Catholic Extension to Commit Nearly $4 Million to Hispanic Ministries Across America in 2010

As Hispanic Catholic population increases, organization awards grants to 41 dioceses to help develop leadership among opportunities
Chicago, Ill. – Catholic Extension announced today that it is awarding $3,752,416 in grants this year to 41 dioceses to help support Hispanic programs, particularly leadership development. The 106-year-old national organization is responding to grant requests that include making bi-literate seminarian education more accessible and affordable, providing support for youth and family ministries, and developing effective advocacy programs for the growing Hispanic Catholic population.

The grants will help address needs and opportunities created by the increasing number of Hispanics in the United States and the Catholic Church.  By 2020, it is estimated that Hispanics will comprise the majority of the Catholic population in the U.S., contributing 71% of the growth of the Catholic Church since 1960, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  The funds will be particularly helpful for developing Hispanic leaders in the Church. Currently, Hispanic/Latino bishops only make up 9 percent of all Catholic bishops in the US.  

“As the Hispanic Catholic population grows, it is important that we help Hispanics become leaders, not just of other Hispanics, but in the Church as a whole,” said Dr. Arturo Chavez, president and CEO of the Mexican American Catholic College (MACC) and appointee to President Obama’s Council for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. “Clearly, Catholic Extension recognizes the need to harness the power of this growing demographic by funding key educational opportunities so that a new generation of Church leaders is able to reach beyond cultural boundaries.”  

Forty one dioceses across the U.S. will benefit from Catholic Extension’s grants to Hispanic ministries.  The Archdiocese of San Antonio will receive $85,000 from MACC to help launch and support its new bilingual BA and MA programs, which advance wide ranging higher education opportunities for Latinos.  Upon graduation, students will be prepared to take on multicultural leadership roles in parishes across the country, regardless of ethnic background.

Catholic Extension also has pledged  $270,000 to the Diocese of Salt Lake City over the course of five years to help support its burgeoning Hispanic Catholic population. The diocese estimates that the spiritual needs of as many as 200,000 Catholic Hispanics are not being met in Salt Lake City because the growth of this community is dramatically outpacing their current resources. The funds will allow the diocese to create a Lay Ecclesial Minister (LEM) formation program to accommodate Spanish-speaking candidates seeking leadership roles in the Church.  The grants will help educate persons to meet the needs of local Spanish-speaking faith communities. Without any local Catholic institutes of higher learning, the diocese has reached beyond its diocesan borders for support. Prominent Hispanic theologians representing theological institutes from around the country will provide content for this leadership program.  

“Growth in the U.S. Hispanic Catholic population is a blessing to the U.S. Catholic Church, and presents tremendous leadership potential,” said Joseph Boland, Grants Director for Catholic Extension. “At Catholic Extension, we strive not only to provide financial support for leaders to minister to Hispanics, but we strategize with dioceses to explore new opportunities to educate a new generation of leaders who can communicate and serve the growing and diverse nature of the entire Church.”

HIGHWAY DEATHS AND CRASHES DROP IN FIRST YEAR OF HANDS-FREE CELL PHONE LAW
SACRAMENTO - Recently released collision and fatality data from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) confirms that California's streets and highways are safer following the implementation of California's "hands-free" cell phone law.
CHP certified numbers from the first six months of the law's implementation show a 20 percent reduction in fatalities and collisions in California when compared to the same six month period over the past three to five years. Data from 2009 (not yet certified) confirms the trend. "That translates to at least 700 fewer fatalities and 75,000 to 100,000 fewer collisions each year," notes the author of the hands-free legislation, State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto).
The reduction in fatalities is consistent with a 2008 analysis from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), which predicted California would save 300 to 900 lives a year, based on the experience of other states that had implemented hands-free laws earlier in the decade. "That's a lot of folks who are sitting down to dinner with their families every day, who might otherwise not have made it," said Simitian.
"Equally compelling," notes Simitian, "is the CHP data that shows an immediate drop of 40-50 percent in the number of distracted driving accidents attributed to cell phones following the July 1, 2008 implementation of the law."
Since 2001, cell phone subscriptions have increased by 125 percent in California, while the number of drivers on the road increased by eight percent.  The U.S. Department of Transportation calculates that vehicle miles traveled in California remained virtually constant on a per capita basis.
"That makes the data doubly compelling," said Simitian. "We've been able to reduce the number of deaths and crashes even as we've seen more drivers and more cell phones out on the highway."
When he signed the hands-free bill in 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger stated, "The simple fact is it's dangerous to talk on your cell phone while driving. CHP data shows that cell phones are the number one cause of distracted-driving accidents, so getting people's hands off their phones and onto their steering wheels is going to make a big difference in road safety."

Assemblymember Fong Will Help Disabled and Elderly Evacuees and
Secure Education for Migrant Workers' Children
SACRAMENTO-Assemblymember Fong (D-Cupertino) introduced two more bills; AB 1970 ensures seniors and disabled people receive one-on-one care during a state of emergency and AB 2010 gives children of migrant workers steady classroom time.
During a State or Federal declared emergency, all evacuees are moved to shelters. However, seniors and disabled people who receive In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) are not able to use shelter facilities easily and need extra help that the shelter is not always able to provide.  AB 1970 allows IHSS to give critical onsite one-on-one services to its clients. IHSS providers in emergency shelters can help evacuees with meals, bathing, grooming, and medication.
"The money to implement this system already exists in our State and at the federal level," says Assemblymember Fong.  "We need to use all our resources to authorize IHSS to take care of its recipients no matter where they are."
The children of migrant workers often find their school year interrupted when they have to move because their parents' work depends on seasonal crops.  Interruptions and inconsistencies in education can interfere with a child's ability to learn.  Assemblymember Fong's AB 2010 will help these children get a better education by allowing the Department of Housing and Community Development to keep the migrant centers where migrant workers and their families live open so that students can finish their school year.
"By providing a stable education, we can reduce dropout rates and give all students an opportunity to reach their full potential," says Assemblymember Fong. 
Assemblymember Fong serves as Chair of the Elections and Redistricting Committee and is a member of the Banking and Finance, Higher Education, and Utilities and Commerce Committees. In addition, Assemblymember Fong serves on the Select Committees on Aerospace, Biotechnology, Community Colleges, Domestic Violence, and Innovation and the Bay Area Economy.  He represents Cupertino, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and San Jose.