By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Catholic Charities will again host Catholic Day at the Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018. Mental health is the keystone topic for the event. Angela Ladner from the Mississippi Psychiatric Association and Joy Hogge of Mississippi Families as Allies are the main speakers.
Catholic Day at the Capitol was founded as a way for Catholics from across the state to address their lawmakers. A team from Catholic Charities identifies key issues related to Catholic Social Teaching which the legislators may have on their agenda for the year. The committee then gathers resources for those who can advocate on behalf of the church and those who may be impacted.
In the last two years the event has gotten a makeover. The team used to be called the Poverty Task Force. It is now called the Faith in Action Team (FIAT) and hopes to bring Catholic Social Teaching to the forefront of social justice work throughout the diocese.
Sue Allen, coordinator for social justice ministry for Catholic Charities of Jackson, has been traveling to parishes in each deanery offering workshops about Catholic Social Teaching and about advocacy in general. She believes empowered and educated people can do more by meeting their lawmakers at home than by coming to the capitol during the busy session. In this way, Catholic Day at the Capitol becomes a day for people to gather and learn about key issues and take that information back to their parishes and communities, where they can advocate for better care for everyone.
Registration will open soon on the Catholic Charities website. Register by contacting Sue Allen at Catholic Charities at 601-383-3849 or by email at sue.allen@ccjackson.org.