Fall elections are upon us. General elections will be Tuesday, November 4, 2014, and early voting is under way in most communities. I hope every Catholic who can vote will do so. Voting is our civic responsibility. It allows us to express our opinions as to how our government should be run. We should not just stand by idly and watch things happen.
To help form your conscience on the important issues at stake in these elections, I recommend reading a brief document entitled "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility." It is published by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and it is available in print and online at www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship.
Voting is only the first step in our participation as faithful citizens. The USCCB and the Texas Catholic Conference provide resources to Catholics to help engage in advocacy with our elected officials. Voting is very important, and we all need to exercise that right, but continuing to communicate with elected officials is just as important if we are to bring our voices and values to the public square.
The Texas Catholic Network is one avenue provided by the Texas Catholic Conference for everyone to stay informed about the issues currently before our state elected officials. Everyone can sign up at www.txcatholic.org.