Category Archives: Front Page

Erasing the Black Vote

From the Supreme Court and Congress to State Legislatures, the Right to Vote is Consistently Under Attack

Min. Christian S. Watkins
May 15, 2026

My grandmother had to pay poll taxes after she was granted the right to vote. My mother was a Black Panther and community organizer, who still remembers drinking from separate water fountains while fighting for voting rights. They both taught me that voting is sacred. Not because it is somehow a magical fix, but because it is powerful to participate in our own liberation. It is one of the few tools Black communities have held that those in power have consistently tried to limit.

Every generation has faced new strategies designed to narrow participation while preserving the appearance of fairness, and this is our time to live into that rich legacy of overcoming.

In 2026, those strategies continue with renewed force. With the April 29 Louisiana v. Callais decision, the Supreme Court has further weakened key protections of the Voting Rights Act, opening the door for state legislatures to redraw districts in ways that decimates Black political power and the influence of other communities of color, which they have begun to do with ruthless ferocity.

African American male holding right fist in the air and protest sign in front of U.S. Supreme Court Building

Min. Christian S. Watkins at the “Protect Birthright Citizenship” protest in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington D.C.

This devastating blow and its fallout, which threatens to wipe out Black representation in Congress and state houses, especially in the South, are only part of the picture. At the same time, Congress has failed to restore protections, even as restrictive voting laws spread across the country. New federal and state-level proposals raise additional concerns.

Efforts to create national “verified voter” systems or impose stricter documentation requirements for registration are framed as security measures. In practice, these “show your papers” policies risk excluding those least likely to have ready access to passports or birth certificates: disproportionately Black, Brown, low-income, and naturalized citizens. These policies—as well as the disastrous Supreme Court decision—do not exist in a vacuum. They reflect longstanding patterns of exclusion dressed in new language.

Voting alone will not solve every injustice, but without it, the communities most affected by injustice are pushed even further from the decisions that shape their lives.

So, the task before us is clear. We must prepare, participate, and protect the vote:

Check and update your voter registration early and help others do the same.
Make a concrete plan to vote—early is preferable, but safely by mail or on Election Day if necessary.
Follow all instructions carefully if voting by mail and return ballots promptly.
Learn your rights and share voter protection resources within your community.
Support election integrity by volunteering as a poll worker or nonpartisan monitor.

These actions are practical, but they are also moral. Catholic Social Teaching reminds us that participation in public life is a form of charity because it shapes the conditions in which people either flourish or struggle. When access to the ballot is restricted, it is not just a procedural issue—it is a wound to human dignity and the common good.

Diverse group of faith leaders holding protest signs and in "selfie" style at a protest.

Min. Christian S. Watkins (right) and fellow faith leaders at the “Faithful Resistance” protest in Washington D.C.

Voting is not the whole of democracy, but it is one of its load-bearing walls. Without it, accountability weakens and exclusion deepens. With it, we create the possibility—however imperfect—of a more just and inclusive society.

In my own work, and in the mission of NETWORK, voting rights remain central because they sit at the intersection of so many struggles—racial justice, economic equity, and the fight against concentrated power. I carry both the weight of history and the hope of my faith: that every person is endowed with dignity and has a rightful voice in shaping our shared future.

The question before us is not simply whether we will vote. It is whether we will defend the conditions that make voting meaningful for everyone. That work requires persistence, solidarity, and a refusal to accept disenfranchisement as inevitable.

Min. Christian S. Watkins is NETWORK’s Senior Government Relations Advocate.

Our Map to a Better World

The Common Good Can Guide Us When All Feels Uncertain

Laurie Carafone
May 13, 2026

Laurie Carafone

As we weather the daily barrage of cruel and chaotic news defining our current politics and culture — war, family separations, economic chaos, and more — it’s easy to feel lost, and it can be hard to see a clear path forward. We all yearn to get to a better place.

What will it mean for people of faith and goodwill to engage genuinely and meaningfully with the myriad social and moral issues — some would say crises — as we approach the midterm elections? Listening and dialoguing with NETWORK colleagues, the road that rises to meet our feet is both awe-inspiring and daunting. But we trust it leads to a better place, a future where everyone is caring and cared for.

Catholic Social Justice proclaims a world where every human need is inextricably entwined, weaving a stunning tapestry of human thriving: affordable health care, food, and housing; living wages; a healthy planet; and just and humane treatment of our neighbors. These issues are at the core of NETWORK’s “An Economy for All” policy agenda, but many U.S. Catholics aren’t fully aware of the rich treasure of the tradition more formally known as Catholic Social Teaching.

