February 3, 2020 — Annapolis, MD
BOOST VIDEO SHARES HOW PROGRAM IS
HELPING STUDENTS SUCCEED
On Jan. 29, the Maryland BOOST Scholarship Coalition — of which
Maryland Catholic Conference is a member — released a video sharing
the stories of numerous BOOST scholarship recipient families, who,
thanks to the program, have seen their children thrive in school.
Since it was enacted in 2016, the Maryland BOOST Scholarship
Program has empowered low-income families to choose the best
educational option for their children. BOOST has made Maryland a
pioneer in narrowing the achievement gap for low-income students and
has proven to help those students academically.
Read More...
PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE BILL
INTRODUCED AGAIN
For the fifth time in six years, proponents of physician-assisted
suicide (PAS) have again introduced a bill (HB 643 / SB 701) to legalize the dangerous practice in
Maryland.
Last year, the PAS bill was narrowly defeated when it died in the
Maryland Senate by way of a tie vote. Before defeating the bill on the
floor, members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee amended
the bill, attempting to fix many of its serious flaws.
The Maryland Catholic Conference and our allies in the Maryland
Against Physician Assisted Suicide Coalition strongly believe that no
amendments can make this bill acceptable for Maryland. However,
proponents rejected changes made to the bill in 2019, and have
introduced the same deeply flawed and predatory bill that our state
has rightly rejected each time it's been introduced.
Read more...
TAKE ACTION! STAND UP FOR SURVIVORS OF
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Last week, the Maryland State Senate and House of Delegates heard
testimony on the True Freedom Act of 2020.
This critical legislation will allow courts to review and remove
convictions from the records of human trafficking survivors for the
crimes they were forced to commit by their traffickers.
The Maryland Catholic Conference is asking you to speak up for
victims of trafficking by writing legislators asking them to support
the True Freedom Act of 2020.
Read more...
PRAY WITH US AT THE START OF BLACK
HISTORY MONTH
This week's prayer for Maryland's elected officials is led by
Sr. Rita Michelle Proctor, OSP, superior general of the Oblate Sisters of Providence.
The Oblates are the first religious order for
African-American women in the United States, and were founded in
Baltimore in 1829 by Mother Mary Lange.
Mother Mary Lange was an African-Caribbean immigrant who
cared deeply for the spiritual and educational well-being of her
fellow African-Americans. She founded both the Oblates
and St. Frances Academy in Baltimore — the first
Catholic school for African-American children in the United States,
founded in 1828 — at a time when slavery was still legal and practiced
in America.
The cause for canonization of Mother Mary has been
opened.
In 2019, the Archdiocese of Baltimore broke ground on the
first Catholic school to bear her name: Mother Mary Lange Catholic
School. The downtown Baltimore elementary school will serve children
from Holy Angels Catholic School, Saints James and John
Catholic School, and the surrounding community when it opens in the
fall of 2021.
Today, Feb. 3, marks the 138th anniversary of Mother Lange's
passing.
To pray along with Sr. Rita Michelle at the start of Black History
Month, visit our Facebook page. Share the post and
use the hashtag #WeAreCatholic.
To access the prayer: CLICK HERE.
GET INVOLVED
JOIN THE CATHOLIC ADVOCACY NETWORK
Learn more about the Catholic Advocacy Network and how you can take
action on important issues in Maryland: CLICK HERE.
VOLUNTEER WITH US!
The Maryland Catholic Conference is still looking for volunteers to
serve as Parish Legislative Ambassadors for some parishes. If you are
passionate about the work we do and want to help us speak up on
important issues in Maryland, please sign up to volunteer!
To sign-up to volunteer CLICK HERE.
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES
February 18, 2020: PAS talk at
St. John Neumann (Gaithersburg)
February 19, 2020: Virtual
Catholic Day of Action
February 24, 2020: Maryland
March for Life in Annapolis
April 6, 2020: Sine Die (last
day of 2020 legislative session)
STAY CONNECTED WITH US!
  
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