OUT OF POVERTY… is the newsletter of  Society of St. Vincent de Paul Western Region and features information from the Voice of the Poor and other systemic change initiatives.

Year 5,  No. 4    JULY 2015

Dear Western Region Vincentians:

The July 2015 issue of OUT OF POVERTY… starts, as usual with the Voice of the Poor Prayer, followed by a reflection by International President General, Michael Thio on Blessed Frederic’s “Dare to Dream”.  The next page has a link to America Magazine for a short video on “The Biblical Roots of Catholic Social Teaching”.

The discussion of issues, impacting the people we serve, starts with Healthcare, with comments on the recent Supreme Court decision in favor of ACA, and a link to a short video on the many factors that impact health.

“Climate Change is a Moral Issue” is an Op-ed by three California Bishops on Laudato Si’, the encyclical by Pope Francis on the Environment, issued in June. A list of resources on the encyclical’s teaching on Environmental Justice follows.  Then, on Immigration, we discuss “The Economics of Step-by-Step Immigration Reform“ and the June action alert on “End Detention of Immigrant Families”.

Starting on page 8, two amazing stories of “Vincentian Dedication” show how Vincentians make a difference. Dedication continues to be as important as ever as we increasingly work at addressing the root-causes of poverty.

Starting on page 10, an extensive documentation on the Western Region meeting in Burbank, CA, includes the reflection “Ozanam in Hollywood” and a report from the VOP / Bridges meeting, showing that much is happening in our region towards helping to restore people’s dignity.  Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life, on page 13, talks about the SVdP participation to the 2015 Universal Expo in Milan, with information about some of the innovative approaches of the Milan Council.

The “News from the Western Region”, include updates from Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Together with Advocacy, other Systemic Change initiatives are now taking roots across the region.

To view, read and/or print the Newsletter, please click on:

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/1e2ddd5d0e3e251b8a0d8181d/files/1_Out_of_Poverty_July_2015.pdf

Giulio Grecchi

Tucson Diocesan Council

Voice of the Poor – Western Region Representative

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