Office for Social Concerns
Catholic Diocese of Columbus
Upcoming Events
December 8 - Night of Prayer for Life
The 22nd annual National Prayer for life is December 8, 2011. This night of prayer links the feast days of the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas and the unborn. Catholics across the country will pray in unity in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the holy Rosary, prayer to St. Michael, silent prayer and huyms. Prayer is encouraged from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. with a national hour of unity from 12 a.m. to 1 a.m.
December 25 - Catholic Charities Collection
The annual collection for diocesan Catholic Charities will be taken up on Christmas. This collection allows thte diocese to meet a variety of basic needs directly through diocesan agencies and organizations including J.O.I.N. (Joint Organization for Inner-City Needs), St. Stephen's Community House, Catholic Social Services, St. Francis Center, St. Lawrence Haven, St. Vincent Family Center, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society. You can help share in this important work by generously supporting the Catholic Charities collection this year.
January 2012
January 1 - World Day of Peace
World Day of Peace is January 1. Pope Benedict XVI's World Day of Peace Message for 2012 titled "Educating Young People in Justice and Peace." To read the Holy Father's World Day of Peace Message and other supplementary materials, please visit www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/war-and-peace/world-day-of-peace.cfm or contact the diocesan Office for Social Concens at (614) 241-2540.
January is "Poverty in America Awareness Month"
Today, nearly 44 million Americans are living below the poverty line. Many are our neighbors in our diocese. To bring attention to this national crisis, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) designated January as "Poverty in America Awareness Month." This month of observance, we devote our efforts to heightening the nation's understanding of the scope of the problems of poverty and work to break the cycle. For information about Poverty in America Awareness Month, go to www.povertyusa.org or contact the diocesan Office for Social Concerns at (614) 241-2540.
January 6 -- Urban Plunge Reception - University of Notre Dame Alumni
Alumni of the University of Notre Dame are invited to the Urban Plunge reception on Friday, January 6, 2012. The reception marks the conclusion of the 48-hour Urban Plunge in Columbus for students of the University of Notre Dame. Students who participate in this inner-city immersion experience visit homeless individuals and families in shelters and camps, feed the hungry at soup kitchens, food pantries and through meals-on-wheels, and volunteer at Catholic charities agencies. Alumni from the Notre Dame are invited to the 5:15 p.m. Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral, Columbus, and reception with the students following Mass at the Catholic Center, 197 E. Gay Street, Columbus. The Columbus Urban Plunge is annual program coordinated by the diocesan Office for Social Concerns and the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Columbus. For more information, call (614) 241-2540.
January 8-14 -- National Migration Week
"Welcoming Christ in the Migrant" is the theme for National Migration Week, January 8-14, 2012. Communities everywhere are called to treat migrants justly and provide a welcoming presence to all people on the move. For online resources for parishes and schools, visit the U.S. Catholic Bishops' National Migration Week website at www.usccb.org/about/migration-and-refugee-services/national-migration-week or contact the diocesan Office for Social Concerns at (614) 241-2540.
January 15-22 -- Stand Against Violence Week
In 1994, the U.S. Catholic Bishops issued a pastoral letter entitled "Confronting a Culture of Violence: A Catholic Framework for Action." As a response to the pastoral letter parishes and dioceses across the United States gave focus to peacemaking and policy efforts against violence from January 15, the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and January 22, the anniversary of the tragic Roe v. Wade decision legalizing the violence of abortion.
To learn more about diocesan efforts against domestic violence, gun violence, and other threats to the dignity of the human person this campaign, please contact the diocesan Office for Social Concerns at (614) 251-2540.
January 18-25 -- Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
In observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18-25, 2012, Bishop Frederick F. Campbell will lead a Vespers service which will be attended by leaders and congregants from a number of local Christian Churches and ecclesial communities and other ecumenical organizations. Vespers will be held at St. Joseph Cathedral on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 7 p.m. A light reception will follow in the undercroft of the Cathedral. All clergy are welcome to attend, and pastors are asked to promote the event in their parish bulletins. For more information, contact Fr. William J. Ferguson at (740) 928-3266.
January 23 - Respect Life Mass - Day of Penance and Prayer
At 10:30 a.m. on Monday, January 23, 2012, Bishop Frederick Campbell will be the celebrant at Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral, 212 E. Broad Street, Columbus, in observance of the "day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life." This day of penance and prayer falls on the anniversary of the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. For more information, contact the diocesan Office for Social Concerns at (614) 241-2540.
January 23 -- Rally for Life
The annual Rally for Life will be on Monday, January 23, 2012, at Noon at the Statehouse west plaza, Columbus. The rally is open to all ages. For more information, contact Columbus Right to Life at (614) 445-8508.
January 31 -- One Day to End Homelessness
One Day to End Homelessness calls on members of the Central Ohio Community to donate the equivalent of one day's rent or mortgage payment to assist in providing shelter to individuals and families in Central Ohio. Money raised will support the programs of the Community Shelter Board, the nationally recognized agency that funds housing and homelessness services in Franklin County. The campaign runs through January 31, 2012. Donations may be made through the Community Shelter Board's website which has been set up to recieve funds at www.onedaytoendhomelessness.org.
February 2012
February 12-15 - Catholic Social Ministry Gathering
The USCCB Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, held on February 12-15, 2012, in Washington, DC, is
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