“When you get an award for doing something you love so much, it’s confusing almost… It’s like being commended for eating chocolate.” Jan Benton, 2012 Roundtable Harry A. Fagan Award recipient, opened her address to nearly 100 Roundtable members and friends with a laugh.

Jan opened her talk with a reminder and a challenge to attendees: “[Persons with disabilities] aren’t exceptional or special. They’re just folks who want to live their lives. If you give them that box, you’re setting them aside with sentimentality. Rather than that, you need to be seeing the people behind the disability and appreciating them for who they are. They are people who want to have friends, want to work, and want to live a life of faith.”

“However, they do need protection from exploitation and abuse,” she continued, “and may need services to live independently. That’s where we come in.”

Jan recognized early on and throughout her address how important her community has been to her work. She was supported in person by her husband Martin and team of co-workers, who, Jan said, frequently stretch her to go outside her comfort zone. Joe Dunn, SFO, who entered the Secular Franciscan community with Jan in 1979, also joined her at the table. As she has recognized, and those who know her well can attest, her SFO family and vocation has been instrumental in forming, supporting and guiding her in ministry.

Jan shared her personal story that brought her to ministry and advocacy for and with people with disabilities. When she was in her 20s working in a nursing home, she came face to face with issues of elder abuse among very vulnerable people. Through the course of her work, she became friends with Gail, a woman with cerebral palsy, with whom she became very close. It was through this and other significant relationships that she began to understand her vocation in this work.

Jan also told the story of Debbie, a woman who called Jan to ask if she could volunteer in the CCD program at their parish, and let Jan know she had cerebral palsy. Jan said she was immediately open to Debbie’s participation because she had known Gail. Debbie admitted to Jan that “this was the hardest call [she] ever made,” because she was worried she would be told she couldn’t volunteer.
The story served as a reminder for all Award Banquet attendees to examine our own ministries to ensure they are inclusive as well as inviting for people with disabilities.

Later, Jan encouraged us, “Assume people with disabilities want to be involved in your meetings and events and plan accordingly.” She lifted up the example of the recent Catholic Charities USA Martin Luther King Day awards gathering in which, just days before the event, Jan requested interpretation services for a friend. Without a second’s hesitation, CCUSA staff members agreed to find someone to provide this service.

Jan also presented the many challenges to life and dignity with which we are currently confronted. She shared, “We are fighting for our very lives: the right to be born, the right to needed health care, the right to not be asked to donate our organs prematurely… and to die a natural death without the suggestion that suicide might be the ‘compassionate choice’ … which has been called the ‘ultimate elder abuse.’”
It is clear that we have our work cut out for us in advocating to protect life and promote dignity for all people throughout life, especially those made most vulnerable.

At the root of Jan’s work is Catholic social teaching. “You can’t be in this work without a deep gratitude for Catholic social teaching because it gives us the understanding of the dignity of every human life. At the same time, it’s fighting for justice for dignity for people to live a life, and to have rights and responsibilities,” Jan shared.

She also said that she “grieves over the disconnect between life and justice communities” which represents lost opportunities to witness to our Catholic faith. She also, however, rejoices in the efforts in recent years to bridge this divide through the gift of our Catholic social teaching, and noted that the ministry of the National Catholic Partnership on Disabilities is a “clear bridge” in this work. She also encouraged participants to “imagine the force we can be, as Catholics, when we consistently witness to our beliefs and values.”

Jan offered that the Harry A. Fagan Award is an affirmation of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability and the strong disability advocates who fight each day for their rights and their lives. Jan’s inspiring personal story as well as her humility and steadfast commitment to justice stirred and encouraged the entire Roundtable community present.

Watch video clips from Jan’s address and Roundtable member Jerry Freewalt’s tribute to Jan.

Photos by Tom Hopkins.

Save the date for next year’s Symposium, February 9-10, 2013 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park! The Catholic Social Ministry Gathering will follow, February 10-13.

