NETWORK Lobby

NETWORK is a Roman Catholic social justice lobby in Washington, D.C.

History

On December 17, 1971, 47 Catholic Sisters from across the U.S. gathered at Trinity College in Washington, D.C. They were involved in education, healthcare, community organizing and other direct service activities, and their goal was to shape a new ministry of justice.

This was a time when the Catholic Church was undergoing dramatic changes in response to Vatican II reforms and calls from the Vatican and U.S. Bishops to seek "Justice in the World". Women religious were joining in the waves of civil rights, feminist and anti-war activism that were sweeping the U.S.

The 47 Sisters voted to form a national "network" of Sisters to lobby for federal policies and legislation that promote economic and social justice. This was the founding of NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby.

In April 1972 they opened a two-person office in Washington, and they were soon joined by more.

During the 1970s, NETWORK's first home and staff residence served as a center for Washington-area Catholic peace and justice activism. Their Saturday-night liturgies drew activists from throughout the Washington region and beyond. Their justice agenda ranged from global hunger to nuclear weapons and women’s rights. They also conducted legislative seminars that drew hundreds of participants and presenters who included prominent Members of Congress (e.g., Senators Ted Kennedy, Adlai Stevenson, Barbara Mikulski, Walter Mondale and Joseph Biden) and Catholic notables such as Fr. Bryan Hehir.

NETWORK’s impact continued to strengthen in the 1980s and 1990s. In January 2001, President Bill Clinton presented the Presidential Citizens Medal, US's second highest civilian honor, to a NETWORK founder and first Executive Director, Sister Carol Coston. She was the first Catholic Sister ever to receive this award.

Current status

Today, thousands of NETWORK members and activists work to ensure that NETWORK’s justice advocacy continues to influence and inspire elected officials, and their work is recognized by the media and public officials. For example, during the 2010 healthcare reform struggle, Simone Campbell, a lawyer and the executive director of NETWORK, Sisters of Social Service, wrote the "nuns' letter" supporting the bill and got 59 signers on the letter, including Leadership Conference of Women Religious. The letter received a great deal of media attention, and she was thanked by President Barack Obama and invited to the ceremony celebrating its being signed into law.

Today, NETWORK is also highly visible and active on other critical issues such as peacemaking, comprehensive immigration reform, housing, poverty, federal budget priorities, trade and hunger.

NETWORK's mission is to be "a Catholic leader in the global movement for justice and peace." Issues that the organization lobbies on include:

• Immigration reform
• Affordable housing
• Universal healthcare
• Retirement security
• Food security
• Wage equity
• Peace in Iraq through economic development
• Fair trade
• Investment in human needs globally and locally

US health care debate

On March 18, 2010 Sr. Simone Campbell was interviewed by NPR about NETWORK's support of the then pending US national health care bill, when she, along with "heads of dozens of religious orders representing more than 50,000 nuns" signed a letter to congress urging passage. NETWORK circulated the letter to the various heads of the orders and asked them to sign. In the interview, Sr. Campbell was asked about divisions within the Catholic Church and the difference between her position and that of the US Catholic Bishops.

Sr. Campbell received a "hug of gratitude" from President Obama at the signing ceremony for the March 2010 Health Care Reform act. The NETWORK group was credited with being a significant force in the passage of the bill into law.

External links

• NETWORK Homepage