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.
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.
- Ohio Bishops' Statement of Concerns regarding HB 654: State Immigration Enforcement, September 20, 2006.
- Life on the Land: A Call to Reflection and Action on Agriculture in Ohio (PDF)
- Parched Land, Perilous Times: A Call for Prayer and Legislative Actions for Farming Families (PDF)
- Letter of Concern for Farm Families (PDF)
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Environmental Justice Program: Caring for God's Creation (Website)
- Year 2000 Immigrant Workers in Ohio Survey Results We Gather and Stand Together Project (PDF)
- Ohio Rural Life Conference Outline: Priorities, Strengths & Successes, Areas for Improvement, Emerging Rural Life Issues, Mission Statement, Goals and Objectives (PDF)
- National Catholic Rural Life Conference (Website)
- "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.
The Raw Milk Debate: Catholic Conference of Ohio Resource Page on Raw Milk.
Giving Thanks for the Harvest: Planting Seeds for the 2007 Farm Bill. Thanksgiving 2006 Reflections by Jerry Freewalt, Chair Ohio Catholic Rural Life Conference.
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.
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
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
dlg282@sbcglobal.net
Joanne Raha
2133 Wilson Avenue
Mingo Junction, Ohio 43938
Phone: 740-282-1612
jraha@comcast.net
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
Sr. Christine Pratt, OSU
Rural Life Ministry
1021 West State Street
Fremont, Ohio 43420-2103
Phone: 419-334-1331
Fax: 419-355-0936
rlmcpratt@nwonline.net
Diocese of Youngstown
Rick Walker
Catholic Charities
144 West Wood Street
Youngstown, Ohio 44503-1030
Phone: 330-744-8451
Fax: 330-742-6447
rwalker@youngstowndiocese.org
United States Catholic Conference
Office of Social Development & World Peace
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
4625 Beaver Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50310
Phone: 515-270-2634
Fax: 515-270-9447
www.ncrlc.com
ncrlc2@mchsi.com
Designed and maintained by Advent Media, Inc. www.advent1.com