Life on the Road
During October I had the chance to participate in the Nuns on the Bus project sponsored by Network, a Catholic social justice lobby founded by Catholic Sisters [Check out networklobby.org] This was the 6th cross-country bus trip led by Sr. Simone Campbell, the Executive Director of Network. This year the theme was promoting “reasonable revenue for responsible programs,” a response to the tax law passed in December 2017 that will have devastating effects on programs for poor and middle-income citizens.
I joined a group of 9 other Sisters and some amazing staffers for week 3 of a 4 week journey. During week 3, we traveled through Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, and finally, Washington, DC. We did lobby visits with legislators, held rallies in which local constituents spoke about their concerns, and had town hall meetings to help educate people about the tax law and how we can encourage the new Congress to change it. It was exhilarating, exhausting, and fun – all at the same time!
Printed on the back of the bus was a quotation of Pope Francis: “A good Catholic meddles in politics.” I firmly believe that “meddling” is a significant role for Sisters. Our lives free us to work for the common good, to put ourselves out there to advocate for those who have no voice, to be fearless in the face of all that hurts the most vulnerable. This is the call of the Gospel.
Network answers the Gospel call by advocating in the political arena for justice and peace for the entire human family. How might you answer that call?
Erica Jordan, OP
Kenosha, WI
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