On February 11, the Roundtable awarded Jan Benton, SFO the 2012 Harry A. Fagan Award. Check out Roundtable member Jerry Freewalt’s tribute to Jan, and two clips from Jan’s address to the Roundtable. In the first, she encourages participants to “see the people behind the disability” instead of putting them aside with sentimentality. In the second, she discusses the current challenges faced by advocates for people with disabilities, as they relate to protecting life in accordance with Catholic social teaching.

We’ll have more reflections & photos about the 2012 Symposium in the coming weeks, but we wanted to share a few snippets of the feedback from participants about what they gained from this year’s Symposium Feb. 11-12 in Washington DC. Over 75 participants from 41 dioceses gathered together this year.

Have a reflection about the Symposium you’d like to share? Ways you’re using what you learned in your ministry? Share with the Roundtable!

Dr. Love takes off her "rose colored glasses."

On the speakers’ sessions: “Dr. Love’s presentation was excellent. I make presentations on racism and I am looking forward to receiving her slides to enhance my presentation.”

“Wonderful presentation that flowed nicely from our October webinar. Good connections!”

“Fr. Hehir’s presentation was excellent & filled with rich material. His presentation alone was worth the price of being here.”

“Dr. Finn’s explanations are clear and insightful. All presenters helped me understand the ‘signs of the times’ better.”

On the prayer services: “The prayers and songs were very meaningful. I will use the booklet in other efforts at home.”

On the membership meeting: “Useful – feeling of solidarity & good networking.”
“Great to see the diversity at this meeting and so many new members.”
“The timeframe was too short for the conversations that we wanted to have.”

The highlights: “Jan’s [Fagan Award] acceptance speech. The many-faceted response from the [Sunday] panel members. Dr. Finn’s references to love.”

“The best Symposium in a long time. Excellent, timely topic. The speakers were the best.”

“Fr. Marv’s history [that he offered during the luncheon]. We could have a history gathering each year.”

“The relevance of this year’s topic was amazing. Please ensure that future events are just as relevant.”

Learnings to take back to participants’ ministries: “I will put together a Faithful Citizenship plan and meet with our Catholic newspaper to coordinate communications.”

“I will be more attentive to the rights/responsibilities parts of Catholic Social Teaching when framing discussions of Faithful Citizenship, especially those rights outlined in CST.”

“My takeaways: Showing how CST has much to add to our understanding of government. We need to have respect for our differences. We need to re-imagine different solutions for transmitting the Good News of our faith!”

“I will think carefully about my use of language when talking about public policy. I’ll put a human face on public policy issues. I have lots to think about.”

Recommendations for future Roundtable events: “Evangelization & CST. Why it is so important to bring Catholics up to speed with our Church’s teaching and its transformative power of love.”

“The practical ways of doing our jobs in difficult times.”

“Food justice. Creating local food systems.”

“The Church on the edges – becoming voices of peace for the U.S.-Mexico border.”

Just less than a year ago, Servant of Justice Award Winner Tom Allio called Roundtable members to be a part of “building a life and dignity movement.” He described a movement that “would create a ‘big tent and large table’ that would put aside partisanship and invite each believer to do what he or she does best. If advocating for the unborn and terminally ill are your callings, you have a role to play and you will be affirmed and supported in these endeavors. If advocating issues that protect low income families and promoting global solidarity are your callings, you have a role to play and you will be affirmed and supported…we must recognize that both callings and many, many others are legitimate expressions of our Catholic faith and indeed mark who we are as a faith community.”

On January 25, the Roundtable hosted a webinar on Building a Life & Dignity Movement, led by your colleague Rob Shelledy, Director of the Social Justice Ministry Office of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and Lydia LoCoco Director of the Nazareth Project for Marriage and Family Formation at the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Barbara Sella, Associate Director for Respect Life and Social Concerns at the Wisconsin Catholic Conference joined Rob and Lydia. They described the work taking place in their own diocese to build such a movement.

