Symposium to preoare Catholic voters
By Kathleen Ogle
Managing Editor
PISCATAWAY — The Diocese of Metuchen is helping Catholic “faithful citizens” with a symposium designed to educate them on the issues in preparation for the November elections.
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Father John Fell |
Joan Rosenhauer |
“The Catholic Voter: Forming Conscience & Forming Society” will take place Sept. 16, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Bakita Hall at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center.
The symposium will examine the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ document, Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States, the role of Catholics in the public square and how to form and exercise one’s conscience.
Featured speakers include Joan Rosenhauer, associate director of the USCCB’s Department of Justice, Peace & Human Development, and Father John Fell, moral theologian and pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bernardsville.
Rosenhauer will discuss the USCCB’s document, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. Issued quadrenially, Faithful Citizenship is the USCCB’s guide that this year highlights seven key social themes that the bishops are asking voters to consider when they go to the polls. It is available through www.faithfulcitizenship.org.
Father Fell will speak about the formation and exercise of conscience. Following their presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions of the speakers.
The symposium is sponsored by The Catholic Spirit, the weekly newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen, and the Offices of Family Life, Respect for Life and Catechesis.
Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski emphasized that the symposium will be non-partisan and will not tell Catholics how to cast their ballots.
“Every Catholic is called to be a faithful citizen who participates in the political process,” Bishop Bootkoski said. “Through this symposium we want to educate Catholics on how to make well-informed decisions on the issues based on a well-formed conscience.”
Rosenhauer has been lecturing about “Faithful Citizenship” in dioceses throughout the United States. As associate director of the USCCB’s Department of Justice, Peace & Human Development, she has lead staff responsibility for a variety of USCCB initiatives including development and follow-up to Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. She also coordinates a program on the “Social Dimensions of Ordained Ministry” for priests, deacons and seminarians, and provided staff support and follow-up to the bishops’ statement, A Place at the Table: A Catholic Recommitment to Overcome Poverty and to Respect the Dignity of All God’s Children.
She provided staff support for the bishops’ statement on Global Solidarity as well as for the Task Force on Catholic Social Teaching and Catholic Education and the bishops’ statement, Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions. Her responsibilities include developing educational materials and parish resources, providing training and presentations, and coordinating grassroots advocacy activities.
Father Fell earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh. He completed his seminary education at the Pontifical North American College while studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. He continued his post-graduate studies at the Alphonsian Academy, the Superior Institute of Moral Theology attached to the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, leading to a doctorate in sacred theology.
In addition to his parish ministry, Father Fell has also served on the Board of Trustees and Ethics Committee of Saint Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick, and on the diocesan Theological Commission. Father Fell writes a column discussing the weekly Scripture readings for The Catholic Spirit.
The public is invited to attend this free symposium. Please pre-register by calling (732) 562-2424 or e-mail news@catholicspirit.com. For directions, visit www.diometuchen.org.
