Washington State Catholic Conference Newsletter

 
WSCC Cornerstone Notes remind us of the mission that was launched in 2014 with the first Cornerstone Catholic Conference: "to inspire and educate Catholics and others to continue working together to protect human life:  the unborn, individuals who live in poverty or on the margins of society, and people at the end of life."
October 26, 2016  
 Inside this issue
  Cornerstone Catholic Conference - Less than a Year Away!  
 

 
You won't want to miss the next Cornerstone Catholic Conference, October 20-21, 2017, in Tacoma. Bishop Robert Barron (auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles and host of the Catholicism series), Helen Alvaré (former Director of Planning and Information, USCCB Secretariat for Pro‐Life Activities) and Ralph McCloud (Director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development) will be keynote speakers, along with the Bishops of Washington State. WSCC needs your help in letting others know about this amazing event. We have developed two save-the-date flyers, one in color and the other in grayscale.
 

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  Volunteers Needed for 2017 Cornerstone  
  WSCC invites anyone interested in volunteering to help with the next Cornerstone conference to attend one of the upcoming meetings in Seattle or Tacoma:
  • Thursday, October 27, at 7:00 pm in the Fitzgerald Room at Christ the King parish, 405 N. 117th Street, Seattle, 98133.
  • Tuesday, November 15, at 3:00 and 7:00 pm. The location is Visitation parish (Collier Center), 3314 S. 58th Street, Tacoma, 98409.
The meetings will provide information about how the 2017 Cornerstone Catholic Conference is shaping up and how people can help bring it to fruition. Attendees will receive a list of the various volunteer tasks and a description of each. We need volunteers to pray, to assist with registration, and various tasks on the days of the conference. The meetings will also cover the overall timeline and the frequency of volunteer meetings. For more information, contact Jim Thomas, WSCC, 206-301-0556 or jim@thewscc.org.
 

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  Join Pope Francis and Caritas Internationalis for Global Prayer for Syria  
 



In honor of his trip to Sweden on October 31 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Pope Francis and members of Caritas Internationalis around the world will be joining together to pray for peace in Syria.  The event is co-organized by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Caritas Internationalis, and the Lutheran World Federation/World Service. Everyone is invited to participate in the prayer (found here), and encouraged to reach out to other community leaders, policy makers and people of all faiths to help spread the Syria Peace Campaign's.@iamCaritas and share with them #PeacePossible4Syria message. Please be sure to use the hashtag

 

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  Novena for Faithful Citizenship  
 
 
The USCCB has developed a Novena for Faithful Citizenship to help us prepare for Election Day. Prayer is one of the first steps in acting for justice in our world. This novena, rooted in the biblical tradition and the Church's social teaching, is intended to promote life, justice and peace in our neighborhoods, our country, and our world.
 

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  New CST 101 Video: Rights and Responsibilities  
 
The fifth video in the Catholic Social Teaching 101 video series, on Rights and Responsibilities, is now available. The video series is a joint collaboration of the USCCB and Catholic Relief Services. Other videos in the series include: Life and Dignity; Call to Family, Community and Participation; Option for the Poor and Vulnerable; and Care for God's Creation. When complete, the series will total seven videos, one for each of key themes of Catholic social teaching (CST).
 

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  State Supreme Court to Hear Arlene's Flowers Case  
 
 
The Washington Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case of Barronelle Stutzman, the owner of Arlene's Flowers. Stutzman sparked a national discussion on religious freedom in 2014 after she declined to provide flowers for a same-sex ceremony for a longtime customer. The Washington Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Tuesday, November 15, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. at Bellevue Community College.
 

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  Video: "For a More Human Society"  
 


Each month, the Vatican releases a new video to coincide with the Pope Francis' prayer intention for that month - to promote the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network. In September, the intention was "That each may contribute to the common good and to the building of a society that places the human person at the center." Click here to view September's video.
 
 
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The Washington State Catholic Conference (WSCC) is the public policy voice of the Catholic Bishops of Washington State.
 

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