Rob began the webinar by saying that he thought it might be better to call such work a “Life OF Dignity Movement.” Rather than joining perceived ‘interest groups’ together, something new and countercultural must be built for today’s polarized world.  Rob acknowledged that we are working in a difficult cultural context, one that is individualistic, and congregationalist (i.e. lots of love for the local priest but less attention to the bishop or pope). Also, as humans, we have a confirmation bias (we tend to be more receptive to ideas which confirm what we already believe) and tend to live among people who think and act as we do.

We also work in a changing generational context. Most people who might currently be faced with the option of abortion have always lived in a society where abortion is legal. These millennials, Lydia shared, do not see the division between respect life and social concerns in the same way that older generations have seen it, and tend to push traditional boundaries on these issues, seeing men as victims of abortion too, for example. Young people, Lydia said, easily see the threat all these issues present to the human person. Working with these young people has been one way for respect life and social concerns staff have come together.

Additionally, Cardinal-designate Dolan has been giving voice and a new vocabulary to respect life and social concerns issues, uniting both in a vision of the dignity of the human person. It is a “vocabulary of faith that people can bring into culture.”

In the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, many parishes host a Holy Hour for Life, leading up to the Respect Life March on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The deacons lead this holy hour vigil before the day of prayer and penance. The prayers of the vigil treat all the life issues, from womb to tomb, and the vigils have been immensely popular. Seven dioceses have asked to borrow the program, which Milwaukee adapted from other dioceses.

At the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, human trafficking has been an issue that has brought together unlikely allies. Millennials have been very engaged in the work, along with the National Council of Catholic Women and women religious around the world. Infant mortality in urban areas and payday lending have also been initiatives that have united people together in working for dignity and justice.

During the discussion portion of the webinar, participants offered other issues around which they have had success in uniting unlikely allies, including the death penalty, torture and indefinite detention, food safety, and care for the environment. When various diocesan offices come together to do this work, it sets an institutional example as a model for this work at various levels. The Diocese of Pittsburgh’s common formation for parish social ministers and respect life coordinators was highlighted as an example. They are in their pilot year of a “Certificate for Human Dignity,” which has served to unite these staff in valuable relationships as well as a holistic understanding of the fullness of Catholic teaching.

Participants also talked about the need to fight against our own confirmation bias and participate in human dignity activities to which we are not as inclined. One participant shared about how powerful it was for him to pray in front of an abortion clinic around the same time he was advocating for the DREAM Act. Another participant noted that birth issues tug more easily at one’s emotions, but when educating about more systemic injustices, it is important to “talk in stories” about the people who are affected by them, in order to demonstrate in a personal way how they are a threat to life and dignity.

Another participant later commented, “Life and dignity of the human person, is after all, our spiritual basis… and [it] resonates with people… One example is where the USCCB and Catholics Coalition on Climate Change praised the EPA rulings on the control of mercury, not as care for the environment, but in terms of its prevention of disease and deformity in children. The President, interestingly, did the same thing in [the State of the Union address]. Locally, we have changed the salutation on our legislative alerts and what used to be social action messages to ‘Dear respect for life and human dignity friends.’”

The presentation and discussion of this webinar provided much food for thought about continuing to educate about the fullness of Catholic teaching regarding a life OF dignity. Roundtable members who missed the webinar and would like to view the recording can login to the Virtual Roundtable to see it and download the presentation slides.

Hope & Help for the Unemployed through Collaborative Efforts

by Kathy Shine, Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Office of Social Justice Ministry

“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.” – Psalm 39:7

The opening reflection on the importance of hope resonated with me during a recent gathering of the Milwaukee Transitional Jobs Collaborative. Rev. Ellwanger began with one simple statement. “Hope is radical!”

When I think about it, he’s right. There has never been a movement for change for an individual or the common good without hope.  Hope challenges our instinct to give up despite dire conditions and encourages us to keep trying, trusting that something better is forthcoming.

