To honor the occasion, both chambers of the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed resolutions designating January 29 through February 5, 2012, as “Catholic Schools Week” in Pennsylvania. Representative William Adolph (R-Delaware) was the prime sponsor of HR 541 in the House of Representatives and Senator Jane Orie (R-Allegheny, Butler) was prime sponsor of SR 239 in the state Senate. Both resolutions passed unanimously.

The theme of 2012 Catholic Schools Week is “Catholic Schools: Faith. Academics. Service.” The theme focuses on three priorities that Catholic schools establish that make them stand out from other educational institutions: Children are taught faith— not just the basics of Christianity, but how to have a relationship with God; academics, which in Catholic schools are held to very high standards and help each child reach his or her potential; service, the giving of one’s time and effort to help others, is taught both as an expression of faith and good citizenship.

Providing a quality education for our children is the most critical investment we can make for our future. Parents have the duty and responsibility to provide the best education possible for their children. They have a right to determine which school will best meet the needs of their children.

The parents of more than 150,000 students are currently making the choice to provide their children with a Catholic education at one of Pennsylvania’s over 500 Catholic schools; but, families are often prevented from accessing the educational options that would be best for them because of economic or social barriers.

The Catholic school community supports school choice legislation that includes vouchers and an increase to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program because reinforces that parents – not the state – are the primary educators of their children.

The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program has given school choice to thousands of students; vouchers for students who need help the most will grant that opportunity to thousands more.

The Catholic Schools Week resolutions passed unanimously in the Pennsylvania House and Senate; urge your elected officials to vote the same support for Catholic schools by passing a school choice bill with an increase to EITC and vouchers so more qualified families can access a number of educational options, giving them the opportunity to choose a school that they determine is best for their child.

Send a message in support of school choice to your state legislators TODAY!

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, who also serves as Chairman of the PCC, wrote about the action necessary to pass school choice in his weekly column,

“In the coming week I’ll be writing every state senator and representative in the territory of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to press them to support school vouchers. And I’ll continue doing it until vouchers pass. I hope my brother bishops and pastors across the state will do the same. More importantly: Our Catholic people need to do the same. Elected officials do listen, and they act when the noise gets loud enough. If nothing else, the crisis of Philadelphia’s Catholic schools is an unpleasant but finally very healthy wake up call. The bill for our failure to pass school choice over the past decade has come due. Now we’re paying for it.

When vouchers stalled, yet again, in the Pennsylvania house last fall, a frustrated Catholic school teacher friend of mine said “Catholics are suckers.” I don’t believe that. But then, I’m new in town. If we Philadelphia Catholics love our Catholic schools, and we obviously do, then the time to get active and focused is now. We need to begin pressing our state lawmakers to pass the school choice legislation — including vouchers and expanded EITC credits — that’s currently pending in Harrisburg. And we need to do it this week, today, right now. I plan to do that. I hope you’ll join me.”

Read Archbishop Chaput’s entire column here.

For more information on school choice, and to contact your legislator, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/PASchoolChoice

The appointment was publicized in Washington, January 19, by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

William Skurla was born June 1, 1956, in Duluth, Minnesota, where he attended Catholic and public elementary schools. He attended Columbia University in New York, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1981. He later attended Mary Immaculate Seminary, Northampton, Pennsylvania, where he earned a master of divinity degree in 1986, and a master of theology degree in 1987.

He was professed as a member of the Franciscans in Sybertsville, Pennsylvania, in 1985, and ordained a priest in 1987. In 1996, he was incardinated into the Eparchy of Van Nuys, California, and named bishop of Van Nuys in 2002. In 2007, he was named bishop of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic, New Jersey.

The Archeparchy of Pittsburgh includes 58,492 persons, and embraces all Byzantine Ruthenian Rite Catholics in Western Pennsylvania, several counties in Ohio, and the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.

The Archeparchy of Pittsburgh is one of the two Byzantine Catholic and eight Roman Catholic Dioceses that comprise the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. Archbishop-elect Skurla will sit on the PCC Board of Governors.

Welcome and Congratulations from the PCC to Archbishop-elect Skurla!

