorated the tragic day in 1960 when police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid. In 1979, the UN General Assembly decided that a week of solidarity with the peoples struggling against racism and racial discrimination should be organized annually in all States (3/21-3/27). Learn more.

Three years ago, UNESCO created this video. It still calls us to:” Read. Observe. Learn. Listen. Keep Quiet is not an option. Take Action!”

In this divided and wounded world, recognizing and addressing systemic racism and racial bias is essential if we are to witness and reveal the oneness for which Jesus Christ was sent. The School Sisters of Notre Dame offer links to other dismantling racism resources.

National Farmworker Awareness Week is March 25-31. It is a call to action for communities to help raise awareness of the millions of essential workers that plant, raise, grow, handle, harvest, pack and ship the food we consume. It emphasizes the important and essential contributions they make to the food supply chain. You are invited to take time to read this very inspiring article about the Fair Food Program and the difference it is making for farm workers. Additional resources for awareness building and engagement are available from the Equitable Food Initiative and on the National Farm Worker Ministry website.

Click here for prayer resources.

Join Women for Women International’s art competition between now and March 18 for a chance to win a goodie bag and a voucher to get yourself more art supplies! 

How to Enter: 

• Create a piece of art on the theme #SheDares. You can use any creative medium you’d like.
• Enter a post on social media and share what the piece means to you - who or what inspired your art?
• Submit your piece by March 18, 2024.
• The winner will be announced on March 29.

LEARN MORE HERE.

Not an artist? There are many other ways you can celebrate this month. View this page to read stories, register to attend virtual events, receive book recommendations or tune into podcasts.

In honor of Women’s History Month, CSA’s JPIC Office made a donation to Women for Women International to help women struggling to regain their lives and their dignity as they recover from the ravages of war. You can also make a donation here.

In Fall 2020, the Black Catholic Messenger was formed among a group of Black Catholic laypeople and allies who agreed that the Catholic media landscape was missing something: an online publication for Black Catholics. They decided to change that.

Visit their website to enjoy a variety of Opinions, Events, Poetry, Reviews and more or enjoy a subscription at blackcatholicmessenger.org

The CSA JPIC Office recently made a small donation to support the mission of Black Catholic Messenger (BCM) and the many services that help bring Black Catholic media to the world. 

Additionally, National Catholic Reporter has designated a page to BCM stories, which can be found here: www.ncronline.org/authors/black-catholic-messenger

Outreach is an LGBTQ Catholic resource that offers news, essays, resources, and community for LGBTQ Catholics and those who minister with them in the Catholic Church worldwide.

The Outreach website features original articles from theologians, scholars, church leaders, family members and many others, both lay and clergy. It also provides information about our conferences and gatherings.

Outreach operates under the auspices of America Media, a Jesuit ministry, and is rooted in the love of Jesus, who reached out to all those who felt excluded. James Martin, S.J. is the editor at large at America Media and founder of Outreach. He is also a consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication and a member of the Synod of Bishops. Learn more at https://outreach.faith/

The CSA JPIC Office made a small donation to Outreach to support their work. You can, too!

An NPR video series celebrates the Black Experience

National Public Radio offers a collection of some of their best podcast episodes and features from across the Black Experience. Some might make you laugh. Some might make you feel inspired. Others might make you uncomfortable. And some might make you feel all of that in the same 5-minute segment of Black Stories. Black Truths. Listen here.

United for Diversity’s 15th Annual CELEBRATE commUNITY was held February 17, 2024, at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds Expo Center and CSA was there.

More than 60 booths were set up representing the beautiful diversity of the Fond du Lac community by way of culture, religion, ability, identity, language, food, and music. Additionally, several organizations and agencies were present to show the community how they represent and celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion in Fond du Lac.  

Sister Rose Kowalski and Associate Tracy Abler were part of the opening ceremony, bearing flags for the countries they were representing, Nicaragua and Tanzania. Sister Rose spent 40 years living and working with the people of Nicaragua. Tracy has been working with Sister Stella Storch, OP, and recently took over leadership of the Aids Orphan Sewing project in Bulkoba, Tanzania.

CSA was a co-sponsor of the event and actively staffed their booth with several sisters and associates throughout the four-hour event. They shared a variety of informational brochures on the conservancy and tours, the Associate Relationship, upcoming events such as their Earth Day Fair, sign-up sheets, and of course, their big smiles, passion, and charism.

Sisters Julie Ann Krahl and Clare Lawlor were found representing St. Vincent de Paul’s Getting Ahead Program booth. CSA was also seen in the smiling faces of Sister Ruth Battaglia with Sustain Fond du Lac; Sisters Jean Braun and Josephine Goebel and Associate Carol Cooper with All God’s Family LGBTQ+ Support Group; Sister Mary Rose Obholz with Fond du Lac Literacy Services; and Sister Donna Innes with the FDL Center for Spirituality and Healing along with Associate, Michael Ketterhagen.

We are very grateful to CSA photographer, Mary Christopherson, for catching many of the memories. See all the photos here.

Troubled by polarizing political conversations with friends and family? Help is on the way!

I recently attended my first virtual national debate with an organization called, Braver Angels. The mission of Braver Angels is simple—to bring America together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic.