Maybe that’s why I’m so proud to be involved with our ministry. We advocate for training programs and funding to help the unemployed, and oppose political agendas that wound human dignity. But we don’t stop there.

We’ve all heard or read the statistics: over 46 million people in the United States now live in poverty. They are parents who cannot feed their children, families that have lost their homes and jobless workers who have lost not only income, but also a sense of their place in society. The poor, the under-employed and the unemployed are not issues, but people with names and faces. By pooling resources and working with 22 community groups from the collaborative, we’re taking direct and concrete action to offer hope and help for the unemployed.

Our Office of Social Justice Ministry hosted a job fair in October that connected nearly 400 people with more than 20 potential employers offering more than 200 jobs, and lifted the human spirit of those who attended. We scheduled educational presentations that helped people develop their personal networks, communication and leadership skills. Attendees received packets of information on free resume services, on-line job application resources, training programs, career readiness preparation, and job search assistance. We’ve confirmed that over 40 people secured full-time employment as a direct result of our fair, and that more individuals were given interviews. With another job fair scheduled for March 30, we’re continuing our efforts to offer hope to people who see employment as a true gift.

Is your diocese offering support for workers and the unemployed? Share your experiences and best practices with your colleagues at the Roundtable!

“With what attitude should we look to the New Year?” Pope Benedict XVI asks in the introductory paragraph of his 2012 World Day of Peace Message. He recalls the image of Ps 130:6, where the faithful wait for the Lord with hope “more than those who watch for the morning.” The Pope invites us “to look to 2012 with this attitude of confident trust.”

And so, amidst challenges in our work and the many crises that our world currently faces, we look toward the coming year with hope that our Lord, the light of the world, is so very near. This same Lord is calling all of us more deeply into the work of educating and advocating for justice and peace, and building up the Church through strengthening its social mission. What are your hopes for this coming year?

The National Catholic Partnership on Disability is a shining example of the hope offered in our world through creating more inclusive ministries that honor the dignity and gifts of each person.  NCPD carries out its important mission through consultation, resource development and training offered to bishops and their personnel, people with disabilities and their families, and others. You can learn more about NCPD and how your office can partner in their work in this issue of the Roundtable Report. We’re excited to honor executive director Jan Benton in February with the Harry A. Fagan Award!

We hope that you will join us at the 27^th Annual Roundtable Symposium February 11-12 titled The Constitution and Catholic Social Teaching: A Healthy Tension (Thanks be to God!). The 2nd registration deadline for the Symposium as well as the larger Catholic Social Ministry Gathering is January 20. You can register at www.catholicsocialministrygathering.org.

Also with us in February will be Dr. Dan Finn, along with Dr. Maryann Love and Fr. Bryan Hehir as presenters for the 27^th Annual Roundtable Symposium. In December, Dr. Finn published an article in Commonweal Magazine which discusses the morality of derivatives, the Pontifical Council on Justice and Peace’s October statement on the financial crisis, and the gap in social teaching around the morality of self-interest. Read the article here and begin to form your questions for Dr. Finn in February!

In January, throughout our communities and in Washington DC Respect Life activities abound, to mark the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. In order to enhance your work in human life and dignity, we’ve posted the video presentations from the 2011 Social Action Summer Institute. The session included a presentation from John Carr on the USCCB’s work promoting Human Life and Dignity, and a panel sharing the best practices in the formation of the Louisiana Life and Justice Committee.

We hope that you’ll watch these presentations and download the accompanying resource to enhance your own organizing work in this area. To further support this work, we hope you’ll join us on Jan. 25 (note this is a change of date) for a webinar on Building a Life and Dignity Movement. Stay tuned for more information!

The first two webinars of the Roundtable’s new webinar series have been a resounding success. In October, Jude Huntz presented on the Constitution and Catholic Social Teaching, and in November, Tony Stieritz and Pam Long presented on Capacity Building.  If you missed them, check out the articles reporting some of the webinar content, with links to the video recordings.