The need for major restructuring in our schools is the most vivid example we have to justify school choice with our legislators. For those of you who would like to learn more about school choice, please review the following resources:

• School Choice in Other States
• School Choice is the Right Choice for Taxpayers
• School Choice and the Public School Budget
• School Choice and Accountability
• School Choice and Special Needs Students
• More Information

Education is the most important investment we can make in our future.

Contact your legislator in support of school choice today!

The PCC supports the following legislation:

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Senate Bill 1/ House Bill 1678/ House Bill 1708/ Others – School Choice

Senate Bill 1 or what could be another legislative vehicle is a top priority for the PCC. The proposal will increase the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program and create Opportunity Scholarships, or vouchers, for the poorest students in the worst performing schools. PCC has been waging a full scale grassroots advocacy campaign to generate support for school choice.

School choice advocates were disappointed that a reform package that includes school vouchers and an increase to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) scholarship program was not passed before the legislature adjourned for the Christmas break. It is not too late to send a message to your state legislators urging them to pass school choice in 2012. Use the Catholic Advocacy Network to send one today.

House Bill 1378/ Senate Bill 1154 – Special Education Services

These bills would enhance the level of support to special education students in nonpublic schools.

Senate Bill 1134 – Regulation of Religious Child Care Programs

This bill would place the regulation of religious child care and early childhood development facilities in the Department of Education rather than the Department of Public Welfare. It would also remove the asserted authority of the state to demand that religious teaching ministries obtain a state license before they are allowed to exist, while still maintaining all mandates relating to health and safety.

SOCIAL CONCERNS DEPARTMENT

House Bill 1254 – Prohibited use of Public Assistance Funds

This bill would ban the use of an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card to purchase tobacco products, firearms or ammunition, and bans the use of EBT cards at casinos.

Senate Bill 732 – Abortion Clinic Regulations Bill SIGNED INTO LAW

The new law addresses concerns that stemmed from the tragic deaths of one woman and seven infants that occurred in the Philadelphia abortion clinic of Dr. Kermit Gosnell where a woman died and seven newborn babies were killed by infanticide. Conditions in the clinic were so filthy and unsafe that investigators called it a “house of horrors.” The measure holds abortion facilities to the same fire and safety standards, personnel and equipment requirements, and quality assurance procedures as other freestanding ambulatory surgical facilities.

PENNSYLVANIA CATHOLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION

House Bill 1583 – Protective equipment for motorcycle riders

This legislation would repeal the “no helmet” law that was passed in 2006. It would require drivers and passengers of motorcycles to wear protective headgear.

Senate Bill 1099 – Minimum Wage Law

This bill concerns overtime compensation for employees in health care facilities like hospitals and long-term care facilities. If an employee works more than eight hours in any one workday and in excess of 80 hours in 14 days, the employee would be compensated at no less that 1 1/2 times the regular rate.

The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference advocates many different issues – Catholic education, religious liberty, life & dignity of the human person, marriage & family, social justice, health care, and faith & politics. To receive action alerts on active issues, join the Pennsylvania Catholic Advocacy Network at www.pacatholic.org/advocacy

Today in Pennsylvania there are 1,200 parishes serving more than 3.3 million Catholics. Pennsylvania Catholics make up 26% of the state’s population. The Church in Pennsylvania provides 52,000 jobs.

But the real legacy of the Church is in how Catholics live out the Gospel in their own communities.

Charitable Outreach

In 1797, the first formal Catholic charitable institution in Pennsylvania was an orphanage and trade school in Philadelphia. More than 200 years later, the Catholic Church continues to minister to people in need.

Catholic Charities agencies are still serving children, although today foster care and adoption services are the norm. Catholic Charities also helps families and individuals with behavioral health, family counseling, and addiction programs. The agencies help refugees and immigrants settle here in the United States.

Catholic Charities agencies provide direct aid to the poor with food pantries and soup kitchens, housing and utilities assistance, and help with clothing and other basic needs.

In 2010, more than 360,000 individuals received services from a Catholic Charities agency in Pennsylvania, and many of them benefit from more than one service.

Education

Catholic schools are another rich part of Pennsylvania’s history. The first parochial school in the United States, St. Mary’s, opened in Philadelphia in 1782. The school is still helping students reach their potential.

Today, Pennsylvania’s approximately 540 Catholic schools are teaching more than 150,000 students. Catholic schools provide jobs for over 10,000 teachers and other professional staff. Most Catholic high schools rightly boast graduation rates at or near 100% for non-transferring students, as well as SAT scores above the state and national averages. Of those graduates, over 90% go on to attend either a two- or four-year institute of higher learning.

