CITI Ministries has sponsored the Progressive Catholic Coalition since 2007. The PCC, founded in 2004, brings a justice-based Church-reform presence to the gathering of thousands of activists at the School of the Americas Watch gathering [SOAW] each year. From 2016 to 2018, that gathering took place at the U.S./Mexico border in Nogales, on both sides of the border wall.
The PCC, recognizing the SOAW emphasis on the effect of militarism—beyond the SOA/WHINSEC training of Latin American soldiers all the way down to border-enforcement and immigration policy—has, for the past 3 years, brought its presence to that SOAW Border Encuentro. That presence is now returning to the gates of Ft. Benning to display the PCC banner with sponsoring organizations listed at the information table and providing an “Inclusive Catholic Eucharist”—women and men priests leading the liturgy. All these services provide SOAW participants—especially young people—with a clear message that there exists a “reforming Church” dedicated to promoting justice and peace on both church and world issues—topics they do not hear about in their home parishes—that touch their hearts and lives.
SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS OF THE PCC
The PCC is always open to other organizations that share the aims of the coalition-member organizations. Pres-ently the PCC includes these other sponsoring Catholic reform organizations working for justice in Church and world: Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, Women’s Ordination Conference, CORPUS, FCM, and CTA.
30th ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARTYRDOM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL AMERICA
The third weekend in November coincides with the massacre at UCA in 1989. Thus this milestone year of the the SOAW’s gathering commemorates the atrocity that was the impetus for Father Roy Bourgeoise and friends to begin the movement that meets each year to oppose U.S. militarization in Latin America. The martyrdom of six Jesuits and their co-workers at the University of Central American by the Salvadoran military took place under the command of SOA-trained officers. The long-term effort of SOAW is to close the SOA/WHINSEC while an investigation into the record of human rights violations by its graduates can be carried out. Related to that goal, SOAW opposes the growingmilitarism promoted through the SOA/WHINSEC. Training military of-ficers for Latin American officers as well as for officers for U.S. Border Patrol creates a pliers-grip pressure on people attempting to save their lives from repressive government policies in their own land and encountering a destructive militaristic enforcement at our border. The PCC endorses this effort to close the training school lo-cated in Columbus, Georgia, and to oppose U.S. militarism used to enforce a destructive corporation-favoring foreign policy. The PCC encourages its sponsoring organizations as well as other activists to mobilize their communities to join the SOAW in its activities and sponsoring legislation opposing U.S.-based militarism de-stroying the lives of our sisters and brothers in Latin America.
In addition to the gathering at the gates of Ft. Benning, there are workshops and, outside the Stewart Immigra-tion Detention Facility, a rally where participants learn about the inhumane treatment and the profit-driven tac-tics used at these types of facilities by the privately-owned corporations contracted by the U.S. government and paid for by taxpayers.
From November 15-17, 2019, The PCC returns to the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia to bring the presence of the reforming Church to the thousands of SOAW participants who will gather there.
WHAT SPONSORSHIP MEANS
What You Give: The contribution requested of PCC sponsoring organizations is a minimum of $150.00.
The PCC is fortunate to have some sponsors who choose to offer more than the minimum and to have some in-dividual donors who subsidize its annual activities to make up for any deficit in the budget. The combined amount received from sponsors is contributed either directly or mostly indirectly as support to SOAWatch for the costs of the weekend:
Information Table Rental: $300.00
Room Space Rental for Eucharist 400.00
Program Ad: 200.00
The remainder of sponsorship funding goes for items related to:
• Eucharist, worship aid copying, bread, wine, etc.
• Information Table, table covering, etc.
What You Get:
• The satisfaction of knowing you have supported the work of SOAWatch for truth and justice
• The exposure of your organization’s reform movement to thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds
ACCOUNTING AND MAILING ADDRESS
To economize, PCC@SOAW2019 does not have a separate bank account. However, as coordinator, I keep a credit/debit account about which I report to our PCC representatives. For that reason,
• PLEASE SEND YOUR SPONSORSHIP CHECK MADE OUT TO “JOHN P. WENTLAND”
• NOTE IN MEMO LINE “PCC@SOAW 2019”
• SEND TO:
John P. Wentland
348 Spring Street Ext.
Glastonbury, CT 06033
In advance of your response, please accept a big THANK YOU on behalf of the PCC@SOAW! ~ jack
Please like the PCC on @ppc4churchjustice. The SOAW website is found at www.soaw.org