In February, along with the Symposium and Award Banquet, the Roundtable will host our annual Membership Meeting. At the meeting, you’ll have an opportunity to voice how the Roundtable can serve you better, amidst the greatest needs and challenges you face. The board will take this feedback to the strategic planning they will undergo this summer, so please don’t miss it! Several new board members will also be elected during this meeting; read more about how board members are elected.

Whether or not you can join us in February, we hope you’ll save the dates for the 2012 Social Action Summer Institute, which will take place July 29-Aug 1, 2012 at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. We are delighted that JustFaith Ministries will be a major planning partner for the event. Our theme is international and domestic poverty, and JustFaith Ministries will lead a day on transformation and hope. More information about speakers and schedule will be coming soon.

As always, the Roundtable Roundup offers news of social action office transitions, the good work that you are doing, and upcoming initiatives from the Roundtable’s national partners. Check it out!

In order to continue all of the Roundtable’s work, we depend on your support. I recently sent out a request for 2012 dues from board chair Scott Cooper.

I look forward to seeing many of you in February. And if you’re not able to join us, I hope you’ll stay tuned for the content that we share here after the event.

Grace & Peace,

Jenn Svetlik
Roundtable Coordinator

Diocese of Little Rock Director Featured on PBS
On the weekend of January 13, PBS’s Religion & Ethics News Weekly will feature a story on prison ministry as it relates to re-entry and the racial disparity that exists in incarceration rates. (In Arkansas the population is 77% white, 16% black; Arrested for felonies it’s 65% white, 35% black;  Incarcerated for felonies it’s 48% white, 52% black). Tom Navin’s experiences in prison ministry in Little Rock are featured. You’ll be able to find it online here: http://pbs.org/religion

Tom says, “Our Prison Ministry includes working with those re-entering society and their families, in addition to visiting prisons.”

Diocese of Springfield Hosts Clergy Convocation on Catholics in Public Square
Our clergy convocation in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois was on ‘Catholics in the Public Square’. Topics included today’s culture, racism, abortion and immigration. Persons of color joined our priests to share experiences and to dialogue about action steps. Our Office for Social Concerns was grateful to our Vicar for Priests and Director of Ongoing Formation for Clergy for giving us the opportunity to assist in choosing speakers and in planning these days. We think that awareness was created and our priests did see the connection between Baptism, Eucharist and Solidarity and we hope to continue the education through legislative alerts, etc.

- Submitted by Sister M. Jane Boos, SSND, Director, Office for Social Concerns

Dioceses without Borders Launches Website and Blog:

Visit http://dioceses-without-borders.blogspot.com to learn more about the Dioceses without Borders initiative of Hermosillo, Mexand Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona. The website chronicles the history and work of the initiative and includes resources, media, and postings about their cross-border events.

- Submitted by Joanne Welter, Diocese of Tucson, Office of Human Life and Dignity

Transitions in Diocesan Offices:

Welcome to new diocesan staff in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux!
In late September, Stuart King, MSW, MA, D.Min began serving as Associate Director for Parish Social Ministry at Catholic Charities under Rob Gorman’s leadership. He’s a former priest in the Charismatic Episcopal Church, and a candidate for priestly ordination in the Catholic Church, who hopes to be ordained in the diocese next year.You can reach Stu at sking@htdiocese.org.

Welcome to new staff in the Diocese of Green Bay!
Catherine Zirngibl is the new Catholic Social Justice Coordinator in the Diocese of Green Bay’s Dept. of Evangelization, Living Justice and Worship. Zirngibl attended Marquette University for her BA and MA degrees, and while studying there, further developed her faith and passion for social justice. After graduation, she served as a Spanish teacher then as the Forgiveness and Wellness Program Coordinator at a group home for boys. Although she loved her work, Zirngibl hoped to work in an environment where she could combine her strong faith and passion for service. About her new role at the Diocese of Green Bay she says, “I feel that I have found a home with the Diocese.  I am thrilled to be working alongside so many wonderful men and women that are putting social justice at the forefront of its mission, and I truly look forward to this ministry.” You can reach Catherine at CZirngibl@gbdioc.org.

