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President Signs Letters in Name of Loretto

Posted on September 1, 2016, by Mary Ann McGivern SL

Pearl McGivney signs a lot of letters on behalf of the Loretto Community. Like the rest of us, she receives email requests to sign letters and petitions, and , like the rest of us, she chooses what to sign as an ordinary person. But often she receives requests to sign letters in our name. If Loretto has taken a stance, Pearl is ready to sign.

She has urged President Obama to block a chemical merger. She has protested poor treatment of tobacco field workers. She has endorsed the Colorado Community Rights amendment for adoption by the people of Colorado on the November 2016 ballot. The proposed amendment would allow municipalities and local communities to adopt laws that would protect their health, safety and welfare. She urged Walmart to pay its employees $15 an hour and informed Danny Weeden, president and CEO of Sakuma Bros., producer of Sakuma Bros. berries and Driscoll’s berries, that the Loretto Community supports the boycott of these products due to unfair labor practices.

The list continues. She endorsed an initiative from Food and Water Watch regarding clean energy and urging a ban on fracking and a transition to a 100 percent renewable energy economy. She signed a petition asking Congress to pass S2540 “Fair Day in Court for Kids Act” to give immigrant children and other vulnerable populations the right to legal counsel. She signed an online petition asking Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and the U.S. Congress to require GMO labeling of food packaging.

Pearl signed a letter to Congress sponsored by the Coalition on Human Needs opposing an anti-sanctuary cities bill. That bill would deny block grant money to cities that do not permit city agencies (including police and child-welfare workers) to share information about undocumented immigrants with federal agencies without a warrant.

When I see a call for organizations’ signatures on an issue I know Loretto cares about, I usually forward it to Mission Activities Coordinator Eileen Harrington in case she already has brought it to Pearl’s attention. Generally, I get a quick note from Pearl saying, “Done!” This brief account of one of Pearl’s less visible tasks may bring her more work as Interchange readers are alerted to her readiness to sign her name on our behalf. But Pearl suggested to this editor that such a report be written, indicating her readiness to continue responding to requests to speak in the name of Loretto.

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Mary Ann McGivern SL

Mary Ann recently moved from St. Louis to the Loretto Motherhouse in Kentucky. She is searching for entry points into Marian County, Ky., civic life — funding the day care center, improving jail services, helping stop a pipeline through Bernheim Forest. She is on the roster of homilists at Loretto Chapel’s Sunday Communion service. Mary Ann has been a Sister of Loretto since 1960.
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Loretto welcomes you

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