As you may recall, a little over a year ago, LCWR answered a call for Catholic leaders to participate in a nonviolent action of civil disobedience at the Catholic Day of Action with Dreamers. It was a prayerful and powerful expression of our call to do justice and a deep experience of solidarity.
The time has come again to give public witness to LCWR’s commitment to do justice. Images of immigrant children detained in cages, separated from family members, and living in unsanitary, unhealthy conditions have outraged the nation in recent days. The faith community has decried this treatment of children not only as a violation of human dignity and rights, but also as contrary to religious teachings and the sacred call to care for people who are most at risk, especially children. We are all outraged!
We are writing to ask you to consider participating in an upcoming action that is being planned by a coalition of Catholic organizations and religious congregations. Catholic partners including, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM), Franciscan Action Network (FAN), Ignatian Solidarity Network, the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, the Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns, Columban Center for Advocacy, National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Sisters of the Sacred Heart, and Pax Christi are planning a national day of action on July 18 to challenge the Trump administration’s abuse of immigrant children and families.
The prayerful direct action in Washington DC is scheduled for mid-morning on July 18. We will gather to call on the Trump administration to end the abuse and detention of children. The event will include prayer, ritual, and a call to action by Catholic leaders. Because of the urgency and depth of the injustice, there will also be an opportunity, for those who choose, to engage in nonviolent civil disobedience.
Please seriously consider coming to Washington DC on July 18 to join us in showing the administration that our Catholic faith demands we treat our neighbor as we would want to be treated. If you can’t join us in person, please join us in spirit. We count on your prayerful support and that of your sisters, and we hope that you will be able to join us in subsequent national and local actions.
If you are interested and able to join us in Washington, please complete this form to share your interest with organizers: https://forms.gle/NnLDy8ArB4B9h92A7. We’ll be back in touch as we finalize plans.
N.B. We have sent this same information to LCWR members and JPIC promoters. We encourage you to confer with leadership and your JPIC promoter and explore the possibility covering the event in DC and helping to organize a local event.
Thanks for your support and please feel free to share this announcement widely.
Blessings,
Ann
Ann Scholz, SSND, PhD
Associate Director for Social Mission
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
