Website
 
 
            CONNECTICUT CATHOLIC ADVOCACY NETWORK                           
                             NEWSLETTER 01/24/2008
 



  This newsletter is a summary of various church, state and national news
items of interest to Catholics throughout Connecticut.  The newsletter is 
produced by the Connecticut Catholic Conference.  

                                        -----------------------------------------
                                           
--- SAVE THE DATE - Catholic Awareness Day at the Capitol - March 12, 2008

         The Connecticut Catholic Conference will hold a Catholic Awareness Day at the State Capitol on March 12th. This day has previously been called Catholic Concerns Day. However, not only the name is changing, but also the format for the day. Watch your email and church bulletins for further details. Plan to join other concerned Catholics and Connecticut's Bishops at the Capitol on that day. Work with people in your parish to come as a group and meet with you elected officials.
         
--- SUPPORTIVE HOUSING  - An increase in the number of Supportive Housing units in the State will be strongly pursued by housing advocates during the upcoming legislative session. These programs give homes and support services to individuals and families who would otherwise be homeless. The background sheets listed below from the Reaching Home extremely informative.
            
  • The Reaching Home Campaign is advocating for 650 new units of supportive housing in the 2008 Connecticut legislative session. The fact fact sheets listed below discuss the need for the 650 units to be funded; the benefits of supportive housing for individuals, communities, and the State; municipal support for more supportive housing, and more.
Fund 650 Units in 2008 - basic fact sheet 
Funding Fact Sheet for 2008
Communities Support More Supportive Housing
Supportive Housing is an Economic and Policy Success
Growing Demand for Supportive Housing
Mental Health Fact Sheet


--- DEATH PENALTY SPEAKER - At Saint Joseph College on February 11th. See below.

Helen Prejean, CSJ, author of Dead Man Walking:
An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States
Monday, February 11 at 7:00 p.m.
The Bruyette Athenaeum's Hoffman Auditorium at Saint Joseph College
WEST HARTFORD, CT - Saint Joseph College will present a lecture featuring Sister Helen Prejean who will address the topic of capital punishment as discussed in her best-selling book, Dead Man Walking on Monday, February 11, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in The Bruyette Athenaeum's Hoffman Auditorium. A book signing and sale, featuring Dead Man Walking and Sister Helen's second book, The Death of Innocents, will be held in The Winifred E. Coleman Lobby of The Bruyette Athenaeum following the talk. This event is free of charge; however, tickets are required since seating is limited. To place a reservation, call the Frances Driscoll Box Office at 860.231.5555.
A native of Louisiana , Sister Helen Prejean is known internationally for her tireless work against the death penalty. She was instrumental in sparking national dialogue on the issue and in shaping the Catholic Church's newly vigorous opposition to all state executions.
As a member of the Congregation of Saint Joseph, Sister Helen has served as a religious educator, advocate for the poor and counselor to death row inmates. In 1982, she first met Patrick Sonnier in Louisiana 's Angola Prison; Sister Helen became his spiritual adviser and ultimately walked with him to the electric chair. Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States was published by Random House in 1993. A chronicle of Sister Helen's experiences within the system of prison executions, the book became a best seller, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and spawned an Oscar-winning movie starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. More recently, it has become an internationally- acclaimed opera. Tim Robbins has made it into a play that is being performed by high school and college students across the country.
Sister Helen graduated from Saint Mary's Dominican College in New Orleans in 1962 with degrees in English and Education; she earned her M.A. in Religious Education from Saint Paul 's University in Ottawa , Canada in 1973. Sister Helen is the recipient of numerous awards for her work, including a 1998 honorary degree from Saint Joseph College . She is a regular contributor to national and international publications, and has become a recurring presence on major television news shows. 



--- NUMBER OF ABORTIONS DOWN  - A new report on the number of abortions in the United States is gratifying to those in the pro-life movement. Read the article below and also read the excellent column by columnist Steve Chapman of the Chicago Tribune on why this probably happened and what the numbers reflect about the current view of abortion in our society (some great statistics).

                    Hartford Courant Report     

                    Chicago Tribune Commentary  

                    Time Article on how both sides see the decline in the numbers 

--- STEM CELL RESEARCH  - Excellent article reporting on what states are doing on stem cell research. Connecticut has budgeted $100 million for stem cell research. Although allowed by the enacting legislation to  be used for embryonic or adult stem cell research, the advisory committee overseeing the distribution of the funds has limited it to embryonic stem cell research.

                     States Vie For Stem-Cell Scientists