Local

WHEATON—At the local level, Oct. 17 was observed as an opportunity to Stand-up against poverty and join in solidarity with the ailing, the hungry, the cold and poor around the world. Both the Sisters and a number of Covenant members at Our Lady of the Angels (OLA) Motherhouse in Wheaton, Ill., demonstrated public support for an organized declaration to stamp out poverty. Father Tom Borkowski, chaplain at OLA, .reminded participants at Mass that reflecting on the world’s needy is indeed a compassionate response from the faithful. Several of the sisters and covenant members are pictured at a display in front of the chapel. Click here to view Picture. 

The ONE Campaign is a national group organized for the purpose of focusing its energies on making poverty history. Move than 70 organizations nationwide, including faith-based and other nonprofit social justice oriented groups, have become affiliates. The DuPage Global AIDS Action Network (DGAAN), an offshoot group born out of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Office of the Wheaton Franciscans (JPIC) and Wheaton College, voted last month to officially join ONE. Click here to view photo. Some members of the DGAAN groups had previously joined ONE as individuals in support of the effort to make a historic pact for compassion and justice for the benefit of the world’s poorest populations, especially those additionally impacted by the tragedy of HIV/AIDS. Feel free to check out local activities related to achieving support for victims of HIV/AIDS; visit http://www.dgaan.org/ or the ONE Campaign at http://www.one.org/takeaction/. 

National

WASHINGTON, D.C.—On the national front, Sr. Sheila, as a member of the JubileeUSA contingent, which visited 70 congressional offices during the three-day coordinated event, Oct. 16-18, in Washington, D.C., made a point to address the issue of global poverty. She raised awareness of the issue, broaching it as a vital imperative that policymakers need to address. The aim of the congressional visits, she said, is to strengthen support for the issue and gather backing from both sides of the aisle. Illinois Senators Barack Obama and Richard Durbin, leaders within the Democratic Party, expressed commitments to programs designed to bolster the situation of the impoverished. Having thanked the senatorial members of Congress, she moved then to meet with Illinois Representatives Judy Biggert, R-Willowbrook, and Peter Roskam, R-Wheaton, with whom she discussed the urgency of the matter of poverty and encouraged their support as well.

Roskam, along with other members of Congress, was the recipient of thousands of signed statements in support of debt cancellation that were printed on paper dinner plates; they were symbols of solidarity with the millions who daily go hungry in the world’s poorest nations. Click here to view photo of Wheaton Franciscan Sisters holding up their symbolic plates. Meanwhile, Roskam read an article published last month in the Wheaton Sun, which featured the Wheaton Franciscan Congregation for its role as a participant in the Rolling Fast Campaign. Sr. Sheila explained that these symbols are tangible expressions of the will of the people. It highlights a stronghold of like-minded citizens who are inclined to put into practice the teachings of the Catholic Church on matters of social justice.

Roskam is an important figure, said Sr. Sheila, because he holds a key position in Congress; he is a member of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology which considers the legislation. While there, she also hand delivered 25 supporting constituent letters. The visit is designed to achieve a persuasive impact. It’s meant to encourage lawmakers to sign on to pertinent legislation. For a sample letter to be sent to your representative, please go to http://www.one.org/declare/index.html. For more information on the advocacy for debt cancellation and updates on Jubilee meetings, please go to the jubilee web site, www.jubileeusa.org.

On Oct. 18, Durbin hosted the regular breakfast for the Illinois constituents. At this event, it is customary for the senator to respond to questions at large. Among the queries addressed were the war in Iraq, needs of Iraqi soldiers, the children of Northern Uganda, healthcare, Jubilee debt cancellation and comprehensive immigration reform.