Some call it a well-kept secret, but this body of teaching offers a map we can use with confidence toward a better world — we can follow its wise tenets to inform how we engage in times like these. How are we called to witness and take action together in the public square? Catholic Social Justice is not a theory or an intellectual exercise, but rather a blessedly simple and clear map of how people of faith are called to live the Gospel in our world — even for those of us who can’t read a map! It can save our lives.

A woman with short hair and glasses speaks at a podium; a quote about Catholic Social Justice and midterm elections appears beside her on a colorful background.

NETWORK’s Executive Director, Laurie Carafone speaking at the Multi-Faith Earth Day celebration.

When Catholic Social Justice is not centered in political or daily life, even believers may vote like so many of us do: along predictable party lines. Centering Catholic Social Justice helps us pause and consider candidates’ positions: will they support laws that alleviate poverty and increase access to health care and housing? Or will the candidate support measures that push these basic essentials even more out of reach for our families and communities?

This year marks the 40th anniversary of “Economic Justice for All,” the landmark pastoral letter by the U.S. bishops on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. economy, including poverty, unemployment, and hunger. Reading the signs of their times, the bishops noted:

“Many middle-class Americans feel themselves in the grip of economic demands and cultural pressures that go far beyond the individual family’s capacity to cope.” (paragraph 23) Revisiting the letter is an opportunity for many people—not just Catholics—to connect anew with the tenets of Catholic Social Justice and how they can guide our actions to ensure the common good.

Forty years after the letter was issued, we know that most families can no longer live on a single income, often struggling even with two. We also recognize that some business and government leaders keep finding more immoral and devastating ways to burden working people, all to line their own pockets and advance corrupt and anti-democratic purposes.

But we can find stillness in this chaos. We have the power to speak the truth: that wealth and profit need not be at the center of our world. Building the common good can and should be.

A collection of images showing people of different backgrounds holding signs, conveying powerful messages and unity.

NETWORK advocates at multi-state “We The People” mini-rally events

As we live out these convictions, our Spirit-filled field has been busy at work, visiting their legislators with the 2025 NETWORK Voting Record, having hard conversations, and showing lawmakers the powerful map we hold — and asking them to come with us.

These personal encounters are leading to connections, encouragement, and accountability. Catholic Social Justice inspires us to advocate fiercely now and into the coming months as we approach the midterm elections. Through the murky fog of lies, disappointment, cruelty, and corruption, we can follow our map, trust each step, and walk toward the light of that better place.

Together, we will find our way home.

Laurie Carafone, J.D., ThM, is Executive Director of NETWORK. This “Spirited Sisters” column originally appeared in the Quarter 2 2026 issue of NETWORK’s Connection magazine.

Affordability Breaking Point

The Housing Crisis Crushes Many American Dreams

Chase Tuller
May 8, 2026

What comes to mind when picturing the American Dream? For many, it’s owning a home, a decent-sized backyard, or even just having the space and stability to build a life. We all share a core human need: having a roof over our head. Yet today, that goal—which is also a human right—is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.

My roommate and I pay more than $2,800 a month for a 900-square-foot apartment near our universities. The property is owned by a major investment firm, and when we asked why the rent was so high, we were told it was necessary to “maintain market value.” The problem is that companies like this control much of the housing market itself. They buy up properties, so they can hike prices and turn a profit at our expense. They are not just reacting to the market, they are shaping it, in a way that harms all of us.

For many young people, this has become the new reality of the housing market. Americans are navigating one of the most severe housing affordability crises the country has ever faced. Home prices have skyrocketed while wages have remained relatively stagnant. Interest rates are significantly higher than they were just a few years ago, making mortgages increasingly difficult to obtain.

The result is record levels of housing unaffordability. Over half of Americans report struggling to pay their rent or mortgage, with Gen Z hit the hardest. What does it say about the future of the American Dream when our young adults are the first generation in U.S. history projected to have less financial prosperity than the generation before them?

According to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, home prices now average nearly five times the median household income. At the same time, the average age of first-time homebuyers in the United States has increased to around 40 years old. In 1987, the age was just 29.

When housing costs rise beyond what most families can reasonably afford, the consequences extend far beyond the housing market itself. People struggling to keep up with rising rent or mortgage payments are also more likely to struggle to afford other basic necessities such as food, healthcare, transportation, and education. The affordability crisis is not limited to housing alone, but addressing housing costs would certainly be a meaningful place to start.

