Spirituality of Advocacy

Voice of the Poor Prayer In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Lord of all people, During your time on earth you identified with the poor and instructed us to care for one another, for our neighbor and especially for the least of our brothers and sisters. Be with us as we advocate for the poor. Help us to persevere in joy and love on their behalf. Add your voice to ours as we speak out for those who are not heard in our communities. Guide us as we work, comfortable in the knowledge that we are doing your will for this day and time and place, and that you will take care of tomorrow. We ask this in the name of Jesus, his Blessed Mother, our patron St. Vincent and our founder Blessed Frederic.

Workshop Outcomes This workshop will take a Vincentian view of the USCCB document Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. We are not telling you who to vote for or what issues to use to make your decisions. We will try to help you use your Vincentian experience to for your conscious.

Agenda  Understanding of Vincentian Advocacy  Some Vincentian highlights of Faithful Citizenship  Group Activity around 4 national SVDP Position Papers  Advocacy Tools

Vincentian Civil Discourse “Let us learn, first of all, to defend our belief without hating our adversaries, to appreciate those who do not think as we do, to recognize that there are Christians in every camp, and that God can be served now as always! Let us complain less of our times and more of ourselves. Let us not be discouraged, let us be better.” Blessed Frederic (Baunard, Correspondence, p.304)

Foundations the Society’s Systemic Change Effort 6 Catholic Social Teaching EmpowermentMentoringAdvocacyCollaboration

VOP Advocacy Foundational Principals Dignity Life Common Good Subsidiarity Solidarity- Based On Home Visits

Solidarity/Subsidiarity Life DignityCommon Good Hunge r Human Trafficking Healthcare Immigration Homelessness Affordable Housing Restorative Justices Predatory Loans Education Wages

Popes and Politics “‘A good Catholic meddles in politics.“ Pope Francis (9/16/13)

“Under the guidance of Sister Rosalie Rendu, Vincentian Armond de Melun convinced the Legislative Assembly to improve the lives of those living in poverty. Among these were: Establish a social center for young prisoners Addressed unsanitary housing Provided legal assistance for those in need Created credit unions Reformed hospitals and hospice” A Heart on Fire, Apostolic Reflection with Sister Rosalie Rendu, Sisters Joan Gibson, D.C. and Kieran Kneaves, D.C., 2013

"Responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.“ Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States Copyright © 2007, 2011 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC

US BishopsSVDP Rule 4. The work for justice requires that the mind and the heart of Catholics be educated and formed to know and practice the whole faith. 9. The Church's obligation to participate in shaping the moral character of society is a requirement of our faith. It is a basic part of the mission we have received from Jesus Christ, who offers a vision of life revealed to us in Sacred Scripture and Tradition. 7.1 The Society gives immediate help but also seeks mid-term and long-term solutions The Society is concerned not only with alleviating need but also with identifying the unjust structures that cause it. It is, therefore, committed to identifying the root causes of poverty and to contributing to their elimination. In all its charitable actions there should be a search for justice; in its struggle for justice, the Society must keep in mind the demands of charity.

12. The Catholic community brings important assets to the political dialogue about our nation's future. We bring a consistent moral framework—drawn from basic human reason that is illuminated by Scripture and the teaching of the Church—for assessing issues, political platforms, and campaigns. We also bring broad experience in serving those in need —educating the young, caring for the sick, sheltering the homeless, helping women who face difficult pregnancies, feeding the hungry, welcoming immigrants and refugees, reaching out in global solidarity, and pursuing peace.

14. Unfortunately, politics in our country often can be a contest of powerful interests, partisan attacks, sound bites, and media hype. The Church calls for a different kind of political engagement: one shaped by the moral convictions of well-formed consciences and focused on the dignity of every human being, the pursuit of the common good, and the protection of the weak and the vulnerable. The Catholic call to faithful citizenship affirms the importance of political participation and insists that public service is a worthy vocation.

29. Racism and other unjust discrimination, the use of the death penalty, resorting to unjust war, the use of torture, war crimes, the failure to respond to those who are suffering from hunger or a lack of health care, or an unjust immigration policy are all serious moral issues that challenge our consciences and require us to act. These are not optional concerns which can be dismissed.

34. Catholics often face difficult choices about how to vote. This is why it is so important to vote according to a well-formed conscience that perceives the proper relationship among moral goods. A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who takes a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, such as abortion or racism, if the voter's intent is to support that position. In such cases a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil. At the same time, a voter should not use a candidate's opposition to an intrinsic evil to justify indifference or inattentiveness to other important moral issues involving human life and dignity.

42. As Catholics we are not single-issue voters. A candidate's position on a single issue is not sufficient to guarantee a voter's support. Yet a candidate's position on a single issue that involves an intrinsic evil, such as support for legal abortion or the promotion of racism, may legitimately lead a voter to disqualify a candidate from receiving support.

51. Pope Benedict XVI has taught that "love for widows and orphans, prisoners, and the sick and needy of every kind, is as essential to [the Church] as the ministry of the sacraments and preaching of the Gospel" (Deus Caritas Est, no. 22). This preferential option for the poor and vulnerable includes all who are marginalized in our nation and beyond—unborn children, persons with disabilities, the elderly and terminally ill, and victims of injustice and oppression.

