The Catholic Social Ministry Gathering: Preaching the Passion on Capitol Hill

On Tuesday February 9th I came down to DC to be part of the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering. While I did not have time to go to the sessions because of a retreat that was going on that weekend I took the time to go over the Catholic social issues and background information before the advocacy days on Tuesday. The issues were core Catholic social issues that were pertinant to the legislative moment. The rule of thumb for legislative advocacy is that a group should not have more then three legislative asks when you are meeting with your representatives. Our three asks were for:

• A Universal and life protecting Health Care Bill 
• A Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill  
• U.S. aid for poverty reduction programs specifically for:
  • Haiti
  • Afghanistan

The details of the legislative asks were put forth in a letter that was called the Catholic message to Congress and you can find a copy of that letter on the Passion for Justice Blog post that preceded this one.

This year the weather was less then helpful as we approached the lobby day with an amazing snow storm system having shut down DC and another great snow storm on the way. Many representative and fellow advocates either never came or chose to leave early because of the impending storm. In fact I prepared to leave early as well by taking the last train out on Tuesday night rather then Wednesday afternoon. However a couple of us from NY did manage to meet with both NY Senators.

The meetings were very interesting. From our end we presented the letter and the points from two perspectives. The first perspective was based on the principles of Catholic social teaching which affirms the preferential option for the poor, the promotion of global solidarity, and the dignity and rights of all humans to have basic social needs including the immigrant community. The other perspective that we shared was based on religious experience as missionaries or Catholic agencies to share the stories and concerns of these issues from the vantage point of being a witness to those whom we serve. When we discussed our concern for Haiti I shared the mission experience of Fr. Rick Frechette, CP and his ministry of providing basic health and medical care to a very poor Haitian community. When we discussed immigration again I shared the work that the Mexican Passionist sisters (the “Hijas de la Pasion”) do in providing basic services to a migrant community that is fractured and marginalized in this country. The impact of our testimony was that we were not just some theoretical think tank that offered positions from academic posturing but instead we offered a living witness to the national and global issues that are affecting real people who we come across in our ministries.

The results of our own state advocacy was impressive but not a complete success. In the case of NY we were received well with social issues on the national and global level but we had to remind both Senators that the Healthcare Bill had to be free from providing any funding for abortion or else it will not be supported by the Bishops and a majority of the Catholic Community. This is a point that we will continue pressing as this issue moves further. With immigration we were well received but of course we were made aware of the broader political climate and the existing opposition to this issue which meant that compromises had to be made. We were also well received on the international issues by both Senators.

Passionist are known for their retreat and preaching ministries. My experience on the Hill reminds me that a preacher is not confined to a Church venue. We are a community that preaches the Word of God in society. I find it curious that the Church building we call Basilicas were originally designed by the Romans as a political building for the people to hear and discuss legislative decrees. In preaching on spiritual matters you cannot omit the social implications that our Christian faith calls us to by virtue of the moral message. Events like the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering and the upcoming Ecumenical Advocacy Days are opportunities for communities like us to Preach the Passion in the Basilica of Capitol Hill.