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Catholic Church taking national collection for storm assistance
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, asked bishops across the country to consider a special collection to assist victims of Hurricane Harvey along the Gulf Coast. He suggested in an Aug. 28 letter to bishops that the collection be taken during Masses…
Read MoreFoster care children win with Governor’s signing of HB 3859
Governor Greg Abbott signed HB 3859 into law today, allowing people and institutions with sincerely held religious beliefs the opportunity to serve children in the foster care system without violating their consciences. “We are very grateful to Governor Abbott for signing HB 3859, and for all of the hard work of Rep. James Frank and…
Read MoreHB 741: protects consumers of payday and auto title loans
Michael Barba The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops supports HB 741. HB 741 establishes that a credit services organization (CSO)[1] may not: extend credit to a consumer, or offer advice or assistance to a consumer unless they first evaluate the consumer’s ability to repay the extended credit alongside all other known obligations. We applaud Rep.…
Read MoreChurch&State 2.10.2017
https://www.facebook.com/TXCatholic/videos/10155058817436602/
Read MoreLegislative highlights: Justice for Immigrants
National Migration Week, which has been observed for more than a quarter of a century, carries renewed importance this year. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo and Archbishop José H. Gomez, president and vice president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, offered these thoughts in their message: “Migration is, more than anything, an act of great hope.…
Read MoreNovena for life begins Jan. 21
A modern adaptation of an ancient Catholic prayer allows people to prepare spiritually for the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States, Roe v. Wade. The nine day prayer, titled “9 Days for Life,” is organized by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Texas Catholic Pro-Life Day falls…
Read MoreFAQs on how TCCB determines positions on bills (TCV Vol. 85.1)
How are bill positions developed? The bishops of Texas approve a legislative agenda in the spring prior to legislative session. Then, the TCCB staff works with members of the legislature to develop our priority legislation and opposition strategies for negative legislation. In early November, legislative members begin to file bills. In consultation with the bishops,…
Read MoreCatholic Church commits to ongoing work for refugees
AUSTIN — Catholic charitable and social services will continue to work with other nonprofits serving refugees in Texas, as the state government announced its intention to step away from its role. Speaking on behalf of two dozen Catholic organizations and his fellow Catholic bishops in the state, Bishop Michael F. Olson of Fort Worth said,…
Read MoreExecutive Director provides testimony to state’s Investments and Financial Services Committee
AUSTIN — The Catholic Church’s experience of clients with outstanding payday and auto-title loans has led the Texas bishops to become champions for reform of the unregulated payday and auto-title lending industry. In testimony before the Texas House’s Investments and Financial Services Committee, the executive director of the bishops’ state conference explained that better consumer…
Read MoreTexas Bishops encourage tax credit scholarship program
AUSTIN — Texans can benefit from the insights coming from the 20 tax credit scholarship programs which exist around the nation, the executive director of the Texas Catholic Conference testified to the state’s Senate Education Committee in Austin. “We have the opportunity to develop a program that replicates the success in other states while avoiding…
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