Welcome to new staff in the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahasse!
Lindsay Rae Myers is the new Parish Social Ministries Coordinator for Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida. She is from Pensacola but has lived all over the U.S. working on the streets of Chicago and the outdoors for the Archdiocese of Seattle summer camps before settling back into her hometown. She graduated from Florida State University in 2006 (with a BA increative writing and religion) and an MA in Theology from Villanova University in 2010. She says, “I am new to this work and excited to learn from others. I deeply believe in the social mission of our faith and am happy to serve in this way.” She can be reached at myersl@cc.ptdiocese.org.

Resources from USCCB-JPHD:

Sacraments and Social Mission Series: Baptism
The sacraments celebrated by the Church help us to recognize Christ’s presence in the community of the body of Christ. This recognition should lead to a stronger awareness of being sent on mission to engage in love-inspired action in the world. In order to help Catholics reflect on this topic, JPHD is offering a series of handouts on the Sacraments and social mission. Their recent handout is on Baptism, the rite of initiation into the Christian community. Please share this series with your colleagues in religious education, RCIA, clergy formation, and others who work in the area of sacramental preparation.

Reminder: Two Feet of Love in Action Revised Model and Facilitator’s Guide
Don’t forget that JPHD recently revised the “two feet” model which was used for years to describe two different, but complementary, ways of putting faith in action: social justice and charitable works. The revisions better reflect the language of Pope Benedict XVI in Deus Caritas Est and Caritas in Veritate and are detailed in

• A brief, 2-page handout of the Two Feet of Love in Action
• A Guide for Facilitators including an extensive session outline

New Video “CCHD: Living Our Faith, Breaking the Cycle of Poverty”
We are pleased to announce a new video to share the good news about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). CCHD is the domestic, anti-poverty program of the U.S. Catholic bishops. The new video, “CCHD: Living Our Faith, Breaking the Cycle of Poverty,” tells how CCHD helps poor and low-income persons address poverty in their communities. The seven-minute video, which can be found on the CCHD homepage, can be used year-round and is just in time for the CCHD national collection, which is held in most dioceses on the weekend before Thanksgiving. Please help us spread the word!

From Catholic Coalition on Climate Change: Archbishop Dolan Reflects on the “Green Pope”
In his December 1 message to Catholics of the Archdiocese of New York, Archbishop Timothy Dolan (and president of the USCCB) reflects on the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI, dubbed by the media as the “Green Pope.”  He says that Pope Benedict reminds us that just as we disobey nature’s law, by pollution and overuse of earth’s resources, at our peril, so do we disregard the nature inherent in the human person only at grave risk. Archbishop Dolan also highlights the need for personal and “inner” ecology as well: Sadly, at the very time more and more people are realizing that the environment of nature and creation demands respect and protection, fewer and fewer people acknowledge that the ecology inherent in the human person needs reverence as well. Read more of his thought-provoking article here.

Since its inception in 1982, the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) has worked diligently on behalf of the 14 million Catholics in the United States who live with physical, intellectual, sensory, mental, or emotional disabilities to achieve the following mission:

Rooted in Gospel values that affirm the dignity of every person, the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) works collaboratively to ensure meaningful participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of the life of the Church and society.

NCPD welcomes the opportunity to work with Roundtable members, and encourages members to call with questions or suggestions.  NCPD’s current and past leadership has included two Roundtable members—Jerry Freewalt of Columbus who served as Chair, and NCPD’s current Chair, Susanna Herro of Madison.

NCPD carries out its important mission through consultation, resource development and training offered to bishops and their personnel, people with disabilities and their families, Catholic organizational partners, and other professional organizations.  In fulfilling this role, NCPD is in the forefront of identifying and addressing timely issues impacting the lives of people with disabilities and their families such as prenatal diagnosis of disability and life-threatening conditions and parish outreach to veterans with disabilities and PTSD, and their families.  NCPD utilizes a multifaceted approach to address the myriad of issues faced by persons with disabilities as evidenced by some of its current initiatives highlighted below.

