USCCB - (Office of Media Relations)

January Events

January 1, 1999 begins the Year of Charity in preparation for the Third Millinium and the Jubilee Year 2000. The Jubilee Pledge for Charity Justice and Peace will be mailed to parishes across the country in late January. Contact Joan Rosenhauer at 202-541-3180 for further information.

January 1 is the World of Peace and Feast of Mary, Mother of God.

Epiphany, which celebrates Christ's manifestation to the world, is celebrated January 3.

National Migration Week is January 4-10.

National Vocations Awareness Week is January 10-16.

'Stand Against Violence' is the theme for this years Peace Week slated for January 15-22. The week was designed by the U.S. Bishops to urge people to work for peace and to remind them of the prevalence of violence in contemporary society. During Peace Week, people all across the nation will recall the January 15 birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., who promoted non-violence, and will mark the January 22 anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Peace Week is part of the on-going Catholic Campaign for Children and Families and is a diocesan and parish response to the U.S. Bishops' 1994 statement Confronting a Culture of Violence: A Catholic Framework for Action. A packet has also been produced by the same name. Diocesan offices have received copies of the packet and have been encouraged to share it with parish groups. For further information, contact Dan Mislah at 202-541-3190.

Annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is January 18-25. The theme is "God will dwell with them...they will be God's peoples." Materials available from Graymoor Ecumenical Institute, Route 9, P.O. Box 300, Garrison, NY 10524.

National Prayer Vigil for Life will be held January 21, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. At 7 p.m. there will be a concert by Kids for Life. There will be a Mass at 8 p.m. with Cardinal Bernard Law as principal celebrant and homilist. The Mass is to be broadcasted on EWTN. At 10:30 p.m. in the Shrine Crypt Church, there will be Recitation of the Rosary for Life. From 11:30 p.m. to 6 a.m., seminarians will lead prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. For further information, contact the Pro-Life Activities at 202/541-3070.

Annual March for Life is January 22. Washington events include 7:30 a.m. Mass at the shrine with Archbishop Justin Rigali of St. Louis as principal celebrant and homilist. The March for Life begins at noon with a rally on the Ellipse.

Pope John Paul II visits St. Louis Missouri January 26-27. Updates, schedules, speeches, and other information can be obtained from the Internet at www.archstl.org. Applications for media credentials can be received by contacting the Department of Communications at 202-541-3200.

Catholic Schools Week is January 25-31.

Parishes and dioceses will celebrate World Day for Consecrated Life on Sunday, January 31. There are approximately 6,115 religious Brothers and 85,412 religious Sisters in the United States. For further information contact the Department of Communications at 202-541-3200.

ALERT: Copies of the Millennium kits Celebrate, Reconcile, and Evangelize -- are available by contacting the Department of Communications at 202-541-3200.

The following dioceses can be reached by E-mail: ALASKA: Fairbanks, Juneau. ARIZONA: Phoenix, Tucson. CALIFORNIA: Monterey, Oakland, Orange, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose. COLORADO: Colorado Springs, Denver. CONNECTICUT: Hartford, Bridgeport. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Washington. FLORIDA: Miami, Orlando, Palm Beach, St. Augustine, St. Petersburg, Venice. GEORGIA: Savannah. HAWAII: Honolulu. IDAHO: Boise. ILLINOIS: Chicago, Joliet, Peoria, Rockford, Springfield. INDIANA: Evansville, Forth Wayne-South Bend, Indianapolis, Lafayette. IOWA: Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Sioux City. KANSAS: Kansas City in Kansas. KENTUCKY: Louisville, Lexington, Owensboro. LOUISIANA: Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Houma-Thibodaux, Lafayette, Lake Charles, New Orleans, Shreveport. MAINE: Portland. MARYLAND: Baltimore. MASSACHUSETTS: Boston, Melkite Diocese of Newton. MICHIGAN: Detroit, Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Marquette. MINNESOTA: Crookston, New Ulm, St. Cloud, St. Paul and Minneapolis, Winona. MARYLAND: Baltimore. MISSISSIPPI: Jackson. MISSOURI: Jefferson City, Kansas City-St. Joseph, St. Louis, Springfield-Cape Girardeau. MONTANA: Great Falls-Billings, Helena. NEBRASKA: Omaha. NEVADA: Las Vegas. NEW HAMPSHIRE: Manchester. NEW JERSEY: Camden, Newark, Passaic, Paterson, Trenton. NEW MEXICO: Las Cruces. NEW YORK: Brooklyn, Buffalo, New York, Ogdensburg. Rochester, Rockville Centre; Syracuse. NORTH CAROLINA: Charlotte, Raleigh. NORTH DAKOTA: Bismarck, Fargo. OHIO: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo. OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma City, Tulsa. OREGON: Baker, Portland. PENNSYLVANIA: Altoona-Johnstown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Scranton. RHODE ISLAND: Providence. SOUTH CAROLINA: Charleston. SOUTH DAKOTA: Rapid City, Sioux Falls. TENNESSEE: Memphis. TEXAS: Amarillo, Austin, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Ft. Worth, Lubbock, San Angelo, Victoria. VERMONT: Burlington. VIRGINIA: Richmond. WASHINGTON: Seattle, Spokane, Yakima. WEST VIRGINIA: Wheeling-Charleston. WISCONSIN: Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, La Crosse. WYOMING: Cheyenne.

If any communications director wants to be added to the list, please e-mail Sr. Mary Ann Walsh at mwalsh@nccbuscc.org.