The Catholic Action Commission of Lorain County (CACLC) held a meeting about Immigration Reform with Congressman Jim Jordan of district four at the Catholic Charities site in Elyria on Dec. 9, 2013.

Catholic leaders from Lorain County were present and each had the opportunity to explain the Catholic Church's position and the importance of soon passing Comprehensive Immigration Reform.   Read More

Click Here for information on past events on Immigration Reform around the Diocese.

Email Sr. Kathleen Ryan, SND at the Commission on Catholic Community Action for more information.

Click Here to get the complete EITC Outreach Campaign Package.

Through the great advocacy efforts across the state, including the leadership of the Catholic Conference of Ohio, Medicaid has been expanded in Ohio for Adults with income up to 138 percent of poverty level! This translates to $15,856 for a single adult or $32,499 for a family of four. Benefits started January 1^st, but in order to receive those benefits eligible Ohioans need to apply for Medicaid through the state's website at  www.Benefits.Ohio.gov .

Anyone who may have enrolled through the federal healthcare website will need to reapply through the state site because of a current glitch in the system which will not allow the state and federal websites to communicate with each other. It is estimated that more than 60,000 Ohioans may have applied through the federal site and will be affected by this issue.

To find out if someone is eligible for Medicaid benefits, they should complete an application online at Benefits.Ohio.Gov.  If they cannot complete an application online they can go to their local JFS office and complete an application with a case worker there or call the Ohio Medicaid Consumer Hotline at (800) 324-8680.

If an individual does not qualify for Medicaid they may still qualify for help paying for insurance on the federal Health Insurance Marketplace. For more information on the federal Health Insurance Marketplace visit HealthCare.gov or call the federal hotline at (800) 318-2596. 

Please share this information widely with your networks. We need your help to let people who are eligible for Medicaid know that they must apply at www.Benefits.Ohio.gov. 

CRS Rice Bowl is Catholic Relief Services' Lenten faith-in-action program for parishes, schools and families. Participating Catholics fast, pray, and give during Lent, following Jesus' call to live in solidarity with the poorest and most vulnerable.

There are many ways to utilize the Rice Bowl program. A cardboard or homemade Rice Bowl is the traditional tool used to collect your Lenten alms. Participants can also track their alms digitally with the new CRS Rice Bowl app, which will be available soon. Read More

The Global Jewish Advocacy (AJC) is a organization with a history of over 100 years of working towards building a safer, more just world. For 50 years they have been recognizing organizations that show initiative and leadership in advancing intergroup understanding and respect in our diverse Cleveland population.

The Isaiah Award is a 20 inch statuette or the Hebrew prophet, Isaiah, holding a broken sword and standing with a plowshare. It symbolizes the turning of force and violence into love and compassion. In 1978, the Commission on Catholic Community Action (CCCA) was given this award for its work for peace with justice within the Diocese of Cleveland.

St. Joseph Academy will host the mini-summit for about 60 students and teachers on the issue of human trafficking and other areas that affect human dignity. Taking a lead from Pope Francis' call for a commitment to end human trafficking, the students will participate in workshops, hear speakers and view films about this issue with the intent to plan for future gatherings that could lead to action.

CSJP is also planning the annual CSPJ trip to Washington, DC for the March for Life which will begin on the evening of Tuesday, Jan 21^st with a prayer service at St. Ignatius followed by the bus trip to DC to participate in the March for Life. There are over 160 students already committed to this event. This is the second large gathering of the year to speak out and up for Respect for Life. A similar rally was sponsored by CSPJ in the fall.

Three members of the Diocesan Social Action Office will be returning to the Roundtable Symposium and the National Catholic Social Ministry Gathering (CSMG) in Washington, D.C. this year from January 31^st - February 5th. Rachel Schmidt,Program Administrator, for the Commission in Lorain County and CCHD will get her first opportunity to attend the conference and symposium, joined by Kelly Ann Davis, Director of the Catholic Commission of Lake & Geauga and CRS who will make her second trip to D.C. They will be joined by Patrick O'Bryan, the Wayne, Ashland and Medina Commission Director and Diocesan Director of Rural Life. Patrick will attend the conference and symposium as Chair of the Catholic Roundtable, the national professional association for Diocesan Social Action Directors. 

Press Advisory 

Chris Byrd, Catholic Roundtable 

ARCHBISHOP FRANCIS CHULLIKATT, PERMANENT OBSERVER OF THE HOLY SEE

TO THE UNITED NATIONS TO RECEIVE ROUNDTABLE'S HIGHEST HONOR

     Roundtable: the Association of Catholic Diocesan Social Action Directors is pleased to announce it will honor Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations with their Harry A. Fagan Award at a reception at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC Saturday February 1 at 6:30 PM. Read More