The Senate recently passed what could become the most comprehensive housing legislation in more than a decade. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act has garnered bipartisan support and represents a feasible attempt to address the housing crises.

If enacted, the bill would introduce several reforms that expand housing supply and improve affordability. It includes pilot programs that provide grants and forgivable loans to address home repair needs and health hazards. It also cuts bureaucratic red tape, empowering state, local, and tribal governments to streamline development reviews and build more housing where it is needed most.

Another commonsense provision focuses on limiting large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes in bulk, helping ensure that families, not corporations, have a fair chance at homeownership opportunities.

While the bill has already passed in the Senate, its future depends on action in the House. In today’s political environment, even broadly supported legislation can stall without sustained pressure. One of the most effective steps citizens can take is contacting their representatives. Whether through an email, phone call, or letter, sharing personal experiences with housing costs can influence lawmakers’ decisions and help push this legislation across the finish line.

People are reaching a breaking point when it comes to housing affordability. Passing the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will not solve every problem overnight, but it would be a meaningful step toward protecting one of the most fundamental promises of the American Dream: the chance for every American to have a place to call home.

Tell Congress: Support Housing Affordability, Expand Our Country’s Housing Supply!

Chase Tuller is a student at John Carroll Universal in Cleveland and a Sr. Carol Coston Fellow in NETWORK’s Young Advocates Leadership Lab (Y.A.L.L.).

Profiles in Hunger

When States Cut Nutrition Programs, We See Immediate Harm

Erica Walden
May 6, 2026

The Farm Bill presents a timely and critical opportunity for Congress to restore and strengthen SNAP. But the current House Farm Bill—the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R.7567)—misses that opportunity as written. The Senate must reject the current flawed House Farm Bill that does not reverse any of the crushing SNAP cuts and program changes. Instead, Congress must take immediate action to restore critical SNAP funding. Will you join us today in writing to our Senators, asking them to vote NO on the flawed House Farm Bill (H.R.7567), and instead restore critical SNAP funding?

This reflection from Erica Walden, a 2026 Sr. Carol Coston Fellow with NETWORK’s Young Advocates Leadership Lab (Y.A.L.L.), show the devastating difference that policy changes make in the lives of people who need access to food:

Lack of access to food is a source of systemic oppression in the U.S., deeply tied to public health, economic stability, and social equity. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) serves as a primary defense against hunger for millions of people, yet recent, inhumane changes to federal policy reveal how vulnerable these programs are.

Recent data from states such as Arizona, Pennsylvania, and New York demonstrate that without strong federal advocacy, food assistance programs can quickly become unstable, leaving large populations at risk.

In Arizona, as a result of the state implementing changes in keeping with President Trump’s Big Budget Bill, including stricter work reporting requirements and limits on eligibility. According to recent data provided by ABC 15, “SNAP enrollment has fallen dramatically in Arizona in just three months,” with “about 533,000 people” receiving benefits in January, marking “a 31% decline from October.”

This significant drop highlights how quickly access to food assistance can change, often not because fewer people need help, but because of administrative or policy shifts. When hundreds of thousands of individuals lose access to benefits in such a short time, it worsens food insecurity, especially for low-income families who rely on SNAP as a primary food support.

Similarly, in Pennsylvania, policy changes at the federal level have directly impacted SNAP participation. Reports from WJACTV indicate, “Nearly 60,000 Pennsylvanians have lost SNAP benefits since September… likely tied to changes in work reporting requirements mandated by a Congressional Republicans’ budget bill signed into law by President Trump.”

Work reporting requirements, while intended to encourage employment, often fail to account for the realities faced by vulnerable populations, such as inconsistent work hours, caregiving responsibilities, or lack of access to transportation. The examples from Arizona, Pennsylvania, and New York (which also introduced stricter work reporting requirements, leading to 180,000 people leaving SNAP) clearly demonstrate that food security in the United States is highly sensitive to federal policy decisions.

Access to food assistance can vary dramatically depending on where someone lives. This creates a patchwork system in which some states may implement stricter requirements or administrative barriers, while others provide more accessible support. Advocacy at the national level helps establish baseline protections that ensure all people, regardless of geography, have access to the resources they need to avoid hunger.

Reliable access to food is closely linked to broader economic outcomes. When individuals and families have enough to eat, they are better able to work, attend school, and contribute to their communities. When children go to school, they can focus on their work instead of their hunger.

