June Newsletter 

The latest from CCO - legislative and other updates, special feature on Dignitas Infinita, USCCB statements, upcoming Eucharistic events, and prayer.

Learn more about CCO: View our brochure or visit our website.

Legislative Update

Governor DeWine Signs HB 50 into Law
House Bill 50 (sponsored by State Representatives Latyna Humphrey (D-Columbus) and Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati)), which creates a certificate of qualification for housing (CQH) for the formerly incarcerated, was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine. The Catholic Conference of Ohio supported HB 50, noting that “Restoration demands that we respond to the victims of crime with care and compassion, but the full administration of justice is impossible unless we also attend to the dignity of those returning from prison. … Becoming a tenant is one of the most important steps a formerly incarcerated person takes in their reintegration, and failure to do so dramatically increases the likelihood of recidivism.”

CCO Opposes HB 451 on Remittance Transfer Fee 
The Catholic Conference of Ohio opposed House Bill 451 in the House Ways and Means Committee. HB 451 would levy a remittance transfer fee on money transmissions to a person outside the United States. Within the testimony, CCO notes that “HB 451 puts onerous restrictions on legal residents of Ohio and threatens their support of loved ones stuck in cycles of poverty and violence. …these small remittances of $200 to $300 are the difference between survival and starvation.” Ohio residents should not need to pay an additional fee for fulfilling a Christian obligation to provide charitable resources to people in other countries. Click here to view the full testimony >

CCO Supports SB 242, Expanding the Charitable Use Property Tax Exemption
The Catholic Conference of Ohio testified in support of Senate Bill 242 (sponsored by State Senator Sandra O'Brien (R-Ashtabula)) to expand the charitable use property tax exemption. The testimony highlights an inconsistency that SB 242 aims to correct, “The Revised Code contains an inexplicable gap with respect to property taxation when exempted entities, including Catholic parishes and charities, enter a lease agreement. Despite the exemption from property tax enjoyed when a charitable organization leases from another charitable organization, a political subdivision, or an educational institution, this exemption does not apply when a charity leases property from a religious institution. … This change more faithfully reflects the purpose of existing property tax policies and incentivizes wider cooperation between religious and charitable institutions, including those affiliated with the Catholic Church and other faith traditions.” Click here to view the full testimony >
 

CCO Opposes HB 407 on Further Administrative Requirements
The Catholic Conference of Ohio opposed House Bill 407, which would eliminate alternative testing options, create redundant reporting requirements, and require schools to report additional personal financial information on parents. Our Catholic Schools already adhere to robust reporting requirements and accountability measures in accordance with their state charter and receive accreditation through the Ohio Catholic School Accreditation Association, which works with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce to ensure schools follow state operating standards. Parents are the primary educators of their children and deserve an opportunity to choose the best school for their family. The current Ed Choice program helps mitigate the financial concerns of parents who prefer a Catholic education for their children.

HB 7, the Strong Foundations Act, Passes the House 
House Bill 7, the Strong Foundations Act (sponsored by State Representatives Andrea White (R-Kettering) and Latyna Humphrey (D-Columbus)), a CCO-supported bill, passed the Ohio House of Representatives and will now go to the Ohio Senate. HB 7 supports Ohio mothers and babies in their first one thousand days to address maternal and infant mortality and to improve health, developmental, and learning outcomes. Programs it funds include Healthy Beginnings at Home, which helps pregnant women maintain stable housing, and the Help Me Grow program, which provides parent support and education to improve maternal and child health and encourage positive parenting.
 

SB 198 Reported Out of Committee 
CCO supported Senate Bill 198 (sponsored by Senators George Lang (R-West Chester) and Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville)), which provides inmates with state identification cards and documentation upon their release relating to work experience, education, and trade skills passed out of the Small Business and Economic Opportunity Senate Committee. It will now go to the Ohio Senate floor for a vote.

Other Updates

Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley Opens New Welcome Center, Food Pantry, and Community Room 

Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley is celebrating the grand opening of expanded facilities today, June 27. The renovation includes an improved food pantry, a loading dock for food deliveries, a community space, and a welcome center. Thanks be to God for the opportunity to improve access to food and for a dignified space to encounter and serve Christ in those in need! 

Special thanks to Senator Stephen A. Huffman (District 5) for helping obtain funding from Ohio's Capital Budget for the expansion. Watch a video about the expansion from 2022 >

Special Feature

Dignitas Infinita, Violence Against Women & Abortion 

Dignitas Infinita ("Infinite Dignity") highlights several relevant grave violations of human dignity. This month, we focus on violence against women and abortion.

In Dignitas Infinita, we read, “Violence against women is a global scandal that is gaining increasing recognition.” It goes on to quote Pope Francis, “doubly poor are those women who endure situations of exclusion, mistreatment, and violence, since they are frequently less able to defend their rights.” These realities are why the Catholic Church labors for laws that protect women from violence and ensure freedom from discrimination.

In our culture, violence against women often manifests in pressure to terminate a pregnancy. Dignitas Infinita continues, “Among the forms of violence carried out on women, how can we not mention coercive abortions, which affect both mother and child, often to satisfy the selfishness of males?” Research tells us that the majority of abortions are the consequence of a male partners pressuring women to seek abortion and an economy that values output over human dignity. Creating a culture of life means confronting male responsibility and economic systems that view women as means to a financial end.

