Florida Catholic | Catholic Women Are Unified In Spirit

Catholic women are unified in the spirit

Women from the Diocese of Palm Beach will join in Catholic Days at the Capitol for the 23rd year running.

PAT LANGFORD | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 03.07.08

What the women really like is meeting their legislators. They can speak their voice.” - Joanne Springer, president, Palm Beach Diocesan Council of Catholic Women

PALM BEACH GARDENS | They get up before dawn, board a bus for a 400-mile trip that lasts into the middle of the afternoon, and they do it religiously, united and all in the name of the church.

“We have the largest representation,” said Don Kazimir, coordinator of the Respect Life Office for the Diocese of Palm Beach, about the number of Palm Beach Diocesan Council of Catholic Women members who take part in the annual Catholic Days at the Capitol event in Tallahassee.

This year, nearly 60 are signed up to board a chartered bus and dozens of others will pile into cars for the trip to the state capital to take part in the March 11-13 event, during which Catholics will peacefully gather, lobby and pray in Tallahassee.

“It’s not too late for people to go,” said Joanne Springer, president of the diocesan council, now in its 23rd year. She is encouraging priests, pro-life ministers and advocates, and others to participate. “The bus is full, but people can go in their own cars or organize the trip with one of the respect life groups.”

Springer, a parishioner of St. Matthew, is especially looking forward to the trip because this is her first. Last year, she planned to go, but postponed it because of unexpected complications from her Feb. 20 breast cancer surgery.

“I am really thankful,” she said. “I am cancer-free at this time — so far, so good. I really can’t wait to go.”

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Catholic Days at the Capitol brings together council women and other parishioners from around the state. The three-day event offers presentations, prayers and discussions.

A highlight is when visitors get a chance to meet with members of the Florida House and Senate to bring attention to issues that face the church and that are on the hearts and minds of Catholics.

“There are things that these people who represent us need to understand,” said Springer.

Florida Catholic Conference leaders are impressed at the council women’s involvement at Capitol event.

“The last four years, we’ve had a good turnout,” said Sheila Hopkins, associate director for social concerns and respect life for Florida Catholic Conference, liaison to state government on matters of concern to the Catholic Church. “Orlando brings a bus. Palm Beach brings a bus. Last year, Miami brought a bus for the first time. This year, Venice will.”

During the three days, participants have a busy agenda. First, they attend a briefing at the Leon County Civic Center. Four or five bills or budget issues that the Florida Catholic Conference selects as top priorities are discussed.

“We review the issues so that they can have a pretty good grasp of them,” said Hopkins.”

“They give us a few talking points,” Kazimir said. “That arms us and we all say the same thing so that we’re consistent when approaching the legislators. We do a lobbying effort. I think it’s been, over the years, pretty effective in getting good legislation passed and bad legislation stopped.”

Hopkins agreed that a couple of notable bills were passed with the help of joint forces from members of the dioceses. For instance, a farm labor bill concentrating on unsafe vehicles was passed in 2006.

“When workers were transported in these 15-passenger vans, there were no seats in them. Workers would be sitting on concrete blocks. Now, they are required to have a seat and a seat belt,” Hopkins said. “There is a sign that’s inside that has to be in three languages — English, Spanish and Creole — that (states that) they need to be seated and buckled up.

“They are supposed to have stickers, so that the highway patrol can know that this is somebody who is in compliance with the law or, if not, (the police) can stop them.”

The Diocese of Palm Beach participants from the diocese’s five counties generally meet and talk to legislators from the districts in which they live.

“Our representatives are very cooperative with us, willing to listen,” said Jean Waddington, diocesan council vice president attending this year.

“Truthfully, I’ve heard nothing but great news (about the capitol event),” said Springer. “What the women really like is meeting their legislators. They can speak their voice.”

Kathleen Muller, legislation chairwoman for the diocesan Council of Catholic Women, said her voice has been heard often.

“This will be my 10th year,” she said. “It’s a great experience. We express the bishops’ concerns. We share with (the legislators) our concerns as Catholic women about what’s going on and the bills that they’re considering.”

Groups join in prayer at the annual Red Mass. The legislators and often the governor take part in the celebration at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. A reception follows, during which the visitors meet the governor and prominent legislators.

“It’s a beautiful Mass,” Kazimir said.

Red is a big part of the theme, a symbol that has become a major part of Catholic Days.

“You look around all over the Capitol during Catholic Days at the Capitol and you see ladies in red from Catholic dioceses all over the state. I think it makes quite an impact,” Kazimir said.

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Catholic women are unified in the spirit

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