WASHINGTON—The
2018 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering will take place February 3-6, at the
Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.

The Gathering,
organized by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and 16 collaborating
organizations, attracts more than 500 participants from around the country and
seeks to equip Catholic leaders and emerging leaders to bring the voice of
faith to the public square.

The theme
for this year’s Gathering is “Building Community: A Call to the Common
Good.” “The Catholic Social Ministry Gathering seeks to
help Catholics respond to Pope Francis’ call to be missionary disciples who work
together to promote the common good and protect the life and dignity of God’s
children at home and around the world,” said Bishop Frank J. Dewane of
Venice, Florida, Chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Justice, Peace and Human
Development.

Joining the USCCB Department of Justice, Peace and Human
Development in organizing the Gathering are numerous other USCCB departments
and national Catholic organizations, including Catholic Relief Services (CRS),
Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic
Rural Life, the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, and others.

Bishop Dewane will celebrate a Welcome Mass on Saturday,
February 3, and USCCB’s president, Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of
Galveston-Houston, will celebrate the Sending Mass on Tuesday, February 6.
Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle, will deliver the Keynote Presentation
on “Where is your brother?”.

Bishop George V. Murry of Youngstown, Ohio, Chairman of the
U.S. Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism will address the ramifications of
racism in society and the Church, and Mauricio López, Executive Secretary of
the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM), will lead a panel presentation on
the experiences of indigenous and rural communities and their connection to
environmental matters in anticipation of the 2019 Synod of Bishops for the
Pan-Amazon announced recently by Pope Francis.

A Plenary and Dialogue on “Moving from a Throwaway Culture
to a Culture of Encounter” will include Sr. Patricia Chappell, Kim Daniels, Dr.
Maryann Cusimano-Love, Dr. R.R. Reno, and Fr. Matt Malone.

Workshops include: Best Practices in Responding to Racial
Unrest: Lessons Learned from Ferguson; Restorative Justice in Parish Life; the
V Encuentro; a Catholic Response to Migration Policy; Nuclear
Threats to the Common Good: Disarmament, North Korea and Iran; a Catholic
Response to the Opioid Abuse Crisis; Common Ground on Climate Policy; Developing
Affordable Housing for the Vulnerable; and others.

Coverage of the meeting is open to credentialed media.
Reporters interested in covering the gathering can download a credential application form and submit it by
email no later than January 12.

More information is available online: www.catholicsocialministrygathering.org/.

—
Keywords: Catholic Social Ministry Gathering; U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB; Bishop Frank J. Dewane; Committee on
Justice, Peace and Human Development; Cardinal Daniel DiNardo; Bishop Eusebio
L. Elizondo; Catholic Relief Services, CRS, Catholic Charities USA, CCUSA,
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Rural Life, Association of Catholic
Colleges and Universities; racial unrest, racism, immigration, restorative
justice, Ferguson, environment, migration policy, V Encuentro, nuclear threat,
opioid abuse, affordable housing

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Media Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops