Taking a stand on issues of conscience

Catholics unite in Austin for the 2017 Catholic Advocacy Day. This year Advocacy Day is on March 26.

Archived photo
 

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Why does Catholic advocacy matter? “It matters because truth has consequences. If we don’t fight and engage in our culture, it’s going to have consequences. Our culture is broken and in pain. It’s the fruit of the choices of action and inaction,” said Benjamin Nye, a theology teacher at St. John Paul II High School. Nye is leading a group of students to the Texas Catholic Advocacy Day this month. He fights every day to teach his students that morality matters – especially, in an ever-more-relative world.

Advocacy Day is a biennial event which takes place this year on Mar. 26. Bishops from every diocese around Texas converge on the state’s Capitol in Austin to lead Catholics in prayer for our civic leaders, advocate for Catholic social teaching, and meet with lawmakers to learn more about issues affecting their area. 

“It’s a beautiful thing to see our bishops as shepherds leading the charge and doing their work, leading and advocating on behalf of their flock. That image alone is something that lasts with the students,” Nye said. Students attending also have had the opportunity to see the bishops meet with lawmakers firsthand and even to participate in a mock hearing. 

The day, however, isn’t just for students. Faithful Catholics from every Texas diocese also attend to advocate for Catholic social teaching in their districts. Co-coordinator of this year’s participation in Advocacy Day for the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Dr. Therese Recinella, feels that it’s important not only to vote but to get to know elected officials, as well as to hold them accountable. 

The Catholic faith should inspire Catholics to be involved in political life. “We are called to bring the Gospel to every part of our lives, and the public square is part of our lives. If we really believe in the dignity of the human person and that people are created in the image and likeness of God, we should want to imbue that into the public sphere, the lawmaking sphere. We want the good for every person and we advocate for that,” Recinella said. She is hoping this year for a good response from the diocese and strong participation in learning more about faithful citizenship.

The issues tackled on Advocacy Day vary significantly from year to year based on what bills are being introduced. Nye recalled that one year it was a bill on predatory lending, not a topic covered directly by a specific Church document, but one that is easily discerned by concern for the poor and vulnerable. 

This year Governor Greg Abbot’s key issues include school funding, school safety, and property tax reform, according to his State of the State address on Feb. 5. 

Dr. Rosemary Henry, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Corpus Christi, would like to see changes in the school system, as well. “Important to me are the ongoing school-choice issues that impact our Catholic schools,” she said. “School choice not only gives parents of all income levels the opportunity to choose the best education possible for their children, but it also produces powerful incentives for all schools to strive for high levels of academic achievement and student success.” 

The diversity of issues gives the opportunity for Catholics to exercise critical thinking in the development of their conscience and moral reasoning.

Of course, Advocacy Day isn’t the only opportunity to get involved with promoting the Catholic faith and Catholic social teaching. At the diocesan level, there is the Office of Laity, Family and Life which offers multiple opportunities to promote marriage and family life, as well as protection of human life from the moment of conception. Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi also has opportunities for involvement. Volunteers are always needed at Catholic Charities and Mother Teresa Shelter. 

Dr. Henry also encourages all Catholics to join the Texas Catholic Network. This network will enable all to learn about current and relevant issues in our Church. Moreover, this will offer participants an opportunity to share a united voice with our bishop.” More information on the Texas Catholic Network is available at txcatholic.org. Nye encourages Catholics to “find passion within the faith” and then to follow it. 

And there are many ways to follow that passion. For the issue of life alone, Beth Nguyen, Director of the Office of Laity, Family and Life, lists the ways Catholics are active in the diocese: “We have multiple organizations that support women in crisis pregnancies. We have some lovely ladies who make baby blankets in Portland. There are people who come together to pray for life every third Saturday of the month at St. Joseph parish in Corpus Christi. Our Catholic Charities has a program to educate parents of young children so that they have the skills to confidently raise their children. We also have groups that work for pro-life legislation on the state and local levels,” she said. 

Catholic life is all-encompassing and requires sacrifice. But the results are sorely needed. Nguyen sums up, “A Catholic who understands Catholic social teaching is a great asset to the political system because they stand in opposition to the human tendency in any government to forget about the needs of the marginalized and the weak who often cannot speak for themselves.”

For more information visit diocesecc.org/advocacyday.