Conversely, food insecurity can lead to increased healthcare costs, reduced productivity, and long-term developmental issues for children. Dramatic declines in SNAP enrollment and the implementation of stricter work reporting requirements reveal how quickly access to food assistance can be reduced, often affecting millions of people. It diminishes the consideration of people’s humanity, treating access to food as if it were a business.

By prioritizing food security at the national level, we can better protect our neighbors and promote a healthier, more stable society. By advocating for strong federal food assistance programs, we can address not only immediate hunger but also the long-term economic health of the country.

Erica Walden is a student at Xavier University of Louisiana and a Sr. Carol Coston Fellow in NETWORK’s Young Advocates Leadership Lab (Y.A.L.L.).

A Moral Budget is Possible

If Congress Works for the People

Laura Peralta-Schulte
May 1, 2026

Congress is pushing an immoral budget that prioritizes billions more for detention and deportation while families struggle to afford food, health care, and housing. At a time when communities are facing rising costs and deep insecurity, our tax dollars should be used to help people thrive—not fund harm and division. Take action today and tell your Members of Congress to reject this deportation-focused budget and invest instead in the dignity and well-being of all.

And don’t forget—visit NETWORK’s 2026 budget landing page to print and share our new (!) budget zine and rally posters.

The Big Bad Budget law (H.R.1) has had over nine months to do real harm in communities across our country, and people are really feeling it now. Food, health care, and housing are less affordable than ever, and masked agents have terrorized and trampled on the rights of people in our city streets. But as Congress prepares to fund the government next year, we can begin the work of mitigating that damage.

Last year, President Trump and Congressional Republicans upended the normal way of funding our government and used the reconciliation process—which fixes differences between the versions of a bill passed in each chamber—to force their extreme agenda onto our country. Now they’re planning to do the same thing again, with Senate Republicans releasing a budget resolution that would use reconciliation to end the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. They also want to use the process to make further harmful cuts to vital human needs programs and environmental protections.

Enough is enough.

Budgets are moral documents, and they reflect the priorities of a country and its government. In our outreach to leaders in both the House and Senate, NETWORK has urged lawmakers to promote the common good by funding programs that serve individuals, families, and communities, respecting the dignity of each person and their ability to thrive. And we demand that our lawmakers pursue that goal through the normal appropriations process, allowing the guardrails that help promote responsible policy.

NETWORK has reached out to both houses of Congress to urge a vision of a budget that works for all people. Here’s some of what we are asking for:

Access to Food and Healthcare

Fully fund the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which moves food from farms to food banks to people facing hunger. This program (TEFAP) helps food banks meet the nutritional needs of families and benefits farmers with hundreds of millions of dollars in food purchases.

Fully fund programs that meet the needs of women, infants, children, and elderly people in the country.

Fully fund research and services that keep mothers and infants safe and healthy.

Participation in Society

Help Americans exercise their right to vote by investing in the enhancement and modernization of our election infrastructure security.

Fully fund Second Chance Act programs, which serve people returning from prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities. These programs improve public safety by reducing the likelihood that returning citizens will re-offend and return to incarceration.

Care for Immigrants

Support no new funding to deport or detain immigrant families and ensure guardrails to protect human rights in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) funding.

Fund assistance for refugees, including trafficking survivors and unaccompanied children, and ensure legal services for children in removal proceedings.

Housing and Jobs

Fully fund Rental Assistance Programs: Today, 1 in 4 renters in the U.S. spend more than half of their income on rent, and rates of homelessness are rising in communities across the country as growing numbers of people are unable to afford a place to call home.

Fund workplace innovation, adult education programs, apprenticeship programs, youth violence prevention, and other services provided by the federal government.

We know that when Members of Congress work together across divides for the common good our people do better. We call on Congress to prioritize the needs of those living paycheck to paycheck to create a future were all can thrive.

Laura Peralta-Schulte is NETWORK’s Senior Director of Public Policy and Government Relations.

Food: a Necessity, Not a Choice

Realizing What Families Are Going Through Should Be Enough to Ensure We Fund SNAP

Leslie Gracia
April 21, 2026

As Congress considers the Farm Bill, lawmakers must reject the current House proposal, which fails to reverse these cuts, and instead restore critical SNAP funding. Please write to your Members of Congress today urging them to vote NO on the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R.7567). This reflection from Leslie Gracia, a 2026 Sr. Carol Coston Fellow with NETWORK’s Young Advocates Leadership Lab (Y.A.L.L.), show the difference that food assistance makes in the life of a family.

Growing up I remember my family struggling to make ends meet to the point where we almost lost our house. My dad worked in construction but then had an accident where his thumb got cut off due to a brick falling on him while working. After this incident, he struggled to find a job and he was the main household provider. My mom had just given birth to my younger sister, so that meant that a lot of the money went toward baby necessities.