Catholic parochial and diocesan schools educate students by establishing high goals and standards as well as strong motivation and effective discipline, all within a nurturing atmosphere. Catholic schools aim to develop each student as a “whole person” – academically, of course, but also spiritually, physically and emotionally.

In two centuries, Pennsylvania’s Catholic schools have educated countless leaders, entrepreneurs, inventors, and even a saint or two.

Both Catholic and non-Catholic students attend parochial and diocesan schools, but the thousands of Catholic students who attend Pennsylvania public schools are also well-formed in our rich faith. They learn and grow in their Catholic identity through parish ministries. In all, approximately 440,000 students receive Catholic instruction every year.

Health Care

Catholic hospitals are another fixture on the Pennsylvania landscape. Generations of Catholics, often women and men in religious orders, came to the Pennsylvania with a mission to care for the sick, the aged and the dying.

In 2010, Catholic health care served more than 3.3 million people in Pennsylvania.

There are Catholic hospitals, long-term care facilities, multi-facility health systems, special providers or other related entities in every community. The Catholic health care system provides healing and comfort through many programs and facilities, ranging from large, state-of-the-art hospitals and emergency rooms to small neighborhood personal-care homes and mobile clinics.

Catholic providers are an integral part of our health care system. They operate with a fundamental commitment to the sanctity and dignity of human life and demonstrate a special concern for the poor and most vulnerable members of society. Often Catholic facilities are the provider of last resort for those who are very poor and very sick.

Forward in Faith

As we consider this strong and vibrant Catholic presence in Pennsylvania, it is easy to feel proud, but we should not feel content. As those of you familiar with the work of the PCC know, threats to religious liberty, the dignity of the human person and other issues of importance to Catholics have become frequent. We also have opportunities to make advancements that would benefit Catholic health care and education, would strengthen our service to the poor and would better enable us to live out our Gospel values. Complacency would not have been tolerated by those who laid this solid foundation over the past 200-plus years, and it should not be tolerated today. And so, as we look to the public policy issues that will face us in 2012, let us be inspired by knowing that our family of faith extends across our entire state and reaches our brothers and sisters in every walk of life.

This article appeared in the Fall 2011 issue of the Viewpoint

The staff of the PCC wishes you and your family a very Merry Christmas. May the joy and peace that the Christ child brings be with you throughout 2012!

We’d like to share with you the following column from Sr. Mary Ann Walsh, Director of Media Relations for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:

The Christmas Welcome Mat

The welcome mat is out at Catholic churches across the country. Actually it’s always out, but churches tend to emphasize their open arms and doors during Advent and Christmas and later on in Lent and at Easter.

Why now?

There’s something in the season that makes you think of home – including the spiritual home some are too busy to visit throughout the year. The message of the Prince of Peace, the carols learned in childhood, the large-as-life crèches, and the overflowing poinsettias have a way of warming even a cold heart.

The options are many.

Read the rest here.

SB 1 – Vouchers and an Increase to EITC

In the final days of their 2011 session, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives did not take up the issue of vouchers to the great disappointment of school choice proponents across the state.

Senate Bill 1, The Opportunity Scholarship Act, passed the Senate in late October by a vote of 27-22. School choice supporters were hopeful that families in Pennsylvania would soon be able to choose the education that is best for their children, but the voucher proposal discussed by House leadership was vastly different than Senate Bill 1.  Ultimately, this different language was never put before the House for a vote. Legislation concerning charter schools that included an increase to EITC was put forth for a vote and did not pass.

Senate Bill 1 remains an active piece of legislation. Send a message to your legislature asking them to take up school choice when they return by clicking here.

SB 732 – Abortion Clinic Regulations Passed into Law

Championed by Rep. Matt Baker (R-Tioga), Senate Bill 732 passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by a vote of 151-44 on Tuesday, December 13. It passed the Senate earlier this year by a vote of 38-12 and on Wednesday, December 14, it was again passed in the Senate (32-18) in concurrence with the House. The bill awaits the governor’s signature.

