More than 1,000 Catholics from 11 dioceses in California rallied in Sacramento April 29, calling on legislators to protect the state’s most vulnerable citizens — the poor, working families, immigrants and the unborn — when dealing with a $34 billion budget shortfall.

During the fifth annual Catholic Lobby Day, sponsored by the California Catholic Conference, they heard messages of support for social justice, then marched through downtown streets to a rally and meetings with their local legislators about a variety of issues from parental rights to food stamp qualifications.

“We’re not here to be budget experts,” said Ned Dolejsi, executive director of the California Catholic Conference, during opening remarks to the crowd that included more than 100 participants from the Sacramento Diocese. “We’re going to have a rally on the steps of the Capitol and make a little noise, and then go jawbone to jawbone with legislators. We’re going to be a voice for fairness, a voice for justice.”

Attorney Lisa Ramirez, director of legal services and advocacy for Catholic Charities of Orange, in her keynote address, also urged participants to raise their voices on behalf of the voiceless and those unrepresented in the political debate. “These sufferings cannot ever be ignored or excused,” Ramirez said. “Our integrity as a society is reflected in the well-being of those who are the poorest among us.”

Sacramento Bishop William K. Weigand also encouraged the work of social justice.

Reading excerpts from Pope John Paul II’s recent encyclical letter, “Ecclesia de Eucharistia,” he echoed the pope’s message that commitment to the Eucharist means commitment to all the work of God.

“We need to work for peace...justice and solidarity and defend human life from conception to its natural end,” he said. “We have to do everything possible to make this a better world in which to live.”

During a noontime rally, Sister Barbara Dawson, a Religious of the Sacred Heart and director of public policy for Catholic Charities of the East Bay, gave a rousing talk in support of AB 231, a bill that would extend transitional food stamp benefits by five months to families leaving Cal WORKS, a welfare program providing cash aid and service to eligible families in need.

The bill would also remove the limit of $4,650 for the value of any car owned by a food stamp applicant and enable applicants who have difficulty getting to a food stamp office to enroll by phone or mail.

To illustrate her point, Sister Dawson told of two low-income Oakland women who were denied food stamps under current law, one because she has a car worth more than $4,650 and another who is disabled and unable to make the trip to a food stamp office.

“With the abundance of food being grown in our state, why do we have so many people going hungry?” Sister Dawson asked. “This too is a life issue, the life of the people in our community.”

Monika Rodman, coordinator of respect life ministry in the Diocese of Oakland, and Juan Jesus Ambriz, diocesan associate director of family life, told the crowd in English and Spanish about AB 1041 that would prohibit school authorities from excusing a minor from school without the written consent of a parent or guardian.

Current California law requires that the governing board of school districts annually notify students in grades seven to 12 and their parents or guardians that school authorities may excuse any student to obtain confidential medical services without parental/guardian consent.

“Schools can arrange without your knowledge to take a child from seventh through 12th grade for a sexually transmitted disease treatment...or to get an abortion,” Rodman said. “They can’t do that without your knowledge to go to a museum, but for these life changing services, they can do that with your young person.”

Speaking with Rodman and Ambriz was Mary Dundon, a sixth grader from St. James Parish in Davis. “I think it’s wrong for the school to help me lie to my parents,” she said in both English and Spanish.

Parishioners from more than 25 parishes in the Sacramento Diocese traveled from the Capitol to the Secretary of State’s building to dialogue with local legislators and reiterate their concerns about food stamp reform, immigration, prison reform and the need for affordable housing.

Father Michael Kiernan, diocesan director of social service ministry, moderated the forum, which included representatives from the offices of Assemblymembers Tim Leslie (R-Tahoe City), Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), Guy Houston (R-Livermore) and Senator Mike Machado (D-Linden).

“We want Lobby Day to be a jumping off point,” said Elizabeth White, associate director of social service ministry, who coordinated Lobby Day activities for the diocese. “We want people in various districts to continue to meet with their legislators so there is grassroots lobbying throughout the year.”

Pat Camarillo, eighth grade teacher at Holy Cross School in West Sacramento, and four of her students attended the forum. She said discussion regarding two bills addressing requirements for immigrants applying for driver’s licenses would provide valuable lessons for her students.

SB 60 would allow an applicant for a driver’s license to provide a Social Security number or federal taxpayer identification number, but not proof of citizenship as required under current law. AB 522 would require public officials to accept the Mexican Consulate Office’s identification card as valid personal identification.

“Some of my students have family members who have grandparents or great-grandparents from Mexico who were persecuted and fled to the United States, where they found sanctuary,” Camarillo said. “It’s valuable for them to make a correlation between their own lives and the political process.”

Carlina Stewart, youth minister at St. Christopher Parish in Galt, spoke in support of the two immigration-related bills.

“In (Sacramento County) we have a lot of Mexican families in need, a lot of them farm workers, waiting in the dark for a ride to work because they’re not able to drive without a driver’s license,” she said. “They work, they’re taxpayers, they’re part of society.”

Lobby Day activities concluded with a Mass at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.

Father Alex Castillo, a priest of the Diocese of San Bernardino and former director of Hispanic affairs for the California Catholic Conference, during his homily said Catholics must move forward with spirit and purpose as witnesses of the value of human life.

“We need to have respect for our people...the right for food, the right for education, the right for health, the right for justice itself,” he said.

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