Bishop Richard J. Malone has spent the better part of the past year hearing from many different people including protestors and supporters.

Sister M. Christina Kraus, OSF, longtime teacher, died July 30, 2019, at Niagara Hospice, Lockport. She was 91.

WASHINGTON- Bishop Nelson Perez of Cleveland, Chair of the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church and Bishop Shelton Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism and Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, Chair of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development issued an statement to express sadness by the denigration of the City of Baltimore in recent public discourse.

The full statement follows:

“Painfully, for the past several weeks we find ourselves once more discussing how people, even our national leaders, use language that is divisive and disrespectful. Such language is absolutely incompatible with the teaching of Jesus Christ. Like Archbishop Lori, we were deeply saddened by the denigration of the City of Baltimore in recent public discourse, especially given Bishop Fabre’s recent participation in a very powerful and fruitful listening session in that city on the issue of racism. Constructive dialogue requires, first and foremost, mutual respect and the recognition that each and every person shares in the same inalienable human dignity regardless of their race or national origin. If we embrace this vision of public discussion and dialogue, as we state in the bishops' recent Pastoral Letter on Racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, ‘ the headlines we see all too often today will become lessons from the past.’”

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Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Bishop Frank Dewane, Bishop Shelton Fabre, Bishop Nelson Perez, Archbishop William Lori, Diocese of Cleveland, Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Diocese of Venice, Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church, racism, Baltimore.

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Media Contact:
Miguel Guilarte
202-541-3200

 

The gym of St. Bernadette School became a big top as the Orchard Park parish hosted their festive summer Bible Camp themed "Parade Around the Our Father."

Hip, knee, or shoulder pain can severely impact your quality of life, but there are medical treatment options that can help provide relief and restore function.

WASHINGTON—Following the shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, calls for support of the victims and for actions to end gun violence.  

The full statement is as follows:

“It is heartbreaking to learn yet again of a mass shooting that has taken innocent lives, and wounded many others, this time at a food festival in Gilroy, California. At the time of this writing, the reports are of twelve wounded, and three deceased, including a six-year-old boy as well as a thirteen-year-old girl. The Lord calls us to comfort those who mourn and to be peacemakers in a violent world. We pray, and we must, for the victims and their families. The Church should act in ways that heal and support all those affected by gun violence. It is disturbing that our society would seem to allow some to feel comfort in being violent. Our legislators must make changes to our gun policy to prevent the loss of life. As Americans, we must be honest with ourselves that we have a sickness, almost a plague, with the problem of gun violence. As Christians, we must look to the cross, repentant of the ways that have led us to this point and, with God’s grace, abandon such senseless, inhuman acts. Let us resolve to make the sacrifices necessary to end the violent killing that saturates our nation.”        
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Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Diocese of Venice, Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development

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Media Contact:
Miguel Guilarte
202-541-3200

 

 

WASHINGTON— Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of the Diocese of Venice and Chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development has issued a statement on the federal government’s decision to resume the use of the death penalty.

The full statement follows:

“In his address to Congress during his 2015 Apostolic visit to the United States, Pope Francis, echoing the views of his predecessors, called for ‘the global abolition of the death penalty.’ He further stated that, ‘[A] just and necessary punishment must never exclude the dimension of hope and the goal of rehabilitation.’ As the Catechism of the Catholic Church now provides, ‘The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.’

At their meeting in June, the Catholic Bishops of the United States voted overwhelmingly to update the Catechism for use by adults in the United States to reflect this position. This is consistent with comparable calls by the Bishops for over forty years, including in their 2005 statement, A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death.

In light of these long held and strongly maintained positions, I am deeply concerned by the announcement of the United States Justice Department that it will once again turn, after many years, to the death penalty as a form of punishment. I urge instead that Federal officials take this teaching into consideration, as well as the evidence showing its unfair and biased application, and abandon the announced plans to implement the death penalty once more.”

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Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Diocese of Venice, Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Congress, Pope Francis, death penalty, Catechism of Catholic Church

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Media Contact:
Miguel Guilarte
202-541-3200

 

Msgr. Joseph M. Dowdell, who was known for his near quarter century as pastor for Sacred Heart Parish in Lakewood, died July 26, 2019, at the St. Joseph Campus of Sisters of Charity Hospital, Cheektowaga.

A political issue that has separated the nation brought people of different faiths together in Buffalo. St. Joseph University Parish in Buffalo hosted an interfaith prayer service on July 24 to pray for everyone involved in the Mexican immigration issue, from children to border guards.

WASHINGTON— On Tuesday, the Administration significantly expanded the use of a controversial fast-track removal or “expedited removal” process for migrants suspected of being undocumented and includes migrants who cannot prove to an immigration officer that they have resided in the United States continuously for two years or longer. This move by the Administration gives the Department of Homeland Security authority to remove migrants suspected of being undocumented from the United States while circumventing important due process protections. Most Reverend Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of Austin, Texas, Chair of the of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration, issued the following statement:

“I call on the Department of Homeland Security to reverse its decision to expand its policy of expedited removal. This action is yet another escalation of this Administration’s enforcement-only immigration approach, and it will have terrible human consequences. The new policy will allow for the deportation of many more individuals without providing them an opportunity to seek legal counsel and have a hearing before an immigration judge.

Even those migrants who have long-standing ties to the U.S. and have been in the country for more than the requisite two years required under the new policy may now be subjected to expedited removal if they are unable to prove such to the satisfaction of an individual immigration officer.

The implementation of this new policy will have unjust and unacceptable results and lead to more widespread family separation, stoking fear in our communities.”

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Keywords: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, Justice for Immigrants, Enforcement, immigration

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Media Contact:
Mark Priceman
202-541-3064