In 1972, 47 Catholic Sisters gathered in Washington, D.C. and the spark that would become NETWORK was ignited. Shortly after that gathering, NETWORK opened its doors in April 1972. Since then, NETWORK has grown from a small lobby of Catholic Sisters into a faith-based political advocacy organization for the common with tens of thousands of justice-seekers–men, women, secular, religious, etc.–across the country. Through political ups and downs, the NETWORK community has continuously advocated for federal policies that advance racial and economic justice and promote the common good.