OHIO CATHOLIC RURAL LIFE CONFERENCE

Welcome to the home page of the Ohio Catholic Rural Life Conference, a committee of the Catholic Conference of Ohio. It consists of the diocesan rural life directors and up to three appointed/elected members from each diocese.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Ohio Catholic Rural Life Conference exists to preserve, protect and articulate the unique values and contributions of rural Catholics, their parishes, communities, families, farms, businesses, institutions and organizations. We wish to support rural people and their rural culture, namely:

• their sense of stability to a specific geographical place and people;
• their continuity of life-style and relationships;
• the historical memory that connects and nurtures these relationships.

We seek to provide a forum to address and resolve problems affecting the rural Catholic community, i.e., those things which interfere with living the faith and proclaiming the Kingdom of Jesus Christ to the surrounding secular society. These problems include social, political, ecclesiastical, economic, agricultural and environmental issues.

We seek to provide an organizing tool that gathers and unifies our rural Catholic communities in this common mission.


Meditation
Ohio: America's Heartland
Ohio Catholic Rural Life Images (music starts prior to images) (quicktime) (14 minutes)

To download a larger copy of this video CLICK HERE
Ohio Rural Life 2010 Retreat Meditation.m4v


ISSUE NEWS & ALERTS

NCRLC Study Guide: "Food Security & Economic Justice"
In tandem with the Oxfam campaign, NCRLC offers an educational resource titled "Food Security and Economic Justice: A Faith-Based Study Guide on Poverty and Hunger."

This study guide applies Catholic social teaching to the problems of hunger and poverty in a world of abundance, and how we can act to resolve this contradiction. The study guide can be used for individual learning or group discussions.

Livestock Standards in Ohio

Ohio Livestock Board website


Powerpoint Presentation: Meat, Milk and Eggs: Keeping the Focus on the Center of the Plate by Jeff Wuebker; Wuebker Farms during the Catholic Rural Life Meeting 5-24-10


Global Climate Change

A Catholic Response Study Guide: National Catholic Rural Life Conference

Catholic Coalition on Climate Change

Catholic Conference of Ohio's web page on Climate Change


Ohio Catholic Rural Life Leaders met on March 11 & 12, 2010 to reflect upon the mission of promoting God's call to be faith-filled stewards of the land. It was a time of spiritual renewal and strategic planning.

Catholic Telegraph , Archdiocese of Cincinnati, article on this gathering

Catholic Universe Bulletin, Diocese of Cleveland article on this gathering


RURAL LIFE RESOURCES

From the following links, you may access the online resources developed by the Ohio Catholic Rural Life Conference and other sources. We hope these will be useful in your ministry "on the land."

  • Sustaining Life on the Land is a complete web resource for Catholics wishing to explore the issues facing farm families. Included are the Bishops' Statements, Educational Resources, Prayer Resources, and Supplemental Information. You may download resources individually, or choose the entire packet as one file, suitable for printing.

BISHOPS' STATEMENTS


ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

  • "Our Ohio" a consumer-targeted website providing information on various aspects of rural life including where to buy Ohio farm products locally, gardening, Ohio farm history, cooking and farm-related education.

ST ISIDORE &
RURAL LIFE PRAYER RESOURCES

The Life of St Isidore the Farmer. By Mary Kay Hummel, Director Religious Formation & Community Development Our Lady of Sorrows/Holy Trinity/ Our Lady of Lourdes, Scioto County, Diocese of Columbus.

Patron Saints of the NCRLC: St. Isidore and St. Maria.

Litany of St Isidore

Novena to St. Isidore the Farmer

Prayer Service for the Land, Fruits of the Field, and Laboring to Feed the Hungry. Ohio Catholic Rural Life Conference

Reflective Readings regarding Church Teachings concerning Stewardship for the Land. Ohio Catholic Rural Life Conference

Prayers for Rural Families. NCRLC

Prayers for the Seasons of the Year. NCRLC

Petitions for Farm Life


OHIO RURAL LIFE CONTACTS

Catholic Conference of Ohio
Jim Tobin
9 East Long Street, Suite 201
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 614-224-7147
Fax: 614-224-7150
jtobin@ohiocathconf.org

Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Tony Stieritz
Office of Social Action & World Peace
100 E. 8th St.
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Phone: 513-421-3131 ext. 236
Fax: 513-421-1582
tstieritz@catholiccincinnati.org

Diocese of Cleveland
Pat O’Bryan
Catholic Commission
521 Beall Avenue/P.O. Box 109
Wooster, Ohio 44691
Phone: 330-263-6176/888-544-5878
Fax: 330-262-4633
pjobryan@clevelandcatholiccharities.org

Diocese of Steubenville
Fr. David Gaydosi (M.Div.)
Saint Sylvester Church
334 South Main Street
Woodsfield, OH 43793-1027
740-472-0187
dgaydosik@diosteub.org

Diocese of Columbus
Jerry Freewalt
Department of Social Concerns
197 East Gay Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 614-241-2540
Fax: 614-228-7302
jfreewalt@colsdioc.org

Diocese of Toledo
Debbie Chimahusky
1021 West State Street
Fremont, Ohio 43420-2103
Phone: 419-334-1331
Fax: 419-355-0936
dchimahusky@toledodiocese.org

Diocese of Youngstown
Fr. Ed Brienz
Catholic Charities
144 West Wood Street
Youngstown, Ohio 44503-1030
Phone: 330-744-5233
Fax: 330-742-6447
ebrienz@youngstowndiocese.org

United States Catholic Conference
Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development
3211 Fourth Street N.E.
Washington D.C. 20017
Phone: 202-541-3000
Fax: 202-722-8709
www.usccb.org/sdwp/

National Catholic Rural Life Conference
Jim Ennis
Executive Director
4625 Beaver Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50310
Phone: 515-270-2634
Fax: 515-270-9447
jim@ncrlc.com
www.ncrlc.com


 

 

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