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Prayer to End
Hunger
God, food of the poor, Christ, our
bread,
give us all a place at the table.
Let us share the gifts of the
earth that comfort us and nourish us.
The sacrament of your body: may
breaking bread together
remind us that we are all equal in
your eyes.
The sacrament of your blood: may
sharing the cup together
remind us we that we must sustain
each other.
Fill us with life, with hope and
love.
Grace us with your bountiful
goodness,
Let us taste and see that the Lord
is good
and that we are one. Amen
(Education for Justice)
Immigration
Heats Up:
The
US Senate is working on new immigration legislation.
There
will probably be a bill in March with a vote some predict may happen in
March/April. Legislation in the House is predicted for May. If your group
or parish is willing to sign petitions on this issue, please contact Mary at mdoyle@oakdiocese.org
Ending Global Poverty
Diocesan Lenten
Materials:
What percentage of Gross National Income does the United States
give as foreign aid?
a) 0.53% b) 0.41% c) 0.34% d) 0.22% answer
below
This Week our materials focus on : Foreign aid and Pt 7
http://www.oakdiocese.org/pastoral/SocialJustice/
Parishes
were mailed the first three weeks of material in regular mail.
The
remaining materials are on the website above to be downloaded and printed at
the parish. If hard copies are needed, please contact this office.
Making Trade Fair:
St.
Joan of Arc is helping their parish solve poverty one Easter egg at a time:
They have purchased fair trade chocolate eggs and paper mache bunnies which
they will sell at the parish on March 25 with the help of the youth group.
Proceeds will benefit other fair trade activities and of course, assist
farmers and craft persons by providing a fair price and a market for their
goods. Order your own: Chocolate Eggs
http://www.agreatergift.org/Kitchen/ChocolateFood/Divine/ChocolateEggs.aspx
Bunny Boxes http://www.agreatergift.org/Gifts/Easter/GiftEasterDecor.aspx
CRS delegation to Tanzania: http://www.catholicvoiceoakland.org/inthisissue7.htm
Upcoming
Events:
March Mission
Forum: Lives for Sale
Tuesday, March 13th, 2007 at
7:30 pm at the Maryknoll Mission Center, (16300 Foothill Blvd., San Leandro, CA 94578)Join us for the previewing of Maryknoll's newest
documentary film, Lives
for Sale. This new documentary on immigration and human trafficking
goes beyond the rhetoric to show why immigrants are willing to risk
everything - even virtual slavery - for the American Dream. While
politicians, activists and the media wrestle with the thorny issue of
immigration, this new investigative documentary exposes the painful, rarely
seen human side of illegal immigration; especially the growing black market
trade in human beings.
Jesuit School of Theology Sponsors Symposium on Africa Friday,
March 16, 7 pm, and Saturday, March 17, 9 am - noon
Come
and learn about the Church's Response to Globalization in Africa
at the Jesuit School of Theology, 1735
LeRoy Avenue, Bekeley. The key speaker on
Friday night will be Most Rev. Dr. Patrick Kalilombe, M. Afr., from Malawi, Africa.
Discussion panelists on Saturday morning will include JSTB African
students and professors from the JSTB, University
of San Francisco , and Santa Clara University. All are welcome.
No fee is required but donations during the symposium to defray costs
will be appreciated. Email Paulina Espinosa at pespinosa@jstb.edu
for more information.
St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County
Seldom Seen Acting Company Performance & Site Tour
Date:
Friday, March 16, 2007
Time:
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Location: St. Vincent de Paul Community Center
2272 San Pablo Avenue
Oakland, CA
94612
Would
you like to better understand the issues that homeless people face in our
community? Please attend a free performance given by St. Vincent de
Paul’s Seldom Seen Acting Company, a troupe of homeless actors who use
theatre to share their life stories. Following the performance, a panel of
actors will answer questions from the audience, and tours of St. Vincent de
Paul’s programs will be offered. Please visit www.svdp-alameda.org for more
information or call (510) 636-4255 to reserve your space.
