Our 50-Year Justice Journey
Nancy Pelosi Rises
Nancy Pelosi becomes Speaker of the House of Representatives, becoming the first woman to serve in this position.
Catherine Pinkerton, CSJ
NETWORK lobbyist, Catherine Pinkerton, CSJ, gives the benediction during the Democratic Convention
Nuns on the Bus Kicks Off
The first “Nuns on the Bus” tour kicks off in Iowa to raise awareness of the negative effects that House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan’s federal budget would have on our country’s most vulnerable people and families.
Pope Francis Takes the Lead
Pope Benedict XVI resigns; Jesuit Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, SJ, is elected, taking the name Francis.
Urging Immigration Reform
The Senate passes the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, a comprehensive immigration reform that NETWORK strongly supported, in a bipartisan vote. The bill is never brought to a vote in the House.
Response to Trump’s Administration – Part I
Following Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration, NETWORK activated members for advocacy at an unprecedented scale to protect people and programs threatened by the President’s agenda. This included a 21-hour vigil on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol to defend access to health care.
Nuns on the Bus Drives On
2012’s first “Nuns on the Bus” tour — to speak out against the immoral federal budget proposed by former House Speaker Paul Ryan — wasn’t the last. NETWORK launched six more tours in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020 and mobilized hundreds of thousands of people across the country..Read More
Rural Roundtables
Throughout the year, NETWORK organized 17 rural roundtables in 16 states, meeting and listening to a diverse group of 250 people living in rural parts of the country. Their hopes and hardships were published in a report titled “Raising Rural Voices” to help guide federal policy decisions.
Response to Trump’s Administration – Part II
Following Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration, NETWORK activated members for advocacy at an unprecedented scale to protect people and programs threatened by the President’s agenda. This included the arrest of 70+ Catholic Sisters and lay people inside the Longworth Senate Office Building to protest immoral immigration policies.
Mary Novak
Mary J. Novak becomes the first non-Sister to serve as NETWORK’s executive director in April 2021. In July, Joan F. Neal joins the Executive Team as NETWORK’s first deputy executive director and chief executive officer.
Team Democracy
In the face of restrictive voter laws sweeping the country, Sisters and justice-seekers organize “Team Democracy” events in six states, calling on their Senators to pass legislation that protects the right to vote.
Sr. Simone Honored by President Biden
Sister Simone Campbell, Sisters of Social Service, a former Executive Director of NETWORK, received the Presidential Medal of Honor. A prominent advocate for economic justice, immigration reform, and healthcare policy, she led the Nuns on the Bus campaign and her lobbying helped pass the Affordable Health Care Act under the..Sister Simone Honored with the Presidential Medal of Honor