Topic archive
Advocacy
Look at the word “advocacy.” Its root — “vocare” —is closely related to the word “vocation,” or divine calling. These works of justice of ours are our vocation at its most faithful practice. We respond to the needs of people who are poor, we support actions to reverse harmful climate change and restore a healthy climate, we work for the abolishment of nuclear weapons, we support efforts against human trafficking, we hear the cries of our neighbors at the border. We do this work “because the Gospel urges us.”
Support for bishops’ immigration statement
Posted in the The Record on February 20, 2025 On February 20, 2025, The Record published a joint letter from Dominican Sisters of Peace, Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Sisters of Loretto/Loretto Community and Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, supporting the…
Letter to the editor: Restore the USAID
This letter to the editor by Sister Patricia McCormick SL appeared in the March 12, 2025 issue of the Lebanon Enterprise. Dear Editor, I write to ask whether others in our county community are as dismayed as I am by…
New Kentucky bill could let religious organizations develop affordable housing: What to know
Updated February 17, 2025 Senate passes Higdon Bill to expand affordable housing Senate Bill 59 heads to House Click here to read about the Kentucky Senate passing the Higdon Bill to expand affordable housing. Sister Joy Jensen SL and the…
Lenten Peace Prayer public event
THE LORETTO COMMUNITY, SISTERS AND CO-MEMBERS, IS INVITING ANYONE CONCERNED ABOUT VIOLENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST TO: A public Lenten prayer service for peace in the region and for Palestinians in Gaza followed by a meeting of a small group…
Loretto urgently calls for end to Middle East war
Loretto grieves the deaths in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, mostly women and children. All their homes in Gaza are gone. The survivors in Gaza are starving. We, the Loretto Community,…
A Pride Month proclamation in Cedar Falls, Iowa
In April 2023, the Cedar Falls (Iowa) Human Rights Commission drafted a proclamation calling for June to be declared Pride Month. The proclamation was sent to the city council for its approval at its May 1 meeting. Two days prior…
What to do about global plastic pollution?
I’m not sure about you, but when I grew up in the 1960s there were not many single-use plastics in our everyday lives. To me it makes no sense whatsoever to make something that I’m going to use for a…
Unseen Costs of Looking Nice
I start with a confession: I am the opposite of a clothes horse. I once thought of joining the military just so I would not have to think about what to wear. I hate shopping. But my work required me to…
Speak Up, Speak Out and Get out the Vote!
Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few, September, November! Willie Nelson, “September Song” That line from “September Song” is a fitting way to begin an exhortation for all of us to work hard during these next months, as we…
The Critical Importance of School Board Elections
There’s no such thing as neutral education. Education either functions as an instrument to bring about conformity or freedom. Paulo Freire, “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” I live in California and my mail-in ballot is pages and pages long. Like all…
Use Your Voice! Call Your Senators!
The easy way to reach your senator or congressional representative is to call the congressional switchboard (202-224-3121). Call to say you are dismayed at the Supreme Court action on — just about anything — and what is the senator or congressperson doing about…
Loretto Advocacy: ‘Because the Gospel Urges Us’
Loretto’s Constitutions give us the foundational words for the work of Loretto in today’s world. Article 36 is straightforward and clear: “We work for justice and act for peace because the Gospel urges us.” “Because the Gospel urges us.” It…