Group Exercise  Form 4 groups  Discuss the issue in light of the USCCB and SVDP Position Paper  What questions would you ask a public official about the issue?  What is your personal position on the topic?  What is your Vincentian view of the topic?  What story would you tell to convince someone of your position?  Report our your groups two most significant learnings

Wages USCCB SVDP Self Sufficient Wage Position Paper 52. The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God's creation. Employers contribute to the common good through the services or products they provide and by creating jobs that uphold the dignity and rights of workers—to productive work, to decent and just wages, to adequate benefits and security in their old age, to the choice of whether to organize and join unions, to the opportunity for legal status for immigrant workers, to private property, and to economic initiative. Workers also have responsibilities—to provide a fair day's work for a fair day's pay, to treat employers and co-workers with respect, and to carry out their work in ways that contribute to the common good. Workers, employers, and unions should not only advance their own interests, but also work together to advance economic justice and the well-being of all. As Vincentians, we believe in living gospel values. As the largest Catholic lay organization in the United States, it is essential that we support Catholic teachings. I urge you to ensure that those employed by the Society in the United States be afforded the greatest possible respect and a wage that reflects our values of creating self- sufficiency for whomever we serve.

Restorative Justice USCCB SVDP Position Paper 85. An ethic of responsibility, rehabilitation, and restoration should be a foundation for the reform of our broken criminal justice system. A remedial, rather than a strictly punitive, approach to offenders should be developed. In my personal experience, and in the stories that I have heard from Vincentians involved in prison ministry, we have a great opportunity to bring to light issues involving victims of crime, as well as persons responsible for the act, their families, and those responsible for administering the Criminal Justice process. I encourage all Vincentians to commit to this necessary work.

On Health Care USCCB SVDP Position Paper 80. Affordable and accessible health care is an essential safeguard of human life and a fundamental human right. With an estimated 47 million Americans lacking health care coverage, it is also an urgent national priority. Reform of the nation's health care system needs to be rooted in values that respect human dignity, protect human life, and meet the needs of the poor and uninsured, especially born and unborn children, pregnant women, immigrants, and other vulnerable populations. The USCCB supports measures to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid. In home visits and special works programs, we encounter the suffering poor— individuals in pain and families in need because of sickness — children whose parents cannot afford annual check ups or basic dental care, women without proper prenatal attention, families in which the main bread earner is injured and cannot afford medical assistance, and the elderly who have to choose between food and medicine.

On Immigration USCCB SVDP Position Paper 83. The Gospel mandate to "welcome the stranger" requires Catholics to care for and stand with immigrants, both documented and undocumented, including immigrant children. Comprehensive reform is urgently necessary to fix a broken immigration system and should include a temporary work program with worker protections and a path to permanent residency; family reunification policies; a broad and fair legalization program; access to legal protections, including due process and essential public programs; refuge for those fleeing persecution and exploitation; and policies to address the root causes of migration. Let us open our hearts, our minds and our hands to all who come from other countries so that they will be strangers no longer. May God bless us in these efforts and continue this good work that God has begun in us. At the last judgment may God say to us, Vincentians, when I was a stranger, you welcomed me.”

Forms of advocacy  1. /letter to office holder/candidate  2. Letter to the editor  3. Visit to office holder  4. Hearing testimony on a bill at Legislature/City Council  5. Question at Town Hall/candidate forum/ speech  6. Meeting of SVdP or other social occasion.

2016 Election Options 1.Coordinate with your Regional VOP Leaders to identify a state by state plan. 2.Gain Buy-In from your District/Council 3.Options  The Circle of Protection videos can be used to organize conference/council discussions.  CCUSA and the State Catholic Conferences are trying to organize local discussions of political hot topics, such as the budget offered by Rep. Paul Ryan  Voter forums and candidate visits. Some VOP committees collaborate with other organizations to sponsor or submit questions to candidates during political forums. Invite a candidate to visit a special work or a conference  Fight Poverty—VOTE!  A voter registration and education effort of the VOP  National resources, local control  Use both # of registered voters and % of number of registered voters  Heavy social media-target millennial and those in poverty  Collaborate with other community organizations

National Chair & Northeast Region Tom Dwyer Mideast Region Warren Wright East Region Lynne Betts Lois Jackson North Central Region Marian Lamoureux, Waukesha, WI Midwest Region Bob Haller, Lincoln, NB South Central Region Juan Pereira, Mountainair, NM Southeast Region Jack Murphy Frank Voehl, Miami, FL West Region Giulio Grecchi Michael Stratton, michaelstrattonsvdp. Spiritual Advisor Rev. Louis Arceneaux, C.M.

27 Society of St. Vincent de Paul VOICE OF THE POOR For further information on Voice of the Poor, see pages on the National SVdP website: ools/VoiceofthePoor.aspx ools/VoiceofthePoor.aspx Sign up to get legislative updates For further information on Catholic participation in public life, see page on the USCCB website: citizenship/forming-consciences-for-faithful- citizenship-document.cfm citizenship/forming-consciences-for-faithful- citizenship-document.cfm

Prayer for Systemic Change We praise and thank you, O God, Creator of the Universe. You have made all things good and have given us the earth to cultivate. Grant that we may always use created things gratefully, and share them generously with those in need. Give us creativity in helping the poor meet their basic human needs. Open our minds and hearts so that we might stand at their side and assist them to change whatever unjust structures keep them poor. Enable us to be brothers and sisters to them, friends who walk with them in their struggle for fundamental human rights. We ask this through Christ our Lord. (from the Letter of Superior General on theme of annual Vincentian Day of Prayer 2008)