Latest News Archive
1999-2000
December 7, 2000 Catholic Charities of the Boston Archdiocese issues a report on the impact of welfare reform in Massachusetts called Children First (available in Adobe Acrobat pdf format).
December 4, 2000 The Catholic Free Press of the Worcester Diocese covers the recent buffer zone ruling in federal court in a Nov. 24 article and commentary.
November 27, 2000 Prayer, Mother Theresa, and superb strategies were the keys to defeating a Maine referendum to legalize assisted suicide according to a November 16 Commentary in the The Church World, the newspaper for the Portland Catholic Diocese.
November 21, 2000 A federal judge ruled that a law creating buffer zones around abortion facilities in Massachusetts violates the constitutional rights of pro-life individuals seeking to persuade women not to abort their unborn children. Read the remarkable opinion here.
November 16, 2000 The Catholic Free Press of the Worcester Diocese reviews the outcomes of ballot questions across the country of concern to Catholics in its excellent Nov. 10th editorial on referendum questions nationally.
November 3, 2000 Bishop O'Malley of the Fall River Diocese discusses the issues of abortion and euthanasia in his Oct. 27 pastoral letter For the Love of Life.
October 24, 2000 Bishop Dupre of the Springfield Diocese reflects on the "right, duty and privilege" of voting in his Oct. 20 weekly column.
October 20, 2000 Massachusetts Catholic Bishops issue November 2000 Election Statement
October 5, 2000 The Catholic Bishops in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire issue a pastoral letter on environmental issues called "And God saw that it was good".
September 27, 2000 The Worcester Diocese celebrated its 50th anniversary and Bishop Reilly's 25th anniversary as a bishop on Sunday, Sept. 17, amidst some controversy over invitations to public officials that included those favoring abortion rights. See Catholic Free Press editorial and article on Worcester anniversary celebration.
September 14, 2000 A report on affordable housing, inspired by Bernard Cardinal Law, is released by The Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University. A pdf version of the report is available on the Center's website, which can be reached by clicking on A New Paradigm for Housing in Greater Boston
September 1, 2000 A broad coalition, including Mass. Catholic Conference, urges focus on positive alternatives to assisted suicide by issuing Statement Regarding the World Conference in Boston on Assisted Dying
July 31, 2000 The Massachusetts House approved on Friday, July 28, by a vote of 102 to 48 an amended "buffer zone" bill; the Senate concurred by voice vote on Saturday, July 29, and sent the amended bill to the Governor who is expected to sign it into law. See text of new language, roll call vote, and MCC press release here.
July 31, 2000 Massachusetts Family Institute article on In Support of Life program by Dr. Jun Kawashima
July 24, 2000 Archdiocese of Boston Vicar General Bishop William F. Murphy on "I was in Prison and you came to Me"
July 24, 2000 "A Journey of Conversion"--Massachusetts Bishops Statement in Observance of Prison Jubilee Week issued July 16, 2000
June 16, 2000 Fall River's Bishop O'Malley addresses the NAACP
June 9, 2000 "In Support of Life" Initiative Well-Received in Fall River Parishes, by John Kearns, Jr. in the Fall River Anchor
June 8, 2000 New England Catholic Bishops Issue Statement on Vermont "Civil Unions" Law
May 26, 2000 Springfield's Bishop Dupre on pro-life advances
May 26, 2000 Archdiocese's Bishop Murphy on Self-Sufficiency Standard for Massachusetts
May 19, 2000 Fall River Catholic Anchor editorial on side effects of abortion
May 12, 2000 Springfield's Bishop Dupre speaks out on Catholics' right to speak out
May 12, 2000 America is wrong on abortion, Worcester's Bishop Reilly says, by Tanya Conner, Worcester Catholic Free Press
April 27, 2000 In Support of Life Initiative Gaining Momentum in Springfield Diocese, by Cori Fugere Urban, Springfield Catholic Observer
April 20, 2000 Fall River Conference Airs Needs of Disabled, by James N. Dunbar, Fall River Catholic Anchor
April 7, 2000 Analysis and Commentary on A.Z. v. B.Z. decision regarding frozen embryos in Massachusetts
April 4, 2000 The Fall River Diocese now has a website, www.fallriverdiocese.org, which now means all of the Catholic dioceses in Massachusetts are on the web!
March 31, 2000 Second Article & Sidebar in Series on "Catholic Health Care In Crisis"
March 30, 2000 Click on "Alerts/Votes" for legislative alert on the Pain Relief Promotion Act in Congress and the need to contact Senator Kennedy. The hearing scheduled for March 30 was cancelled, and may take place as early as next week.
March 24, 2000 First Article in Series on "Catholic Health Care In Crisis" from Catholic Free Press
March 17, 2000 Coverage of Special Education hearing by William T. Clew of the Worcester Catholic Free Press
March 16, 2000 Massachusetts Bishops File Joint Statement on Special Education Access
March 8, 2000 You can now find out who your elected officials are and how to contact them. You can also see how your state legislators have voted on key issues in the current legislative session. Also, keep up with the latest public policy alerts of the MCC. All this is available by clicking on "Alerts/Key Votes".
February 29, 2000 The Massachusetts Senate approved and sent to the House S.B. 148, a bill creating so-called "buffer zones" banning free speech around abortion facilities. On the same day, a bill to ban partial birth abortions in Massachusetts, H.B. 820, was approved in committee and released to the House for action. Click on "Alerts/Key Votes" to see how your Senator voted on the buffer zone bill and to read the latest alert. See also MCC Press Release on Partial Birth Abortion Bill.
February 28, 2000 The statewide advocacy organization for Catholic elementary and secondary education in Massachusetts, Parents Alliance for Catholic Education (PACE) has launched an informative website, www.pacesite.org, to help parents and other supporters of Catholic schools keep abreast of public policy developments. The site features federal and state action alerts, background on Massachusetts Catholic school programs and iniatives, essential links, and contact information.
January 15, 2000 Bishop Sean P. O'Malley's Pastoral Letter on Racism
October 04, 1999 Massachusetts Catholic Conference has a new postal address and phone numbers. Please change your records. Our new address/numbers are: MCC, West End Place, 150 Staniford Street, 1st Floor, Boston, MA 02114-2511, 617-367-6060 (ph), 617-367-2767 (fx).
May 28, 1999 Springfield Catholic Observer Publishes Report on Partial Birth Abortion Hearing
May 18, 1999 Historic Joint Appearance of All Four Ordinaries To Testify On Partial-Birth Abortion Before State Legislature
May 11, 1999 MCC Submits Testimony on Pain Relief Bill
April 24, 1999 Bishop O'Malley Addresses Partial-Birth Abortion Issue And Other Life Concerns
April 16, 1999 MCC Submits Testimony, Including Statement by Bishop Reilly, Against A Bill Criminalizing Free Speech In Front Of Abortion Facilities
April 01, 1999 Bishop O'Malley Calls Priestly Ministry to Persons Who Are Sick And Dying "Sacrament of Compassion"
March 30, 1999 Bill to Reinstate Death Penalty Defeated
March 22, 1999 Massachusetts Bishops Issue Statement on Death Penalty
March 04, 1999 Cardinal Law Speaks On "The Catholic Vision of Life and Death"
February 25, 1999 Bishop O'Malley's Pastoral Letter on "The Gospel of Life vs. The Death Penalty"