In last weekend's bulletin, I shared some fundamental principles of the Church's participation in political life, and shared that we cannot bypass political conversations because they may be difficult or uncomfortable. Our Catholic Christian faith offers an invaluable contribution to our society in the social-political arena.

As we prepare for the upcoming special election on August 8 regarding Issue 1, I want to draw your attention to the Church's role in political life, and offer my own reflections on the issue. I will do this as part of a two-part series. the first part this weekend will focuses on political participation in general, and next weekend I will focus on aspects of Issue 1 itself.

This past Lent, I gave a Parish Mission focused on the acronym RIM (Relationship, Identity, Mission). The logic is that a foundational relationship with Christ secures us in a godly identity which frees us for fruitfully fulfilling our mission that God has entrusted to us. The logic of RIM couldn't be more apparent than it is in today's readings. 

We are hosting voter registrations again this weekend to encourage people to participate in the upcoming elections. I want to encourage you to register to vote for the August 8 Special Election where Ohio citizens can vote on Issue 1 to "Require that any proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of Ohio receive the approval of at least 60 percent of eligible voters voting on the proposed amendment."