The 2007 legislature moved the Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI) to the Department of Commerce. The department now has a website devoted to the state OFBCI. The site includes regular newsletters, meeting information, grant opportunities, and communications from the White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives. Check it out.

The United Nations estimates that up to a million people may have been left homeless in the wake of Cyclone Nargis. "It could not have happened in a worse stretch of land. With the tidal surge at 12 to 15 feet, presumably thousands of people living along the [Irrawaddy] Delta were simply washed away," says Pat Johns, director of Catholic Relief Services' emergency response team.

CRS is supporting the emergency relief and response efforts of the Caritas Internationalis network in the most affected areas of Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis brought a deadly tidal surge across the low-lying coastal areas of the country on Saturday.

The latest reports are that 60,000 people are dead or missing and 1 million are homeless. These numbers are expected to rise. The level of devastation is still difficult to assess as communications remain spotty and news trickles out of the country. Conditions are dire. Food, water and basic shelter are urgently needed.

Please donate now to help CRS provide relief to the thousands of families affected by this tragic disaster.

For more than 60 years, CRS has supported long-term development programs and emergency relief efforts—including responses to cyclones and other natural disasters—in the regions of Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Senate voted 95 to 0 to pass the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (“GINA,” H.R. 493), which bars employers and health insurers from discriminating against individuals on the basis of their own or their family members’ genetic information, on April 24.

Deirdre McQuade, Assistant Director for Policy and Communications at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, praised its passage.

“Today the Senate took a stand for some of the most vulnerable members of the human family, whether born, yet to be born, or placed for adoption. No one should be discriminated against on the basis of genetic testing,” McQuade said.

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a nearly identical bill by a vote of 420 to 3 on April 25, 2007.

“The Pro-Life Secretariat is particularly grateful to Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) for ensuring that this bill’s protection against discrimination will cover the families of unborn children with adverse prenatal diagnoses, as well as children being adopted,” she said. “His advocacy on their behalf will empower families to welcome vulnerable children with special needs into their lives.”

“After minor technical differences between the House and Senate bills are resolved, we look forward to President Bush signing into law this important protection for American families,” McQuade said.

North Dakota Catholic Conference executive director Christopher Dodson attended a White House welcoming ceremony for Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday.

The invitation-only event on the White House south lawn was the official welcome to the Pope on his first visit to the United States since assuming the pontificate. It was only the second visit of a pope to the White House in United States history.

President Bush and first lady Laura Bush welcomed the Pope in a ceremony that included a 21-gun salute, a fife and drum band, and a singing of the Lord’s Prayer. Following the official ceremony, the band led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to the Pope, who turned 81 on Wednesday.

“Both the President and the Holy Father spoke of the importance of faith, virtue, and religious liberty in a democratic society,” said Dodson. “The whole event instilled a sense of pride and appreciation at being both Catholic and American,” added Dodson.

Dodson received the invitation because of his position as the public policy liaison for the state’s Roman Catholic bishops. He will be available for interviews.

For the last two and one-half years, Kathryn Grafsgaard has served as the conference’s health care advocate and associate director. Kathy now leaves the conference to be closer to her family and to pursue new endeavors. Her work and dedication to the conference's work for the Church has been a blessing. We wish her the best.

The conference has chosen Caitlin McDonald as the new health care advocate and associate director. Caitlin was raised in Bismarck and recently returned from the University of Kansas. She represented the State Association of Nonpublic Schools during the last legislative session.

The North Dakota Catholic Conference web site was down for a couple of days due to a problem with company that handles our server. We apologize for any inconvenience.

SB 2212 Health Care Directives

HB 1463 Medical Assistance and S-CHIP

HB 1466 Prohibition on Abortion

Clicking on will generate an sample e-mail to send to your legislator. In some cases, the addresses will already be filled in!

Also: Check out the Action Alerts page for a list of current action alerts.

The Catholic Bishops of Texas have just issued two statements that would be of interest to many North Dakotans.

The controversy over the HPV vaccine has gained national attention as some state legislatures consider making the vaccination mandatory. Texas has been the center of the controversy and the state's bishops have issued a useful statement on the HPV vaccine matter. The North Dakota legislature is not considering any vaccination program. House Bill 1471, however, would appropriate funds to the Department of Health for education about the vaccine.

At the same time, the Texas bishops released a statement on the construction of new coal-fired energy plants. The statement gives principles for guidance drawn from Catholic social teaching. Since North Dakota is also an energy producing state looking at expanding coal-based energy, the statement should be of interest to North Dakotans.

Patrick Atkinson, founder of the God's Child Project, recently gave a presentation at the University of Mary on human trafficking and slavery. Fighting human trafficking is becoming a top priority for church leaders around the world. This Bismarck Tribune story discusses Atkinson's talk.

Msgr. George D. Schneider died early this Wednesday morning, December 13, 2006 in Harvey, ND.  He died from respiratory failure at St. Aloisius Medical Center in Harvey. Msgr. Schneider was always an advocate for social justice, the former rural life director for the Diocese of Fargo, and supporter of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. Pray that Christ, the Good Shepherd, may reward him with the crown of eternal life for his faithful service as a priest and shepherd to Christ's flock, the Church.  Pray that God may comfort his family, friends, and parishioners that he served, and all who served with him.