Bending the Arc

This year, executions are increasing across the U.S., and states are reengaging with the death penalty in new ways. On June 18, 2025, Catholic Mobilizing Network offered a webinar which took a closer look at recent developments and answered the question: What’s really happening - and why now?

If you missed the webinar, the recording is available here.

It’s hoped the conversation will leave you more equipped for the work that lies ahead.
 

This Saturday, June 28, Network Advocates will be hosting their sixth “White Supremacy and American Christianity” online dialogue with Fr. Bryan Massingale and Robert P. Jones. Moderated by Joan F. Neal, Fr. Massingale and Dr. Jones will discuss what we need to do now that we have avowed Christian nationalists in the highest places in government and explore how our faith calls us to resist fascism, join in solidarity with our neighbors, and build an economy for all where all of us can thrive, no exceptions. 

REGISTER TODAY!

Unable to attend? Be sure to register to get the recording and the slides.

In previous White Supremacy and American Christianity conversations, viewers learned about how the blasphemous ideology of Christian nationalism is tangled up in white supremacy. Christian nationalists seek a country where only a small group of white, ultra-wealthy Christians get to enjoy the freedom, civil rights, and safety that all of us deserve. Click here to watch those recordings.

I recently watched this 30-minute video featuring Rev. William Barber and Pete Buttigieg and found it a great call to action for all to continue using their moral voice to call their senators to share their thoughts and concerns on the reconciliation bill that the U.S. Senate is rushing to vote on in response to the executive branch's call to have it on the president's desk by July 4. CALL TODAY and EVERY DAY THIS WEEK!

“We need to participate for the common good. Sometimes we hear: a good Catholic is not interested in politics. This is not true: good Catholics immerse themselves in politics by offering the best of themselves so that the leader can govern.” - Pope Francis

“Advocacy for the poor and vulnerable are found consistently throughout the Scriptures. Jesus continually challenged unjust structures of power.” - from Rerum Novarum, written by Pope Leo XIII in 1891.
 

On May 26, 2025, the Interfaith Peace Working Group co-sponsored a memorable presentation by Lutheran minister, Rev. Khader El-Yateem at Midvale Community Lutheran Church in Madison. It was a powerful, honest look into the reality of the Israel-Palestine conflict and challenges us to consider what it means to our faith and values. This 90-minutes video can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw4o3rZIzAA 

Less than a month after Rev. El-Yateem’s presentation in Madison. He was detained and interrogated at Newark airport as he was returning from the World Council of Churches Central Committee meeting in Johannesburg, where this statement was issued: Draft Statement on Palestine and Israel: A Call to End Apartheid, Occupation, and Impunity in Palestine and Israel.

This and other statements and reports and photos can be found on the WCC website.

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. 
 

Large areas of Canada, the United States and even across the ocean recently experienced poor air quality for several days as a result of intense Canadian wildfires. On June 4th, according to the Natural Resources Canada’s website, there were 78 wildfires classified as uncontrolled, 64 were controlled and 23 that were “being held.” The earth’s climate has changed and wildfires are far more common than in the past. According to Canadian elected official Corey Hogan, “From 1981 to 2015, there were an average of 18 smoke hours per year in the city of Calgary. No year had over 100. Now we see hundreds of smoke hours routinely: 315 in 2017, 450 in 2018, 439 in 2021, 512 in 2023, and 2024 was 200.”

Mr. Hogan appealed to members of parliament about the threats of climate change. “We cannot wave away climate change. It is not a future threat; it is a present one. It takes a somewhat willful blindness to ignore the increasing frequency of so-called 100-year floods and once-in-a-generation forest fires. It takes a denial that borders on malice to ignore the increase in hurricanes, droughts and heat waves that climate change has brought, which have cost the lives of thousands across the globe.” Yet, Canada continues to consider the construction of more fossil fuel pipelines.  

Here in the neighboring United States, the Department of the Interior recently announced an expansion of coal mining to sites that were being closed down. Funds were shifted from shutting down the plants to expanding them. This at a time when atmospheric CO2 levels in May 2025 were the highest they’ve ever been in human history. The Interior Department said it would allow the mine’s operator to mine nearly 60 millions tons of coal, mostly for export to Asia. Read more here. 

While climate scientists and others continue to raise red flags, smoky skies become more common and a hotter climate poses threats for millions of people; yet, the topic of climate change is stifled by many influential people. 

“The truth is: the natural world is changing. And we are totally dependent on that world. It provides our food, water and air. It is the most precious thing we have and we need to defend it.” - Sir David Attenborough
 

Catholic political advocacy involves advocating for policies based on Catholic Social Teaching, which emphasizes the dignity of human life, the common good, and solidarity with the poor and vulnerable. Catholics are encouraged to advocate for what we are for, not for what or who we are against.

Be sure you know and understand your rights when taking a nonviolent, peaceful stand this weekend or in marches and rallies in the weeks ahead. The ACLU offered an online webinar on June 10. 

