Open Letter from Call To Action
OPEN LETTER TO LAY CHURCH WORKERS
March 19, 2012
Dear Catholic Church Workers,
We send you greetings today as the church commemorates St. Joseph, Patron Saint of Workers.
On this day celebrating workers, we thank you for your ministries to the people of God.
With more than 30,000 lay ministers in the U.S. church today and countless others in
Catholic-affiliated ministries, you are an integral part of the leadership and sustainability
of our communities.
You also suffer some of the deepest injustices among workers in North America. Many of you
have suffered from low and unequal wages, no contract with your employer, lack of unemployment
insurance, unjust firings for your support of women, the LGBT community or abuse survivors, and
no legal recourse.
We also know that you often feel unable to speak up for that in which you believe or rendered
voiceless by structures that exclude your input. The last few weeks have proven this again as
Catholic officials and government leaders have debated over whether you should be allowed
comprehensive healthcare access, including hormone therapy, or in popular parlance,
"contraception" - but nobody has asked what you think or need.
We also recognize that many church workers, despite the recent government compromise, will
continue to be kept from comprehensive healthcare access because you work under diocesan
insurance plans not addressed by the compromise.
Today, we write to you because we want you to know you are not alone.
We hear from many of you and we know that not everyone is able to speak publicly. Nonetheless,
know we are here for you. If you need to talk, even confidentially, you have a place to turn.
St. Joseph was a man who respected and worked with Mary, a woman, to create a family that gave
birth to a new faith; a new moment in the world. We look forward to a time when church officials
will also respect lay workers so that as true co-workers in the vineyard together we will create
a better church; a better world.
The 25,000 members of Call To Action-many of whom are church workers- stand with you and thank you
for your continued ministry to the people of God. You, like St. Joseph, are carpenters among our
faith communities; builders of our future.
Sincerely,
Jim FitzGerald
Executive Director of Call To Action
Ruth Kolpack
CTA Church Worker Justice Advocate
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