Catholics to Deliver Petition in Support of Nuns At Bishops Meeting in Atlanta
For Immediate Release
June 12, 2012
Contacts:
Nicole Sotelo: 773.404.0004 x285
Erin Saiz Hanna: 401.588.0457
Catholics to Deliver Petition in Support of Nuns
At Bishops’ Meeting in Atlanta
Washington, DC – Leaders of the Nun Justice Project, a group of Catholic organizations that coordinated the recent nationwide vigils, will hand-deliver a petition in support of the sisters to U.S. Bishops at their biannual meeting on Wednesday, June 13th in Atlanta, GA.
The organizations reached their goal of 57,000 signatures, one signature for every sister in the United States. Leaders of the Nun Justice Coalition and their supporters will gather at 12 noon in front of the Atlanta Hyatt Regency in order to pray before delivering the petition to the Bishops. The petition calls on the Vatican to rescind its harmful mandate against the sisters.
“Catholics across the country are outraged by the Vatican’s attempt to threaten the women who have been the backbone of this church for centuries,” said Erin Saiz Hanna, spokesperson for the Nun Justice Project and Executive Director of Women’s Ordination Conference. “With the nationwide vigils and this petition, Catholics have made it clear that they stand in solidarity with the sisters and their good work among the poor and marginalized.”
“At a time when the church hierarchy is beset by scandal, faithful Catholics are looking for moral leadership and have clearly placed their vote of confidence with the sisters,” said Jim FitzGerald, spokesperson for the Nun Justice Project and Executive Director of Call To Action.
Later this month, the Nun Justice Coalition will be encouraging Catholics to redirect their Peter’s Pence contribution to local women religious communities. Peter’s Pence is an annual second collection, normally made at the end of June. To date, 50K has already been pledged in support of the sisters.
“The Church needs leaders willing to live out the gospel call. We are grateful for the sisters who have modeled for us authentic, moral leadership,” concluded Hanna.
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The Nun Justice Project is a grassroots movement supported by the following organizations: American Catholic Council, Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church , Call To Action, Catholics for Choice, CORPUS, DignityUSA, Federation of Christian Ministries, FutureChurch, New Ways Ministry, Quixote Center, RAPPORT, Voice of the Faithful, WATER: Women’s Alliance for Theology Ethics and Ritual, and Women’s Ordination Conference. For more information, visit www.nunjustice.org.