Latina parishioners pray at St. Patrick Church near downtown LA on July 23. (John McCoy) - Angelus News

Renewing LA as a city of welcome

This has been a challenging summer with the federal enforcement initiatives aimed at our immigrant communities. 

Although the most extreme of these initiatives have been halted temporarily by a court order, there is still a climate of fear and uncertainty throughout our parishes and neighborhoods. 

Last week, we announced a new archdiocesan program to support our immigrant neighbors who are suffering financial hardship. 

We made our announcement at a press conference held at St. Patrick Church near downtown Los Angeles.

St. Patrick was established at the beginning of the last century to serve families who came from Germany and Ireland. Today, it is the spiritual home for families who come mostly from Mexico and countries in Latin America.

And in many ways, the history of this small church reflects the history of Los Angeles, which has been a city of immigrants from the beginning.

Bill Section 70411

Over the past two years, the California Catholic Conference (CCC) has been actively engaged in national efforts to expand educational opportunity for all families. Working in close collaboration with our partners at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), fellow state Catholic Conferences, and a broad coalition of parent and education advocacy groups, the CCC has remained steadfast in championing parents as the primary educators of their children and advocating for greater access, school choice, and advancing educational excellence across all learning environments.

We are pleased to share a major development: the passage of a new federal law establishing a permanent 100% Federal Scholarship Tax Credit beginning January 1, 2027. This legislation provides an opportunity to support up to two million children nationwide through financial assistance at religious, private, charter, public, and home schools.

What the Law Does:

• Creates a 100% federal tax credit for individual contributions to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs)
• Applies permanently, with no sunset clause
• Allows a $1,700 cap per donor, with no national donation cap
• Requires states to opt in and annually submit a list of approved SGOs to the Treasury Department
• Limits eligible families to those earning up to 300% of the area median income
• Aligns eligible educational expenses with existing Coverdell savings account uses

This legislation reflects the CCC’s ongoing policy commitment to support families and expand access to quality education. 

Next Steps:

The CCC will continue working alongside the USCCB and state partners to encourage California’s Governor to participate in this opportunity by advocating for the state to opt in and designate qualified SGOs. This step is critical to ensuring that California’s Catholic school families, and other families seeking educational choice, can benefit from this program.

Please Read:

USCCB Committee on Catholic Education Chairman Bishop Mark O'Connell released a new op-ed on the new federal school choice law and the potential implications for Catholic schools.

For more information, contact Samara Palko, Director of Education and Government Relations [email protected]

You're Invited to Love IRL! 

Love IRL is an exciting opportunity for ministry leaders passionate about building a vibrant marriage culture in their parishes and schools! We invite everyone involved in ministry with young people and families to join us—bring your entire team! If you are an educator, campus minister, DRE, deacon couple, clergy, marriage ministry leader, youth minister, catechist, young adult leader, or passionate about ministry with young people, this event is for you.

Register now at www.cacatholic.org/loveIRL and join the bishops of California for this transformative event!

Join Bishop Brennan and the California Bishops at Love IRL! Watch and Share Video Today!

Bodas Communitarias — a group wedding where all of them receive the Sacrament of Marriage - Archdiocese of Los Angeles  - Watch Video

California Dioceses Unite to Celebrate the Jubilee of Marriage

On Saturday, July 26, dioceses throughout California came together to celebrate the vocation of marriage. With hearts full of love and faith, married couples and families gathered for special Diocesan Masses, recommitting themselves to each other and to Christ in a powerful testament to the enduring vocation of marriage. 

Visit www.cacatholic.org/marriage to explore more about these celebrations, including events, prayers, and opportunities for service, as we continue to uplift the vocation of marriage across the state!

Married couples and families united in the Christ Cathedral Arboretum for a beautiful Jubilee of Marriage Mass, celebrating the gift of marriage. - Diocese of Orange  View Photos

At Holy Family Parish in the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Father Fred transformed an entire weekend into a heartfelt tribute to married couples, marking the Jubilee of Marriage with profound joy. This inspiring display of pastoral care and creativity served as a powerful witness to the beauty of marriage, uplifting all who joined in the celebration.

Tell Your Senators: AB 84 Hurts Vulnerable CA Students

Tell Your Assemblymembers: No on SB 403, Don’t Make Assisted Suicide Permanent

CCC Associate Director for Healthy Families, Molly Sheahan, joins Assemblymember Maggy Krell at the signing of AB 379, California’s law to protect all children from trafficking and support survivors.

Thank you to our dedicated diocesan directors and parish leaders across the state for your passionate calls, letters, and emails. You shined a spotlight on the need to protect children from trafficking and support survivors. Your advocacy made this victory possible!

"We are thrilled to see the signing of AB 379! This sends a clear message that human beings are not for sale. I am grateful for the work of survivors, advocates and the Catholic community to raise their voices that children deserve protection from human trafficking. This took almost a decade, an amazing group of survivor leaders speaking up, and some very courageous authors willing to educate the members and the public," said Molly Sheahan, CCC Associate Director for Healthy Families. The law, signed by Governor Newsom, now makes it a felony to solicit a child of any age if the buyer is more than three years older than the victim, ensuring exploiters face justice for devastating lives. Additionally, AB 379 establishes a misdemeanor for loitering to buy sex, with a $1,000 fine, and directs those funds to the Survivor Support Fund to help survivors rebuild their lives.