Peace march March
17 in Walnut Creek
to observe the 4th anniversary of the war: http://www.mtdpc.org/
Die In Direct
Action Against the War:
Monday
March 19, a non-violent event in San
Francisco, noon-1pm
http://www.dieinmarch19.org/
Sacred Peace Walk March 26- April 1 http://www.nevadadesertexperience.org/programs/peacewalk.htm
Don’t miss Jack Jezreel
who
returns to the diocese for two events:
Friday April 20
For JustFaith Alumni: If you have been through the JustFaith program, Jack
invites you to meet with him for an evening discussion. The gathering will
be at Christ the Light in their
modular building from 7-9 pm. It is a potluck dessert, so please bring
something to share if you can. Fair Trade coffee and tea will be served.
RSVP to Mary at mdoyle@oakdiocese.org.
Location: 707
Jefferson St. at 8th. This is right
off two freeways and easy to get to even on a Friday… parking is easy
in their lot.
Please share the word with other alumni. (The
location is the parish St. Mary’s/St. Francis now renamed.) Map at:
http://www.oakdiocese.org/parishes/parish35.htm
Saturday April 21 from 9-4
Jack is leading his excellent workshop on putting our faith into action. He
weaves his experience, our scriptural tradition, and Catholic Social
Teaching, into a compelling day that inspires one and all. The flyer with
information and registration is at: http://www.oakdiocese.org/pastoral/SocialJustice/
St.
John Vianney is hosting this event and Nora Petersen is the contact person: njpetersen@alamedanet.net
Map at: http://www.oakdiocese.org/parishes/parish49.htm
St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County
Friends of the Society Breakfast
Date:
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Time:
9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Location:
St. Vincent de Paul’s Free
Dining Room
675 23rd Street @
San Pablo Avenue
Oakland, CA
94612
Please
join us for a complimentary one-hour breakfast event during which you will
learn more about the work of St. Vincent de Paul’s drop-in resource
centers that assist homeless and disadvantaged people. The event will be
emceed by Judge Gordon Baranco from Alameda County Superior Court, and Janet
Sullivan Whitaker will give a special performance. Guests will be invited to
make a gift towards supporting services and creating hope for men, women and
children in need. Please visit www.svdp-alameda.org
for more information or call (510) 636-4261 to RSVP.
Save the Dates:
Tuesday, April 24 Catholic Lobby
Day: Join other Catholics from around the state in Sacramento. If you are
interested please email mdoyle@oakdiocese.org
so we can begin arranging transportation and visits to our legislators.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
is the Global Day for Darfur There
will be a high profile event in San
Francisco that day.
Legislative
Alerts
Minimum Wage
Bill: (From US Conference of Catholic Bishops)
The
minimum wage increase is still being delayed and it may be in jeopardy! The
House of Representatives in early January overwhelmingly passed (315-116) a
bill that increased the minimum wage, in three steps, to $7.25. That bill was
filibustered in the Senate. The Senate then passed another bill (94-3) that
not only increased the minimum wage but cuts in business taxes by over $8
billion. The House responded by passing a bipartisan tax package cutting
taxes by $1.5 billion and sent it to the Senate urging them to attach the
minimum wage increase to it and send it back. So far the Senate has refused
to act with lots of political rhetoric and excuses for the delay. Meanwhile,
low wage workers languish without an increase in the minimum wage for more
than 10 years.
We
ask your urgent help to move this small measure of justice forward. Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid said he “is running out of patience”
on the minimum wage issue. (CQ 2/28/07) A large bipartisan majority in the
House of Representatives and the United States Senate support raising the
minimum wage; an overwhelming number of Americans support raising the minimum
wage; and still millions of low wage workers still haven ’t received a
raise.
While
the USCCB does not have a particular position on the tax provisions, the
Conference supports a minimum wage increase – now—as an overdue
and small step to helping the poorest workers in our country.
Call
your Senators (202-224-3121, Capitol Switchboard)
Insist
they raise the minimum wage now!
Thank
You!!!
Responding to
the Military Budget (From American Friends)
http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=9479411&type=CO
Summer
camp for politicians? Ethics Camp http://www.scu.edu/ethics-center/events/public-ethics-camp.cfm#when
Testing the system: Please respond if you actually read
this email, forward this to others, respond to the legislative alerts. mdoyle@oakdiocese.org
Answer for the Foreign Aid Quiz: d) .22% Our goal is
Pt7. or .7% GNI
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