"Prepares" Marks First Birthday
Announced at last October’s Cornerstone Catholic Conference, the Prepares program has completed its first year of operation. Prepares is a nurturing response of the Catholic community of Washington State to assist pregnant women and their families by walking the journey from conception to their child's fifth birthday.
Prepares serves families by:
- meeting urgent needs (such as diapers);
- education on childhood development;
- mentoring mothers during and after pregnancy; and
- offering parenting classes and fatherhood groups.
In the first year, Prepares made the nearly 300 parishes in the State of Washington aware of the program, and hired five area coordinators and one statewide coordinator. The area coordinators held in-person meetings with 89 parishes and a number of key volunteer parish coordinators joined Prepares. By far the most important accomplishment in Prepares’ first year was that over 1,000 families were served.
The Bishops of Washington State have released an introductory video about Prepares. You can view it on the WSCC website: www.thewscc.org. Bishop Joseph Tyson of Yakima led a WSCC presentation of Prepares at the Catholic Charities USA Annual Gathering earlier this month in Omaha.
Two Initiatives Slated for November Ballot
Two statewide initiatives will appear on the general election ballot in November. I-1366, sponsored by Tim Eyman, would cut the state retail sales tax from 6.5 percent to 5.5 percent on April 15, 2016, unless the Legislature first proposes a specific amendment to the state constitution. The reduction in state revenues has been estimated to total $8 billion dollars over the next six fiscal years. WSCC has grave concerns that this reduction would result in huge cuts to services to people in poverty. Many observers believe the initiative is unconstitutional. The other initiative, I-1401, is sponsored by Paul Allen and would prohibit the trafficking of animal species threatened with extinction.
Resources for Pope’s Visit
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has two great resources to follow the events during the visit by Pope Francis to the United States, September 23-27. There is a special website that will offer live video throughout the Holy Father’s visits to Washington, DC, New York and Philadelphia. The USCCB has also developed a free Catholic Church app for mobile devices that enables Catholics to follow Pope Francis with news, audio, even live streaming of events.
Visithttp://www.usccb.org/about/marketing...e-solution.cfm to find out more. For general information about this month’s Papal Visit, click here.
Save the Date: 2016 Mass/March for Life
The annual Mass for Life and March for Life will be held on Tuesday, January 19, 2016. These events commemorate the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions in 1974 that legalized abortion throughout the country.
2015 WSCC Legislative Report Available
The 2015 Legislative Report details the results of all the pieces of legislation that the Catholic Conference lobbied on during the 2015 session. The WSCC supported some pieces of legislation while opposing others across ten priority areas that were set by the Bishops of Washington State.
Here are some highlights:
- Increasing state revenues enabled the Legislature to restore some of the severe cuts made during the financial crisis. A few programs, such as TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), have seen partial restoration but that much more needs to be done to restore full funding.
- The WSCC again this year helped to defeat the abortion mandate bill (HB 1647). Unfortunately, SB 5289, which would have required notification of parents prior to a minor obtaining an abortion, failed to pass. Across the country, 38 states require parental notification.
- The Conference helped pass a bill to assist low-income people to weatherize their homes and improve the air quality in their residence.
- Legislation to abolish the death penalty received a hearing in the House but not in the Senate.
Respect Life Statement
People discover their worth when they discover their true identity as created in God’s image and called to an eternal destiny with him, said Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM Cap, Archbishop of Boston and chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the USCCB in the annual Respect Life Month statement. Cardinal O’Malley emphasized, “Human dignity is forever. Whether it lasts for a brief moment or for a hundred years, each of our lives is a good and perfect gift. At every stage and in every circumstance, we are held in existence by God’s love.”
Catholics and all people of good will in the United States are invited to participate in Respect Life Month. Please visit www.usccb.org/respectlife to learn more about this year’s Respect Life Program.
Recent WSCC Action Alerts
Here are the most recent action alerts issued by WSCC. If you haven’t acted on them yet, click on one of the ones listed below:
- U.S. Leadership Needed Now to Help Syrian Refugees
- Defund Planned Parenthood
- Support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act
- Urge Congress to Endorse Negotiations with Iran
UPDATE: Thanks to all who responded to last week’s alerts to defund Planned Parenthood and support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. Last Friday, the U.S. House approved the defunding of Planned Parenthood by a vote of 241 to 187. On Tuesday, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act failed to obtain the 60 votes necessary on a procedural motion in the U.S. Senate. The vote was 54-42.
Click here to view previous WSCC advocacy bulletins. Click here to view this bulletin on the WSCC website.
The Washington State Catholic Conference (WSCC) is the public policy voice of the Catholic Bishops of Washington State.
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