The February 8 debate topic was “Resolved: Close the Border.” Nearly 200 participants attended this 2-hour debate via Zoom. The debate was led by a chairperson who laid out the rules: 1) There is no hierarchy; all have the right to share opinions. 2) Only say what you truly believe. 3) There is a special procedure for asking questions; you only ask the chair and not address the giver of the speech. 4) Speeches are limited to 4 minutes each. This is “The Braver Angel’s Way.” The resolve is introduced and individuals go back and forth to state their reason why they affirm or not affirm the resolve. This allows both sides to hear one another and hopefully be touched by the other's response/experience. There is no intent to change minds.

I sat as a silent observer, only tempted to respond a couple of times, but I never did. I cannot express how refreshing and humbling this experience was, and how grateful I am to have had it. It is a wonderful opportunity to hear what “the other side” thinks and why. You find there are valid points you had not considered. You find there is hope in people bridging their differences.

The next debate is Thursday, February 29, at 7 pm CT. The topic: “Resolved: My Vote Doesn't Count.” I encourage you to register and experience this. When you register, you have the opportunity to sign up as a speaker, if you’d like. Otherwise, if so moved during the debate, you can chat with your assigned “whip” and let them know you’d like to be considered as a speaker, if time allows. These debates are offered for free or appreciate donations. You can also become a Braver Angels member for $15 and participate in the debates and many other helpful training sessions and webinars at a reduced or no cost.

Now, Braver Angels is not the only organization doing this type of work. There are others that I have not yet looked into. I welcome anyone to look into others and let me know what you think! tabler@csasisters.org

Check these out!

• Starts With Us - Overcoming Extreme Division Starts With Us
• The International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (ICCCR)’s EXTENSIVE list of Organizations Transforming Polarization & Division

CSA’s latest Chapter statement calls us to: Strengthen the bond that unites us. We deepen the bond by:

• Acknowledging and owning our historic and current realities.
• Addressing our unexamined narratives.
• Moving forward with creative resolutions toward reconciliation and justice
• Committing to develop mutual relationships through synodality, education, and awareness of culture, history, and politics. 

After more than a decade of living with some of the worst partisan gerrymandering in the country, Gov. Tony Evers signs fair voting maps into law for Wisconsin.

February 19, 2024, was a great day for democracy in Wisconsin when the state finally got fair maps. The maps don’t guarantee a legislative majority to the Republicans or to the Democrats. Wisconsin is an evenly-divided state and the new maps make it likely that our State Assembly and State Senate will reflect that. 

This spring’s nonpartisan election is April 2. Please vote and remind your friends, family and neighbors to vote. To see what is on your ballot, go to myvote.wi.gov. For our democracy to keep working for us, we need to participate in all elections. We also need to remember that our elected officials work for us and may need to be reminded of that from time to time.

LCWR invites members to join in collective discernment on the work of transformative justice.

Between November 2023 and November 2024, CSA is partnering with Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), who is looking at the 2024 U.S. national election campaign through the lens of transformative justice. LCWR invites all to engage in this collective discernment on “What is ours to do in this time?” The work of transformative justice is grounded in contemplation and is an engagement in learning the skills and practices that will lead to decision-making and action that leads to being in right relationship with Earth and all human persons.

The transformative justice initiative for this year is entitled, “Transforming Grace: The Work of Transformative Justice.” “Transforming Grace” invites participants to take responsibility for the personal and collective responses we can make in the challenges we will encounter during the national election period. The initiative follows the liturgical calendar. During each liturgical season, LCWR will be providing one-page reflections that can be used personally and in groups to look at how we can respond to the challenges of this time in the United States in ways that might create harmony and increase understanding of differences. These reflections include: a short video, a brief reading, two or three questions intended to deepen conversation, and a prayer grounded in our contemplative commitment. Each reflection tool will be designed for a 60-75 minute session.

Read the reflections.

The schedule is as follows:

Transforming Consciousness:  November 2023 thru the Christmas Season
Transforming Presence: January 2024 thru Lent into Easter
Transforming Care: Easter Season into Pentecost 2024
Transforming Practice: June 2024 thru November 2024

Indulge yourself in the plethora of events, readings, videos, and other resources to deepen your knowledge of black history. 

A Google search will undoubtedly take you to hundreds of interesting places, but we’ve gathered a few of our favorites to get you started in your learning and celebration of Black History Month:

The National Museum of African American History & Culture highlights 2024 with the theme of Art as a platform for social justice.

Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) are the Founders of Black History Month. Their website offers many interesting resources to include this video.

National Black Sisters’ Conference

African American Midwest website

Smithsonian events, arts resources, podcasts, and general resources

Alicia Garza, one of the three women who conceived of and popularized the slogan #BlackLives Matter refers to February as Black Futures Month in this YES! Magazine article.

Season 4 of the SSND Podcast Called to Action focuses on the issue of racial justice.

The School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) have supported women’s education and enrichment since its founding in 1833. To continue the tradition of education and enrichment, SSND Central Pacific (CP) Province created a podcast, Called to Action, which features sisters, lay colleagues, associates and SSND ministry leaders in our communities. The conversations in each season cover the five Shalom focus areas of Care of Creation, Immigration and Refugees, Human Trafficking, Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace and Racial Justice.

Subscribe to their podcast, Called to Action, through Apple Podcasts or Spotify. A new episode is released every other week!

You can also listen to recordings of last three seasons and get caught up in season four from their website.