It has been a year of challenges and recommitment. ARCC has continued to be an active voice in support of the rights of Catholics in the church. We have stood with those who have been denied their proper place in the church as a priestly people.

ARCC has publicly challenged those in the hierarchy who have attempted to turn the clock back on our rights and responsibilities in the church. We respectfully defended employees of the church who were denied fundamental employment rights. These include a case in which a Religious Education director was removed because she accurately wrote about the history of women's ministry.

In another instance, we confronted the bishops conference when they unfairly criticized St. Joseph Sister Elizabeth Johnson, a prominent theologian, without actually representing her work accurately. We supported Mercy Sister Margaret McBride, who bravely stood for reason in allowing an abortion for a woman who would have died, along with the fetus, had the pregnancy proceeded, only to be declared excommunicated by the local bishop.

We also stood by Maryknoll Father Roy Bourgeois, who supported women's ordination, and was threatened with excommunication by the Vatican.

These are just a few examples of issues for which we took action and stood by those whose rights were violated.

We are very proud of our newest addition to ARCC, the ARCC Newsletter, which allows us to communicate with all of you on a much more frequent basis. It also gives us the ability to pass on important information to advance the cause of rights and responsibilities.

Our most ambitious project is the development of workshops that we will be presenting in various locations. We are firmly committed to advancing the necessary knowledge for more Catholics to claim their rightful role as the People of God.

We can only continue to promote Catholic rights with your on-going support. This is an excellent time for you to help us by supporting us through your tax-deductible contribution. Only five days remain for you to donate during 2011. You can donate immediately via PayPal or credit card by clicking here or the DONATE link below.

Thank you for being a part of the effort to stand up for a mature Catholicism that respects the rights of all.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Patrick B. Edgar, DPA
President, ARCC

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