Copy Desk Daily, June 19, 2019

Marking the fourth anniversary of Pope Francis' landmark social encyclical on the environment, the Catholic bishops of California issued their own sweeping pastoral statement on threats to the state's many ecosystems, inviting the church community and all Californians "to contribute to the ecological well-being of our state." Read about this 19-page action plan.

During a gathering organized by the Poor People's Campaign, Sen. Michal Bennet of Colorado said Democrats should out-maneuver Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Faith formation news: The Given forum debuted in 2016. Intended as a one-time-only event, it was met with such a positive reception that organizers came together to ensure the forum would continue. Organizers told Global Sisters Report that the 2019 forum was the second installment in what will now be an annual tradition, and that young women with an interest in Catholic leadership are welcome to apply.

From Sr. Mary Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan, a Dominican Missionary Sister of Phu Cuong: "In the ordinary course of events, a child is born into a family with parents, taken to school and enjoys a happy childhood. What a lucky child! Unfortunately for some children, they may be abandoned, or living in a difficult situation, or homeless, wandering outside on the streets to earn a living. This is the reason that the Friends for Street Children association was founded in 1984 by Thomas Tran Van Soi, to help children of some poor areas in Vietnam, particularly areas in Ho Chi Minh City. The aim of association is to re-integrate these children back into society, and to prevent them from ending up on the streets in the first place." Read more.

Book review: A Disarming Spirit traces Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen's momentous and unanticipated plunge into political dissent. The author talked to Hunthausen but doesn't include much from those interviews, which is disappointing.

Benedictine Sr. Joan Chittister continues her series — we're on step 11: "Once, I thought that this step of humility was so obvious it was embarrassing. Then I listened to modern political speech, and realized that this step may well be the most fundamental spiritual lesson of them all."

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