February 17, 2020 — Annapolis, MD

VIRTUAL CATHOLIC DAY OF ACTION IS WEDNESDAY

Virtual Catholic Day of Action is this Wednesday, Feb. 19, and the Maryland Catholic Conference is encouraging everyone to take time now to get to know the issues and spread the word. 

While the Conference has already weighed in on nearly 50 bills so far this legislative session, it has selected three bills that we are asking Catholics from across Maryland to take action on this Wednesday, Feb. 19: Physician-assisted suicide, the BOOST Scholarship Program and the Time to Care Act (paid family leave). 

To help individuals get familiar with these issues and take action on Feb. 19, we've compiled a toolkit complete with information on the issues, direct links to take action, and sample posts and emails to spread the word of Virtual Catholic Day of Action with family and friends. 

Planning to join us for Virtual Catholic Day of Action? Show your support on Facebook by sharing our event! CLICK HERE to say you are going and share the event with your network!

Learn more about the toolkit...


MARYLAND CATHOLIC CONFERENCE TESTIFIES IN SUPPORT OF KIRWIN COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS

Only 50 days remain in the 2020 Maryland General Assembly Session, and on Monday, Feb. 17, lawmakers heard hours of testimony on one of the most anticipated bills: SB 1000/HB 1300 — known as The Blueprint for Maryland's Future, the bill that would implement the proposals from the Kirwin Commission. 

Officially known as the "Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education" but generally referred to as the Kirwin Commission in honor of its chairman William E. “Brit” Kirwan, the commission convened in 2016 with a goal to develop recommendations for how Maryland education is funded, operated and how it prepares students for college or the workforce. The commission offered its recommendations in 2019. 

Maryland's Catholic Bishops have supported the commission's recommendations and in January, Archbishop William E. Lori, chairman of the Maryland Catholic Conference, jointly penned with Baltimore City Public School's CEO Sonja Santelises an op-ed in The Baltimore Sun calling on Maryland lawmakers to pass the bill. 

Read more...


 

JOIN BISHOP W. FRANCIS MALOOLY IN PRAYER FOR MARYLAND'S GOVERNMENT LEADERS

This week's prayer for Maryland's elected officials is led by the Most Rev. W. Francis Malooly, bishop of Wilmington (DE). The Catholic Diocese of Wilmington includes Maryland's Eastern shore. 

The Conference encourages everyone to join us each Monday in prayer. To pray along this week with Bishop Malooly, visit our Facebook page. Share the post and use the hashtag #WeAreCatholic.

To access the prayer: CLICK HERE.


ATTEND THE SENATE HEARING ON PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE ON FEB. 28

Want to help show legislators that there are many Marylanders who stand strong against physician-assisted suicide? Join us on Friday, Feb. 28 at 12 noon in Annapolis for the Senate hearing! 

The Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will hear testimony on the 2020 bill to legalize physician-assisted suicide (SB 701) on Friday, Feb. 28, at 12 noon. A hearing has not yet been scheduled on the House version of the bill, HB 643. 

The Senate hearing will be held in the Judicial Proceedings hearing room on the second floor of the Miller Senate Office Building at 11 Bladen Street, Annapolis. 

Read more...


BOOST SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS TO OPEN SOON!

Applications for BOOST Scholarships for the 2020-21 school year will open soon and the Conference is encouraging anyone who might be interested in applying to sign up for the Maryland BOOST Scholarship Coalition's Action Network so they will be the first to know when it is time to apply. 

Maryland generally accepts applications for BOOST staring sometime in February. 

The Conference is a member of the Maryland BOOST Scholarship Coalition. 

To join the BOOST Scholarship Coalition Action Network 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 19, 2020: MCC presentation at 270 Catholic Theology on Tap

February 22, 2020: MCC presentation to 40 Days for Life event in Laurel

February 24, 2020: Maryland March for Life in Annapolis

February 28, 2020: Senate Hearing on Physician-Assisted Suicide

April 6, 2020: Sine Die (last day of 2020 legislative session)


 

STAY CONNECTED WITH US!

 

             

Maryland Catholic Conference · 10 Francis St, Annapolis, MD 21401, United States
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