My mom would also take care of the neighbors’ children for free, and I would see how my mom would put food on everybody else’s plates while her plate would be filled with any remaining food. It was not until my parents applied for SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, often referred to as food stamps) that we would see the refrigerator and pantry full of food.

My family’s experience with food insecurity allows me to see other families struggling with food insecurity as if they were my own. It is so hard to see parents struggling the way mine did to provide food on the table or not eating enough so that they can give more food to their children.

Laurie Carafone and Ralph McCloud at People's Pantry event

NETWORK Executive Director Laurie Carafone and NETWORK Fellow Ralph McCloud protest cuts to human needs programs in the federal budget at the People’s Pantry event in Washington, D.C. in 2025.

I currently attend St. Vincent DePaul University, named for the saint whose mission is to defend against hunger and poverty. St. Vincent would distribute bread and soup to the starving population in France. His mission was based off the Corporal Works of Mercy outlined in the Gospel of Matthew. For I was hungry and you gave me food” (Mt 25:35). In the Catholic Church it is a reminder to feed people who are hungry and take care of those who are impacted by poverty.

St. Nicholas also answered the call to feed the hungry by asking ship captains to donate food to those in need At first the captains rejected St. Nicholas’ pleas, but when St. Nicholas promised the captains that in God’s name their cargo would not lessen, the captains ended up donating. His story inspires me to advocate and organize to provide food to those who need it. Lobbying your representatives, whether that is meeting with them in person, via a video call, a letter, or a phone call, can bring awareness to the need to fund SNAP.

My passion for keeping SNAP funded comes from personal experiences and religious beliefs. Nobody deserves to go on with their day or for several days starving. We all deserve access to food because it is a necessity that can impact every aspect of our lives. For example, food insecurity, can exacerbate or even cause a variety of health issues; which is another problem on its own because health care is already unaffordable.

SNAP supports parents who feel guilty for not being able to provide food for their family, children who struggle to stay awake while in school because they are hungry, and many others. No family should have to go through what my family went through. We know SNAP is an effective way to alleviate hunger while people get back on their feet. It is important that we continue to bring awareness to SNAP and similar programs in order to fix our hunger crisis.

Leslie Gracia is a student at DePaul University and a Sr. Carol Coston Fellow in NETWORK’s Young Advocates Leadership Lab (Y.A.L.L.).

Will We Answer the Cry of the Earth?

Earth Day 2026 is an Indictment of U.S. Policy

Drake Palmer Starling
April 22, 2026

On Earth Day, we are asked to reflect, to celebrate creation, and to recommit ourselves to protecting our common home. But reflection without honesty is hollow. And this year, honesty demands something sharper: accountability.

Because what we are witnessing is not neglect. It is not indifference. It is a deliberate, systematic unraveling of environmental protections, and with it a moral failure of staggering consequence.

As Pope Francis wrote in Laudato Si’, the Earth “cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her.” That cry is louder today – not just from rising seas or burning forests, but from policy choices made in full view of their consequences.

The Great Undoing

Let’s be clear about what has happened.

The Trump administration has not merely weakened environmental protections. It has redefined their purpose. Under the Trump administration, the mission of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been shifted away from safeguarding public health toward ballooning the profits of fossil fuel corporations.

The Administration has repealed dozens of major regulations that protected our air and water.

President Trump has withdrawn the United States from foundational global climate agreements, abandoning both leadership and accountability at a moment when international cooperation is essential.

The Administration has cancelled or clawed back clean energy investments that were already approved and underway. They stripped away billions of dollars meant to lower emissions, create jobs, and reduce costs for families. We must call this what this is: illegal.

And perhaps most dangerously, the Trump administration has targeted for repeal the scientific backbone of climate policy, the recognition that greenhouse gasses endanger public health, known as the Endangerment Finding. This opens the door to wholesale deregulation of greenhouse gases.

This is not policy drift. It is reckless policy direction.

Fossil Fuels Over People

At every turn, the Administration has chosen fossil fuel expansion over human wellbeing. That is not hyperbole. The current EPA will no longer factor the value of lives lost or worsening asthma or heart disease when calculating the costs of air pollution. The agency has said it will instead focus on the economic costs to industry.

The agency is opening protected lands to drilling and mining, putting Arctic ecosystems and Indigenous communities at risk.