The new law addresses concerns that stemmed from a tragedy that occurred in the Philadelphia abortion clinic of Dr. Kermit Gosnell where a woman died and seven newborn babies were killed by infanticide. Conditions in the clinic were so filthy and unsafe that investigators called it a “house of horrors.” The measure holds abortion facilities to the same fire and safety standards, personnel and equipment requirements, and quality assurance procedures as other freestanding ambulatory surgical facilities.

The passage of this bill into law is a victory for women and children in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC) is urging all advocates to thank their legislators who voted yes for their pro-life vote on SB 732. Click here for the list of Senators and Representatives who voted in favor of the abortion clinic regulations bill. If you live in one of these legislators’ districts, you can use the Pennsylvania Catholic Advocacy Network to send an easy email thank you message today.

HB 1977 – Abortion Ban in Health Insurance Exchanges Passes PA House

On Monday, December 12, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted 146 to 45 to remove abortion funding from the state health care exchanges that will be created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

This margin of victory in the state house indicates that the legislature is not in favor of using taxpayer’s money to fund abortions. According to a 2010 Quinnipiac Poll, 67% of Americans oppose abortion funding in the federal health care exchange.

House Bill 1977 now goes to the state senate. This bill is similar to Senate Bill 3, which passed 37-12 in the Senate earlier this year, and has been sent to the house. Please send a message to your legislators requesting a pro-life vote!

Women’s Right to Know Act: Ultrasound Access Bill

In addition to the legislation mentioned above, the PCC is also supporting a bill requiring that a woman be given the option to see her ultrasound and see/hear her unborn child’s heartbeat. This bill, HB 1077, was introduced in October with over 110 co-sponsors. The PCC hopes that this legislation will be considered early in 2012.

Senate Bill 1, The Opportunity Scholarship Act, passed the Senate in late October by a vote of 27-22. School choice supporters were hopeful that families in Pennsylvania would soon be able to choose the education that is best for their children, but the voucher proposal discussed by House leadership was vastly different than Senate Bill 1.  Ultimately, this different language was never put before the House for a vote. Legislation concerning charter schools that included an increase to EITC was put forth for a vote and did not pass.

Senate Bill 1 remains an active piece of legislation. One part of Senate Bill 1 is the Opportunity Scholarship, or voucher, program; another important part is an increase the long standing and successful Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. Recognized as a national model and the best example of public-private partnership in Pennsylvania, the EITC program has allowed more than 40,000 students to attend the school of their choice in this school year alone. Hundreds of public school initiatives would have gone unfunded without this program.

The inaction on vouchers in the House is disappointing, especially for those who see school choice as a social justice issue. In a statement in support of school choice, the Pennsylvania Bishops said, “The current treatment of these children, particularly children from low-income families, is unjust and inequitable. Families are often prevented from accessing the educational options that would be best for them because of economic or social barriers. School choice legislation that includes vouchers and an increase to EITC reinforces that parents – not the state – are the primary educators of their children.”

Send a message of support for school choice to your legislators using the Catholic Advocacy Network here.

Shea is Outreach Director of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference – the public affairs arm of Pennsylvania’s Catholic bishops and the Catholic dioceses of Pennsylvania.

The Senate already passed Senate Bill 1; the House may pass that bill as it is or something else that resembles it. And the governor will need to sign it upon final passage. State Representatives, State Senators and the governor all need to hear from their constituents. CLICK HERE TO SEND A MESSAGE TO YOUR LAWMAKERS URGING FINAL SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL CHOICE!

Legislators are in their home districts on Thursdays and Fridays, so feel free to visit or call them as well. Not sure what to say? Here is a sample script that you can use to make your point if you make a visit or phone call. In short, say, “As your constituent, I am asking you to support an increase in the EITC program and the creation of a school choice Opportunity Scholarship program.”

The future of Pennsylvania’s children is at stake – take action today by calling, faxing, e-mailing, or visiting the local office of your state Representative and Senator.

Governor Corbett supports school choice, so we should thank and encourage him, too. Call him at 717-787-2500 and use the PA Catholic Advocacy Network to send email messages to the governor as well as your state legislators.

If you have voiced your support for school choice before, do it again, and share this alert with family, friends and neighbors. This is it, the final countdown on school choice!

Follow this link to send an easy e-mail message or use the PA Catholic Advocacy Network website to locate the phone number or district office address for your legislators. This is the final push for school choice and your voice is needed!