Hundreds Advocate During Ignatian Family Advocacy Month
BY ISN STAFF | March 5, 2013
“Hundreds Advocate During Ignatian Family Advocacy Month”
Ignatian Family Advocacy Month (IFAM), a national advocacy effort of the Ignatian Solidarity Network inspired hundreds of advocates from Jesuit universities, high schools, and parishes to engage in legislative advocacy on three priority issues: sustainable environmental practices, humane comprehensive immigration reform, and protecting those impacted by economic poverty in the U.S. In total more than fifty-five legislative meetings with fifty-three different state and national legislators took place over the course of February. University and high school campuses also held educational events and phone/letter writing campaigns.
Participating institutions in IFAM included: Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, Creighton University, Fairfield University, Gesu Parish (Milwaukee), Jesuit High School, Le Moyne College, Loyola Marymount University, Loyola University Chicago, Loyola University Maryland, Loyola University New Orleans, Marquette University, Rockhurst University, Saint Joseph’s University, Santa Clara University, St. Joseph’s Prep, St. Louis University High School, University of Detroit Mercy, and Verbum Dei High School.
Meetings took place with the following legislators during IFAM:
Representative Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1)
Representative Lacy Clay (MO-1)
Representative Chakah Fattah (PA-2)
Representative Dan Maffei (NY-24)
Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-9)
Representative Lee Terry (NE-2)
Representative Robert Andrews (NJ-1)
Representative Michael Capuano (MA-7)
Representative John Conyers Jr. (MI-13)
Representative Joe Courtney (CT-2)
Representative Elijah Cummings (MD-7)
Representative John Dingell (MI-12)
Representative Bill Foster (IL-11)
Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11)
Representative Scott Garrett (NJ-5)
Representative Luis Guitierrez (IL-4)
Representative Jim Himes (CT-4)
Representative Steny Hoyer (MD-5)
Representative Steve Israel (NY-2)
Representative William Keating (MA-9)
Representative Zoe Lofgren (CA-19)
Representative Alan Lowenthal (CA-47)
Representative Donald Payne, Jr. (NJ-10)
Representative Peter Roskam (IL-6)
Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40)
Representative C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-2)
Representative John Sarbanes (MD-3)
Representative Jose Serrano (NY-15)
Representative Albio Sires (NJ-8)
Representative Juan Vargas (CA-51)
Seantor Barbara Mikulski (MD)
Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT)
Senator Roy Blunt (MO)
Senator Barbara Boxer (CA)
Senator Ben Cardin (MD)
Senator Bob Casey (PA)
Senator William Cowan (MA)
Senator Joe Donnelly (IN)
Senator Richward Durbin (IL)
Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA)
Senator Mike Johanns (NE)
Senator Frank Lautenberg (NJ)
Senator Claire McCaskill (MO)
Senator Robert Menendez (NJ)
Senator Jeff Merkley (OR)
Senator Christopher Murphy (CT)
Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI)
Senator Pat Toomey (PA)
Senator David Vitter (LA)
Sentaor Ron Johnson (WI)
Sentaor Mark Kirk (IL)
State Representative Ed Delaney (lndiana House of Representative)
State Senator Sue Crawford (Nebraska Senate)
IFAM included the participation of fifty-five Jesuit university students from Farfield University, Loyola Marymount University,Loyola University Chicago, Loyola University Maryland,Saint Peter’s University, Santa Clara University, andUniversity of Detroit Mercy, converged on Capitol Hill on February 26th for legislative advocacy and to witness the unveiling of a extensive two-year research study on the experience of undocumented students in Jesuit higher education led by Fairfield University with collaboration from Loyola University Chicago and Santa Clara University. Catalina Adorno, a Saint Peter’s University student commented after the day that she had “never been so proud to be a Jesuit university student” after participating in the advocacy in Washington, D.C.
Reflecting on the success of the first-ever IFAM, ISN executive director Christopher Kerr said, “Direct advocacy with our legislators is such an important action for social justice. To be able to say that we brought a voice for justice to so many legislators is tremendous testament to the power the Ignatian family has to be a force change in our world today.”
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The Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) promotes leadership and advocacy among students, alumni, and other emerging leaders from Jesuit schools, parishes, and ministries by educating its members on social justice issues; by mobilizing a national network to address those issues; and by encouraging a life-long commitment to the “service of faith and the promotion of justice.” ISN is an independent 501c3 non-profit organization. Additional information can be found at: www.www.ignatiansolidarity.net