The Catholic Church across the United States takes a both/and approach to outlawing violent threats against women and establishing public policy that recognizes the significant resources needed to support mothers and children.

Seeking to recognize the needs of mothers and children, the Catholic Conference of Ohio:

• Successfully advocated for policies in the state operating budget to support families, including: 
  • Eliminating sales tax on baby products.
  • Extending cash assistance for the full duration of a pregnancy.
  • Investing in the Healthy Beginnings at Home program to stabilize housing for vulnerable pregnant women.
     
• Testified in support of the following bills:
  • HB 34 (signed into law) to excuse breast-feeding mothers from jury duty.
  • HB 7 (passed by the House) to enact the Strong Foundations Act, which would invest in a broad array of supports for pregnant and parenting women. The Strong Foundations Act would help provide housing for pregnant women at risk of losing their home, support the Help Me Grow program to assist new moms transition to parenthood, and fund other comprehensive maternal and infant vitality programs. 
  • SB 159 (in Senate Committee), which would authorize a tax credit for donations made to pregnancy resource centers. 
     
• Collaborates with the Catholic dioceses of Ohio in educating on the dignity of life in the womb, the violence of abortion, ongoing supports for women, and promotion of Walking with Moms in Need.

Reflection: Jesus consistently upheld the dignity of women by extending His mercy and love, even when it was counter-cultural to do so. Picture Mary Magdalene, the woman at the well, and the woman caught in adultery and the profound transformations they experienced in encountering the Lord Jesus Christ. Do we look upon women enslaved by violent acts with God’s eyes and meet them with compassion or turn away with indifference? 
 

USCCB Statements

"Pursue What Leads to Peace" (Rom. 14;19)
A Christian Response to Rising Threats of Political and Ideological Violence (Most Rev. Borys Gudziak)
Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia urges all Christians and people of good will to avoid political violence of any kind and instead to pursue peace through dialogue and justice. The statement was issued in Archbishop Gudziak’s capacity as chairman of the Committee for Domestic Justice and Human Development for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The statement comes during a presidential election cycle in which partisan speech has intensified, and negative sentiment, insults, fear, anger, and anxiety have become more prevalent.

The full statement can be found here >

Reflection on Anniversary of Dobbs Decision and the Impact of the Eucharistic Revival on the Pro-Life Movement (Most Rev. Michael F. Burbidge)
On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned the Roe v. Wadedecision that had legalized abortion in all 50 states. Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, urged the faithful to engage elected officials on life issues, and reflected on the power of the Eucharist to transform hearts and culture.

The full statement can be found here >

Upcoming Eucharistic Events

Our Eucharistic Mission in a Polarized World 
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati Catholic Social Action Office is holding a series of events now thru October 24 with Fr. Aaron Wessman, Glenmary Home Missioners, based off his book The Church's Mission in a Polarized World. You can attend each event in person or via livestream. 

Learn more at catholicaoc.org/faithfulcitizenship >
 

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage Processions in Ohio - Now thru July 8
Local communities are gathering for a National Eucharistic Pilgrimage to accompany Jesus from city to city across the nation, lighting hearts on fire along the way, culminating at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, July 17-24, 2024. The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Route starts in New Haven, CT, and will go through the Diocese of Columbus (June 24-30), and Archdiocese of Cincinnati (July 1-8) in Ohio. Several unique events are planned, including a Eucharistic Festival in downtown Cincinnati.

View the route and event details with an interactive map on the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage website >

Statewide Eucharistic Pilgrimage, Carey, Ohio - August 14

To mark this year of going out on mission during the National Eucharistic Revival, the Catholic Bishops of Ohio invite all the faithful to make a pilgrimage to Carey, Ohio, for the Vigil of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Join the bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated religious, and lay faithful from across the state on Wednesday, August 14, beginning at 9 p.m. for a candlelight rosary procession with the Miraculous Statue of Our Lady of Consolation from the Basilica Shrine to the Shrine Park followed by Holy Mass at the outdoor Altar in the Shrine Park.

View details on the CCO website >

Let Us Pray

Catholic Prayer for an End to the Abuse of Women
Source: Aleteia – prayer from the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor

We pray to you, Lord, on behalf of women all across the world.
You are sacred, Lord, and you work wondrous things:
We pray to you so that an end will come to the physical and moral violence committed against the bodies, minds, and the spirits of women.
You are clemency, Lord, you are shelter: grant women the strength and the courage to recognize their own slavery and to escape from oppression.
You are beauty, Lord, you are humility and patience: Illuminate the path of rebirth that millions of women are traveling.
You are our hope, Lord, you are faith and compassion: Purify the memory and the minds of women from the persecution they have suffered, from the humiliations and tortures they were forced to undergo.
You are good, Lord, every goodness, the highest goodness: We cannot allow evil and violence against women to continue to be cultivated. Help us to break apart evil with all our energies of love.
Inspire new laws and new political action in favor of the dignity and respect of women in every country on our planet.
Amen.