The materials discussed during this webinar are available for print on their website.

EXPLORE ALL THE MATERIALS

They also have a video series regarding your individual rights when interacting with federal enforcement officers.

Explore all the videos

On Tuesday, June 4, WAVE (Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort) allies in the Wisconsin State Legislature introduced a package of lifesaving gun violence prevention bills. To show you are committed to preventing gun tragedies, you can now urge your legislators to support this critical progress.

ACT NOW

The package includes some of WAVE’s top policy priorities—evidence-based measures shown to reduce gun deaths in states where these policies are already law. It contains bills to:

1.  Require background checks on all gun sales – because Wisconsin must keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of already-prohibited people.
2. Create an extreme risk law – because those closest to someone in a crisis must be empowered to stop a tragedy.
3. Reinstate the 48-hour waiting period, which Republicans rescinded – because rage and despair should never pull the trigger.
4. Prohibit ghost guns – because untraceable firearms keep showing up at crime scenes.  

Any one of these measures would save lives. Together, they could drastically improve the safety of Wisconsin children and communities.

Here’s the catch: While these measures are deeply popular, they won’t move forward in the legislature without bipartisan backing. That’s why it’s so important to contact your legislators today and urge them to support these bills!  

The timing for this announcement is not a coincidence. It comes just days before National Gun Violence Awareness weekend and at the start of summer, when, sadly, gun violence traditionally spikes.

CSA Sisters support the end of gun violence and participate in the 2025 #WearOrange campaign. They wear orange to honor survivors and build community with those working to end gun violence.

CSA is also a member of Nuns Against Gun Violence. Visit Nuns Against Gun Violence website for prayers to end gun violence or find more from this prayer collection.

Every day in the U.S., 125 people are shot and killed, and hundreds more are wounded or traumatized, according to https://everytownresearch.org/
 

A flurry of six executions are scheduled in June - 6 men to be killed in five states. Four executions will take place on June 10 (two within an hour of each other), June 12 and June 13.  On June 24, Florida will have its second execution in as many weeks, and on June 25, Mississippi will execute an honorably discharged Vietnam Veteran who has been on death row since 1976.

According to Death Penalty Action, 19 of the last 23 executions in the United States had real issues in appeals which courts refused to consider. Why? Procedural bars. Missed deadlines. Issues raised too late in the process. Finality was more important than justice and due process.

Death Penalty Action has launched an ambitious fundraising campaign to raise $300,000 in 45 days. Their Justice.Can’t.Wait movement is a collective effort to sustain and grow the national movement to end the death penalty. Support fuels:

• Clemency campaigns for people facing execution
• Support for families directly impacted by executions
• Pressure on governors to halt executions and lawmakers to end capital punishment
• Public education and mobilization efforts across the country
   

Visit https://deathpenaltyaction.org/ to learn more, sign petitions, and support.

CSA has a stance against the death penalty and offers additional resources, to include letter writing assistance, here: https://www.csasisters.org/our-values/death-penalty.cfm
 

If you were unable to attend the May 29 program at Midvale Community Lutheran Church in Madison, WI where Rev. Khader El-Yateem spoke on Gaza and the West Bank, it was recorded. This is an hour well worth your time. You are welcome to share it with others as well.

Rev. El-Yateem’s presentation was powerful and challenging and tells a very interesting story about his own experience with the Israeli Occupation Forces. He starts his remarks by saying his goal is not to have anyone leave feeling pro-Israel or pro-Palestine, but to be pro-human, to be for justice, peace, and dignity for all.

Khader El-Yateem is the Executive Director for Service and Justice at the ELCA. This event was sponsored by the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, ELCA and Wisconsin’s Interfaith Peace Working Group.

If you would like to make a donation to support the ELCA Disaster Response and their work with schools, hospitals and psycho-social care in the West Bank and Gaza, you can do so on Midvale’s website by selecting the ELCA Disaster Response fund from the drop down menu on our secure online giving page.
 

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. 

On May 5, five former National Weather Service (NWS) directors shared an open letter warning that proposed cuts to the organization may soon endanger lives.

“N.W.S. staff will have an impossible task to continue its current level of services,” they write in the letter, dated Friday. “Our worst nightmare is that weather forecast offices will be so understaffed that there will be needless loss of life.”

The letter notes that the coming weeks are “the busiest time for severe storm predictions like tornadoes and hurricanes,” and it points to a wide range of activities that rely on accurate forecasting: “Airplanes can’t fly without weather observations and forecasts; ships crossing the oceans rely on storm forecasts to avoid the high seas; farmers rely on seasonal forecasts to plant and harvest their crops which feed us.     Read the full letter here

June 1 to the end of November is hurricane season in the United States. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has also suffered dramatic cuts with the current administration intending to push disaster recovery to the states.

Americans are urged to raise their voice against these cuts, but also pray Mother Nature can lessen the weather disasters brought on by our changing climate.