They are weakening fuel efficiency standards, rolling back pollution limits,and exposing entire coastlines to oil exploration – sometimes selectively, based on political convenience.

Meanwhile, they actively undermine clean energy, the fastest, growing sector in the global economy. Funding is slashed. Projects are delayed. Progress is stalled.

The result? Higher emissions, higher cost, fewer opportunities for American workers, and higher instances of disease and death.

Environmental Injustice, by Design

If this were only about carbon, it would already be unacceptable. But it is also about people, specifically communities and neighborhoods who have been historically targeted by big polluters.

Low-income communities, Black and Brown neighborhoods, and Indigenous populations—those already overburdened by pollution—are being asked to bear even more.

Meanwhile, the Administration dismantles environmental justice offices, curtails civil rights enforcement, reserves investments in vulnerable communities, and throws out protections against toxic chemicals like PFAS, exposing millions to increased cancer risk and long-term health harms.

This is not incidental. It is the predictable outcome of policy choices that prioritize corporate profit over human dignity.

The danger extends beyond pollution. The Administration is hollowing out disaster response capacity through cuts to FEMA and NOAA. They have pulled climate data from federal websites, leaving farmers without critical information. They’ve dismantled scientific institutions. In short, the guardrails are coming off.

At the exact moment when climate impacts are accelerating, when floods, fires, and storms are becoming more severe, this Administration is weakening our ability to respond. That is not just irresponsible. It is morally indefensible.

The Moral Reckoning

Catholic Social Teaching is unambiguous: care for creation is not optional. It is a requirement of our faith and a measure of our humanity.

What we are seeing today is a rejection of that responsibility.

It is a vision of the world in which we are, as Pope Francis warned, “lords and masters,” entitled to plunder without consequence. It is a politics that treats the Earth as expendable and the most vulnerable among us as collateral damage.

That vision is incompatible with justice.

Accountability is not just about naming harm. It is about demanding change. It means rejecting legislation that weakens bedrock environmental laws like the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, or the National Environmental Policy Act.

It means defending investments in clean energy, environmental justice, and resilient infrastructure – not cutting them, as Congressional Republicans will attempt to do in the upcoming 2026 budget reconciliation bill. It means acting alongside communities on the frontlines of pollution and environmental harm, those who cannot afford another rollback, another delay, another broken promise. And it means remembering that policy choices are moral choices.

Earth Day is not a celebration of what it is. It is a call to what must be. We still have the tools. We still have the knowledge. We still have the capacity to act. But we do not have the luxury of pretending that this moment is normal.

Because it isn’t.

This is a test – of our values, our courage, and our willingness to hold power accountable when it fails to protect what matters most. The Earth is crying out. The question is whether we will answer.

Drake Palmer Starling is Senior Government Relations Advocate at NETWORK.

April Monthly Newsletter

We Live in Hope, We Work for Justice

As an Easter people, we are rooted in Resurrection hope. And as people of faith, we believe voting is a sacred way forward toward fuller participation and representation in public life. At a time when the “SAVE America” Act (S.1383) threatens to place new barriers in the way of millions of eligible voters, we are reminded why protecting the freedom to vote matters so deeply. President Trump recently issued a new executive order focused on restricting mail-in voting.

Across the country, NETWORK advocates’ are living our faith out loud protecting voting rights and building hope through faithful action. You can join us here! Our Advocate’s witness reminds us that change is already unfolding through collective work grounded in love.

I am so excited to share with you some of the highlights of our good progress from the field these past few weeks.

Be Blessed,

Minister Christian S. Watkins, M. Div.
NETWORK Senior Government Relations Advocate

Showing Up for Birthright Citizenship

NETWORK Staff outside the Supreme Court to show their support for Birthright Citizenship.

Left to right: Sr. Eilis McCulloh, HM, Meg Olson, Laura Peralta-Schulte, and Min. Christian S. Watkins.

In response to the U.S. Supreme Court hearing arguments in Trump v. Barbara regarding birthright citizenship on April 1, NETWORK issued a statement and attended a rally with advocates and partners outside the Supreme Court.

“If you are born in the U.S., you are a U.S. citizen. That’s it. This has been established law for more than 150 years, and no single presidency should get to redefine American citizenship,” said NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice Senior Director of Public Policy and Government Relations Laura Peralta-Schulte. “For people of faith, attempting to deny American citizenship is an aggressive and biased assault on human dignity. At times, our country has attempted to re-examine who is American and who is not based on the color of their skin or national origin.” Read the full statement here.

And see a collection of photos and videos from the event here.

