I have received a communique from my Provincial counterpart, Sharon Ciebin, with the enclosure of a letter from Margaret Ann Jacobs, our National President, a copy of which I am enclosing for your information.

Many of our councils have had members bring this issue up, as I did, and I spoke to Bishop Gary Gordon about it, as I have communicated to you.  We now have a directive from our National President to hold funds designated for Development and Peace. 

We begin our new year with disturbing news from the Government of Canada in Ottawa. Our National Community Life Chairperson, Betty Colaneri, states in her 7th Communique that as a Catholic business owner applying to the Summer Jobs Program to hire students is no longer an option. She quotes the National Post who reported Canada’s Employment Minister, Patty Hajdu, stated, “churches and other religious groups are eligible for a federal grant to hire summer students as long as their core mandate agrees with access to abortion.”