Washington D.C., Apr 27, 2006 / 22:00 pm
For the fourth consecutive year, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will participate with ecumenical and interfaith partners in ‘Cover the Uninsured Week,’ a national campaign to spotlight the nearly 46 million Americans who lack health insurance.
Cover the Uninsured Week 2006 runs from May 1 to 7.
The Catholic effort is being led by the USCCB and the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA).
“A problem of this magnitude and moral urgency requires the leadership of the Catholic community as we work to address this crisis with compassion and a commitment to justice,” said Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, chairman of the bishops’ Domestic Policy Committee, and Sr. Carol Keehan, CHA president and CEO.
Through activities in communities nationwide, religious leaders, physicians, business owners, educators, union members and others are banding together to send a unified message: we cannot afford to remain silent while quality affordable health care is not a reality for everyone in the country.
In their letter to Catholic bishops, Bishop DiMarzio and Sr. Keehan said the two organizations are leaders in this effort “because of our longstanding commitment to accessible and affordable health care for all and our desire to show solidarity with our ecumenical and interfaith partners.”
Resources are available at www.covertheuninsuredweek.org. Liturgy resources are available on the USCCB website, www.usccb.org/sdwp.