ICYMI: Feast or Fascism

In the latest Connection Lead Story, Feast or Fascism, our Senior Content and Editorial Manager Don Clemmer examines how rising authoritarianism in the United States is closely tied to economic inequality and the erosion of democratic systems. Policies that concentrate wealth and power deepen division and harm marginalized communities. We gladly follow the leadership of Pope Leo XIV as he calls for a renewed commitment to dignity, solidarity, and the common good. Clemmer urges people of faith to resist injustice by building stronger, more just communities, and reminds us Catholic Social Justice can help us. Read more here.

The (Bitter) Sweet 16th Anniversary of the ACA

This month marks the 16th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, a landmark step toward ensuring that health care is accessible and affordable for millions of people across the country. The ACA has helped more than 24 million people gain coverage and significantly reduced the number of uninsured families, reflecting the Catholic social teaching that health care is a basic human right. Yet today, that progress is under serious threat, as recent policy changes have ended key premium subsidies and introduced new barriers that make coverage harder to access and afford.

To learn more, check out our infographic!

NETWORK at No Kings!

Friends stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial with signs and smiles

Virginia Advocate Anne Murphy and friends on steps of the Lincoln Memorial at DC No Kings Rally

Texas Advocates showing up at the Huston No Kings Rally!

Left to Right: Leslie Pruski, Avalyn Langemeier, and Rebekah Rivera at Texas No Kings Rally

NETWORK was proud to co-sponsor the No Kings Day of Action on March 28, as advocates across the country showed up in their communities to proclaim that this nation belongs to We the People, not to power, wealth, or fear. Rooted in our Catholic faith, we affirmed that government must uphold the dignity of every person, put people over profit, and respond to the needs of all, especially those on the margins. We are grateful for the many NETWORK advocates who participated and are happy to share photos from actions across the country that reflect this powerful witness of hope and solidarity.

Coston Fellows On and Off the Hill

Group of seven women walking down the Halls of Congress

NETWORK’s Coston Fellows walking the halls of the Cannon House Office building while advocating for food and housing policy.

Coston fellows standing around a large bin of food that is being distributed to those in need.

Coston fellows sort food at the Capital Area Food Bank.

As hunger rose and SNAP cuts threatened millions, NETWORK’s Coston Fellows turned concern into action. During their recent visit to Washington, they volunteered at the Capital Area Food Bank, helping prepare meals for communities facing growing need, and then brought those experiences directly to Capitol Hill, urging lawmakers to protect access to food and housing. Their witness was a powerful reminder that no one should have to choose between groceries, rent, or their future. Take action here!

Lent’s ‘Crosses of Resistance’ — Hunger

Young Advocates Resist the Scourge of Food Insecurity

Chelsea Puckett
April 1, 2026

On Sunday, March 8, stricter work requirements for SNAP recipients—now 40 hours a month—went into effect, excluding nearly three million young adults juggling school, work, and responsibilities at home from accessing the program.

Like so many of us, the Sr. Carol Coston, OP Fellows are deeply concerned about the destructive impacts of the Big Bad Budget and are particularly troubled by cuts to SNAP. The budget law will strip $186 billion from the program over the course of the next ten years, just as the Coston Fellows and their Gen Z peers transition into adulthood.

They’ve already seen their community and campus food pantries stretched thin, and yet these cuts and stricter work requirements will force millions more young adults to make choices no one should have to make—deciding between buying groceries, paying rent each month, continuing their studies, or picking up prescriptions.

As the Youth and Young Adult Mobilization Coordinator at NETWORK, I collaborate each week with our 12 Coston Fellows. I get to witness their shared commitment to the long work of justice in spite of, and I believe, because of this moment that has left so many young people discouraged and hopeless.

I was also a witness to the Coston Fellows’ dedication and hard work on March 8. The same Sunday that monthly work requirements for SNAP recipients increased and blocked so many young people from accessing federal food assistance, the 12 Coston Fellows were busy at the NETWORK office in Washington, preparing to advocate on Capitol Hill.

The Fellows’ weekend in DC began at the Capital Area Food Bank. We sorted frozen turkey drumsticks, hamburger patties, and bacon strips that would be trucked out to food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, senior programs, group homes, and multiservice nonprofits in the area. We learned that the food bank plans to serve 10 million more meals this year than anticipated, due to the rising need in communities as a result of mass federal layoffs, as well as the significant cuts to SNAP that passed in the Big Bad Budget last summer.

