Catholics speak for life at Faithful Citizenship Day
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Catholics were powerfully present at the Louisiana State Capitol in terms of numbers of attendees and their commitment to stand up for social justice issues during this year’s Faithful Citizenship Day.
The April 30 event was sponsored by the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops (LCCB). There were 107 participants this year, which is up from 92 last year, according to the LCCB.
Participants gathered at the St. Joseph Cathedral Parish Hall for prayer and orientation regarding Catholic Social Teaching and current legislation by LCCB executive director Tom Costanza.
Legislative priorities
The 2025 legislative priorities for LCCB include the life and dignity of the human person, call to family community and participation, option for the poor and vulnerable, solidarity in restorative justice/immigration and care for God’s creation.
Participants in the program said they were interested in becoming more involved with the political process that impacts people’s quality of life.
Frances Casey, the clergy outreach advisor for Catholic Relief Services for the Greater New Orleans Region, said her professional role includes advocacy at the international level with federal legislators.
“But this day is always a great way to connect locally with the Catholic community and be present, to identify the needs locally,” Casey said.
She added, “I think it’s a great opportunity for Catholics across the state to get together and advocate on behalf of Catholic Social Teaching. The Catholic community is very diverse, and I think we need a diversity of voices when we come to advocate and unify along Catholic Social Teaching.”
Deacon Alex Campbell, deacon assistant and pastoral associate at St. Patrick Church in Baton Rouge, grew up in Alexandria believing in the ability to “have a say” in politics.
“I wanted to be more than someone who just shows up on election day and votes,” he said. “When things like this come around, my curiosity is piqued.”
Supporting human life
The life and dignity of the human person is always on the forefront of Deacon Campbell’s mind.
“Anytime we have opportunities to talk about what will make life better for individuals, but also protect life at all stages, from birth to (natural) death, those are the things I gravitate to,” said Deacon Campbell.
He has worked with the doctors and nurses and people who serve at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Center in Baton Rouge.
“One of the things I have done is worked with Father Donatus Ajoko (chaplain) and some of the priests there who minister to those who are ministering to the sick,” Deacon Campbell said. “I was ministering at the Our Lady of the Lake (hospital) when COVID hit. It really changed the way the people get into the hospitals and work with the hospital staff to be able to provide the Eucharist and other volunteer opportunities they have at the hospitals.”
Policy effects are key
Holly Lee, a member of St. Aloysius Church in Baton Rouge, said she was interested in learning about how some of the legislation affects issues that are important to the church.
“When Tom (Costanza) was going over some of the legislation, I realized how closely related the issues are to our teachings – immigration, abortion, a lot of things. I’m trying to understand how the church community feels about the legislation that’s passing.
“I used to think the legislation was more about taxes, fixing the roads and everything else like that. But state government affects the whole thing and affects how we do things.”
In the past, Lee cast her vote based on the opinion of her husband – now deceased – because he followed legislative issues closely.
“But now that he’s passed, I’ve had to do my own research,” she said. “When I found out how much taxes will go up and all those things, I became more involved. And now I have the time now to do it living here in Baton Rouge, near the capitol. When I (saw the information about the event), it got me interested in what is citizenship all about.”
Catholic schools rallied
The Catholic schools across the state were heavily represented during Faithful Citizenship Day:
™ Archdiocese of New Orleans: Archbishop Rummel High School and Archbishop Chapelle High School, both of Metairie, Jesuit High School and Loyola University, both of New Orleans.
™ Diocese of Baton Rouge: St. Michael High School, Baton Rouge; St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Hammond.
™ Diocese of Alexandria: Holy Savior Menard High School, Alexandria.
™ Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux: Vandebilt Catholic High School, Houma, E.D.White Catholic, Thibodaux; and Central Catholic High School, Morgan City.
Costanza was pleased with the level of participation and people’s interest in learning more about the state governing process.
“We are so grateful to all the Catholic high school students and staff who took the time to get on buses and drive from four dioceses of the state. It shows the enthusiasm of our young Catholics to learn about how their faith and how Catholic Social Teaching is applied to issues around the life and dignity of the human person.
“Also, we are grateful for our advocates from various parishes and social ministries in the state for their commitment to the common good. Bishop (Michael G.) Duca offered a welcome and opening prayer and support for this evangelizing effort for our church.”
The current legislative session ends on June 12.
To track legislative action, visit legis.la.gov/legis. For more information on the Catholic Social Teaching point of view and how to take action, visit laccb.org