April marks the one-year anniversary since the Vatican's harmful mandate against the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) sisters. Take a moment to tell church leaders and the world that you continue to stand on the side of the sisters! For more information, go to our coalition's website at http://nunjustice.org/

Did you know that church workers such as your local Catholic teacher or parish secretary are not guaranteed the same employment protections as other workers? Join fellow Catholics as we raise awareness on Facebook about the need for church worker justice, March 12-19.

As Call To Action staff watched the live-streaming CNN coverage from our office, we were thinking this is not just a new pope. This is a new day for us all. Will you commit yourself to continue the work of justice in the church?

Let's do it together. Pledge at www.facebook.com/CallToAction

The NunJustice Coaltion invites all concerned Catholics to join in prayer on Ash Wednesday and throughout the Lenten season for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) currently suffering from an unjust Vatican mandate. To pledge to pray for the sisters, go to http://nunjustice.org/pray

Earlier this week the Vatican's papal theologian said women can't be priests because they don't think like men about leaking roofs. Let's show the world that men and women CAN be priests! Post a photo of yourself doing something amazing at andicanbeapriest.tumblr.com and include the caption: "I can ____ and I can be a priest" -Name, City

Support the sisters of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) who are being criticized by the Vatican for their social justice work! Write a Christmas card to the Vatican's Ambassador, the Apostolic Nuncio, with your support of the sisters here.

On November 19th, we received the sad news that Fr. Roy Bourgeois, a longtime peace activist and Roman Catholic priest, was dismissed from his religious community for his support for women's ordination. Fr. Roy has said the Vatican can try to dismiss him, but it can't dismiss the issue of gender equality in the church! Help make this moment the beginning of a conversation, not an end. Take the pledge to talk about women's ordination this holiday season! http://bit.ly/SupportFrRoy

On April 18, 2012, the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a mandate against the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), an umbrella group that represents more than 80 percent of the 57,000 women religious in the United States. Since then, Call To Action has been a leading organization of the Nun Justice Project that has organized nationwide vigils, a petition to the Bishops and a pledge drive to support the sisters. Go to the Nun Justice website at www.nunjustice.org to see six things you can do to be part of the movement to support the sisters!

Call To Action and Women's Ordination Conference chapters have teamed up again this year to host vigils around the country during Holy Week to highlight the need for women's equality in the Church. Join a local vigil and demonstrate your support for women, as Jesus did!

Catholic Bishops are gathering this week for a two-day, closed-door meeting on negotiations with the White House regarding the contraception compromise for workers at Catholic-affiliated institutions. They may be meeting behind closed doors, but let's ensure they don't shut out the voices of workers when it comes to making decisions that affect them!

Sign the petition.

Lately, the Bishops have been telling the government and media that their conscience trumps ours and they speak for all of us.

But do they? The Bishops don't want to offer contraception to employees at Catholic hospitals and universities, citing religious liberty. But what about the religious liberty and conscience of the employees who work at these institutions who are both Catholic and non-Catholic? Don't they have a right to decide their health care options?

Lost among the Bishops' and media buzz is the question: What do you think as a Catholic? Should Bishops have the authority to dictate who has access to contraception?

Tell your local newspaper: "I am a Catholic and the Bishops do not speak for me!" by writing a letter to the editor. Click here for a list of letter to the editor contact information for major local newspapers.

You can include such points as:

• The Bishops do no speak for all Catholics! While Bishops may be opposed to contraception, 98% of Catholic women have used contraception at some point in their lives.
• The majority of Catholics support contraception and all employees should have access to equal health care under law, regardless of where they work.

If your letter to the editor is published, please let us know at justchurch@cta-usa.org.

It is about time the Bishops stop talking for us and we talk for ourselves.

Catholic families in the Arlington Diocese of Virginia held a vigil Sunday, November 20th at the diocesan offices to ask that their daughters be allowed to serve alongside their sons as altar servers. You are invited to stand in solidarity with them by calling Bishop Loverde Monday, November 21st or anytime this month. Ask the Bishop to show leadership by permitting altar girls at ALL parishes in the diocese. Phone: 703.841.2511.

To read more, click here.

Starting November 27th, Catholics in the United States will be asked to speak an altered set of responses during Sunday masses in which the grammar and translation aligns more closely with the previous Latin-language mass. How did these changes come about? Learn the real history behind these changes by attending one of our tour stops or reading more at http://www.cta-usa.org/keepusinyourprayers.

Fr. Roy Bourgeois, a priest who supports women's ordination, is traveling to Rome with his lawyer and a delegation of church justice leaders to witness for women's equality in the church and deliver this petition signed by you and thousands of other Catholics across the United States. If you support women's equality in the church, please sign here.

Shatter the Stained Glass Ceiling Tour

Join Fr. Roy Bourgeois and FOSIL, the Fellowship of Southern Illinois Laity, for the last stop on this incredible 32-city tour this September 25th! For more information, click here.

In an unprecedented move, 157 Catholic priests have signed on to a letter in support of their fellow embattled priest, Fr. Roy Bourgeois, who has been told to recant his support for women's ordination or be removed from the priesthood. The letter that supports Roy's priesthood and his right to conscience was delivered, Friday, July 22nd, to Fr. Edward Dougherty, Superior General of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers in Maryknoll, NY. Since then, the New York Times, NPR and others have covered the story and the number of priests signing the statement has grown! Priests are able to add their support to the statement before August 11th.

If you are a priest who would like to support Fr. Roy's right to conscience, click here.

If you if you know a priest who may be willing to support this Clergy for Conscience Campaign, please email them this link and invite them to sign the statement of support: http://www.cta-usa.org/priests.

Fr. Roy Bourgeois, MM, received a "canonical warning" demanding that he recant his support for women's ordination or be dismissed from the priesthood.

Please join us in showing your support for Fr. Roy by signing the petition here. Tell his Maryknoll leadership that you stand with Fr. Roy and his support of women's equality.