On the Monday of their visit, the 12 students shared stories with their senators’ offices, highlighting the deep need for affordable housing in their communities: New Orleans, Cleveland, the Bronx, Los Angeles, Miami, Dubuque, Chicago, Milwaukee, and San Antonio. They proclaimed their firm belief that no one should have to choose between having enough to eat or keeping a roof over their head.

It has been a few weeks since their visit, and the Coston Fellows are now busy organizing Stations of the Cross on their campuses. Here in Washington, I keep coming back to that hopeful, radical dissonance on the third Sunday of Lent—when SNAP became even more inaccessible to millions of young people and at the same time — a group of college students gathered from every corner of the country and prepared to speak truth to power. They carried their crosses of resistance into the halls of Congress and reminded us of what it looks like to hunger for justice.

Take Action with NETWORK:

Will you write a letter to your Members of Congress to urge them to restore SNAP funding? All of us deserve fresh food to eat – no exceptions.

Chelsea Puckett is NETWORK’s Youth and Young Adult Mobilization Coordinator.

Lent’s ‘Crosses of Resistance’ — Sensitive Locations

Lent Means Supporting Sacred Spaces

Giovana Oaxaca
March 18, 2026

The journey through Lent ultimately leads us to journey with Jesus as he makes his way to his death by crucifixion. We remember—even relive—that journey during this season through the practice of the Stations of the Cross.

Just as the Stations call to mind the suffering of Jesus, we remember our neighbors who suffer because they can’t venture out of their homes, for fear of being accosted or taken into detention and separated from their loved ones by federal immigration agents. In this environment, some church leaders have even offered special dispensations for Mass obligations and Holy Days.

In recent weeks, I’ve joined dozens of faith leaders, across faith traditions and denominations, to make the case to Congress for sensible restrictions on immigration enforcement at or near houses of worship, and other specially designated locations like pre-schools and hospitals. Numerous faith leaders I’ve encountered have personal stories of federal agents coming onto church grounds, know parishioners who were detained, or may have experienced disruptions to church-based outreach programs. I hear from faith leaders that they often pray for wisdom to support their communities while carrying the heavy emotional burdens of this moment.

With the Trump administration’s rescission of protection for “sensitive locations,” in immigration enforcement in January 2025, many people feel they cannot safely go to work, school, the doctor, or even church. They remain huddled in their homes, like the fearful Apostles in the upper room, waiting for the Holy Spirit to come upon them.

People staying away from their church because they fear being accosted is unthinkable and an indictment of the priorities of the current administration, which has made religious liberty a central policy focus.

We also cannot forget our neighbors losing their access to health care, education, and even access to a fair hearing by a judge. All of these things are sacred, not just churches. We’re talking about the building blocks of our human capacity to thrive in a society. To force entire communities of people to forgo these essentials dehumanizes them and harms everyone in our society.

Like the Apostles, so many of us are also waiting for the arrival of the Holy Spirit, which our faith proclaims 50 days after Easter, on Pentecost. This only comes after the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. But when we look at the situation today in cities around the United States, we realize communities are already carrying crosses of suffering. As justice-seekers, we have an opportunity to transform these crosses into Crosses of Resistance.

We resist the oppression of our immigrant neighbors through prayer and action. This Lent, NETWORK has created a Stations of the Cross (with facilitator script and participant handout) to draw our communities together into prayerful resistance. And we ask you to join us in advocating for protection for sensitive locations.

Take action with NETWORK:

Human Dignity is on the Line: Urge Congress to Protect Sacred Spaces

Too many of our neighbors are unable to meet their basic needs and run the risk of becoming even more isolated from their communities under the aggressive immigration enforcement tactics we see around us. They are merely surviving, not thriving. They are barred from realizing their full, God-given potential.

The Protecting Sensitive Locations Act (H.R.1061/S.455) aims to reform immigration practices by codifying immigration enforcement restrictions at designated locations, specifically by prohibiting enforcement without prior authorization and only in rare cases. Specifically, it:

Designates places of worship, schools, hospitals, courthouses, and other vital community spaces as sensitive locations.

Reinstates clear guidance for agents, prohibiting enforcement within 1,000 feet of designated locations and allowing exceptions only in absolutely critical circumstances.

Mandates reporting to Congress whenever enforcement occurs at these locations, ensuring greater accountability and transparency.

This Lent, we’re calling on elected representatives to add their names to the 140-plus lawmakers demanding a change to immigration enforcement practices and protect sensitive locations. Will you call (202) 953-6731 to urge your Members of Congress to co-sponsor the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act?

Giovana Oaxaca is NETWORK’s Senior Government Relations Manager.