Pro-Life Advocacy – NCPD staff and board members work diligently to uphold the dignity of every human person in collaboration with the efforts of the USCCB Secretariat on Pro-Life Activities, the National Catholic Bioethics Center, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, state Catholic Conferences, and diocesan disability directors, to provide expert testimony, legislative language, and Action Alerts on key legislative initiatives.  NCPD joins with the bishops in seeking to counter state efforts to legalize physician-assisted suicide, affirming the value of every human life, including those living with disabilities or in intense pain and suffering. 

Legislative Advocacy – NCPD staff and Board Committee on Ethics and Public Policy, chaired by Dr. Marie Hilliard of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, workclosely with the USCCB Office of Justice, Peace and Human Development and Secretariat on Pro-Life Activities on a range of issues impacting people with disabilities.  They are also founding steering committee members of the Interfaith Disability Advocacy Coalition, which seeks to mobilize the religious community to speak out and take action on disability policy issues with Congress, the President and Administration, and society at large.

Autism Task Force (ATF) – One of the first acts of the NCPD Autism Task Force, established in 2010, was to conduct a national survey of dioceses and parishes to determine needs and gather information on what resources are currently in use.  The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate analyzed the data and produced a report, which guided the ATF in its first year, including outreach to publishers.   A primary objective of the ATF is to add resources to NCPD’s website for those serving individuals with autism spectrum disorder and to advise the NCPD Board on actions to take to advance resources needed by parishes and Catholic schools to support students and adults with autism and their families.

Ministry Foundations: Disability in Parish Life – The Ministry Foundations Project was initiated to develop basic 1-day training on disability issues and concerns for individuals in pastoral ministry whose work impacts the lives of Catholics with disabilities, but who lack specific knowledge or experience in this area (e.g.., catechists, social justice directors, youth ministers, deacons). After a series of pilots of the materials, the training module is available to be used by diocesan and parish staff to enhance their capacity to minister with and for persons with disabilities.

Nationwide Mental Illness Initiative – In July 2009, NCPD launched this initiative to help parishes meet the needs of persons with severe and persistent mental illness, developing the Welcomed and Valued DVD and Resource Manual for use in parishes, and piloting a one-day awareness workshop to be replicated (with local adaptations)  in parishes throughout the U.S.

A component of the Mental Illness Initiative is the support and growth of a nationwide Catholic Network on Mental Illness (Network).  One of the goals of the Network is to have a means of sharing ideas, ministry tools and insights among ministry leaders, family members and people with mental illness. An outreach of the Network is a free monthly electronic newsletter entitled MI Network News, available to any interested person. Council members likewise offer consultation and support to Network members and others in their local outreach efforts

NCPD E-News - NCPD publishes monthly the latest collection of NCPD, partner and diocesan news, resources, legislation and federal updates, and coming events.  People involved in ministry routinely submit items for consideration and report that they use portions of the E-News in their own newsletters to their constituents.

Webinar series – One of NCPD’s most successful outreach efforts has been conducting periodic webinars on specific disability topics of concern to diocesan directors and other NCPD constituents.  The webinars are live captioned so that Deaf individuals can participate.  They are also archived on NCPD’s website, www.ncpd.org, to enable viewing for one year after the webinar, and available for purchase on DVD. A toolkit of resources is assembled for each webinar and posted to the NCPD website for free download.   Topics that have been addressed in NCPD’s Webinar series include, for example:  (1) Access in Catholic Education: High Schools; (2) Advanced Considerations:  Mental Illness in Youth and Young Adults; and (3) Threats to the Life of People with Disabilities, Part I:  Poor Prenatal Diagnosis of Lethal or Non-lethal Conditions and Disability.