Social Justice Resources
 Saturday, September 27 in Concord
This bilingual conference will assist clergy and lay leaders preparing
the faithful of the Diocese to vote with a well-informed Catholic
conscience. All are invited to this free conference! Bishop Allen Vigneron will celebrate Mass at
8:30am at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Concord. Following a continental breakfast, presentations and Q&A in English
and Spanish will feature speakers from the USCCB, St. Patrick's Seminary,
CCISCO,
Catholics for the Common Good, and others. The conference concludes at
12:30pm.
More information |
Register
 If you, your parish or your school are interested in starting a JustFaith group in the fall, now is the time to start organizing for the 2008-09 session.
Getting the JustFaith program started in your parish can be done through a variety of strategies. In general it is a multi-step process that will take you six to eight weeks to accomplish.
This detailed
Getting Started document includes a step-by-step process, helpful hints, bulletin announcements and much more.
Registration information is also available. For more information, contact Sharon Bidwell at (502) 429-0865x228 or
sharon@justfaith.org.
JustFaith is a thirty-week social justice formation process with a focus on poverty. The program meets weekly and employs books, videos, lecture, discussion, prayer, retreats and hands-on experience to provide a tapestry of learning opportunities that emphasize and enliven the remarkable social justice tradition of the Church.
 In light of the recent California Supreme Court decision regarding same-sex "marriage", Bishop
Vigneron has issued a pastoral message to the faithful of the Diocese of Oakland.
The bishop states, "As faithful citizens, Catholics are called to bring our
laws regarding marriage into conformity with what we know about the nature
of marriage."
More |
Statement from California Bishops
World Food Crisis
 Across the globe, millions face malnutrition because of skyrocketing food prices. In some countries, hunger and starvation are looming threats. The Reuters news agency estimates basic food prices have gone up anywhere from 45% to 80%.
Resources and bulletin inserts:
Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty Fact Sheet
Church World Service Fact Sheet
How to get involved:
Church World Service
Catholic Relief Services
Oxfam America
Doctors Without Borders
 In December, 2007, the
California Catholic Conference created an important Immigration Statement that is to be released
by each Bishop in accordance with local efforts and programs.
Bishop Vigneron asks that each parish distribute this statement to its parishioners. We recommend inserting copies in the weekly bulletin or posting it somewhere in the church. For more information, please contact me at 510-267-8379 or
jwatkins@oakdiocese.org.
Download: Immigration Statement |
Declaración sobre la inmigración
 You can make a big difference in just five minutes! That's all it will take to send an email or letter to your elected officials. You will learn how Catholic social teaching can be applied to the issues of the day, and join your voice with those of thousands of other Catholics across the Golden State.
Sign up now |
More information
Justice for Immigrants Campaign
Health Care Crisis
 Currently there are several proposals in Sacramento to reform health care in California.
This flyer
discusses aspects of Catholic Social Teaching on health care as well as questions and web resources
for learning more about the various proposals. Use it as a bulletin insert or educational handout and share with
your parish or other groups.
Download the flyer
Global Solidarity
 Advocacy groups and other resources Looking for opportunities to get involved? We have a great list of advocacy groups and other resources
to help you out. Sign up for email alerts and more, and get
involved!
Advocacy groups |
Legislative advocacy info sheet
Resources and Links
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