Campus Ministry Attends CMHE DC Justice Advocacy Program

Director of Campus Ministry Jeff Wallace and four GMercyU students traveled to Washington, DC to attend the DC Justice Advocacy Program hosted by the Conference for Mercy Higher Education (CMHE).

The DC Justice Advocacy Program is a bi-annual event facilitated by the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy and their justice team. Attendees included faculty, staff, and students from Mercy-affiliated institutions across the nation. GMercyU was one of four schools from Pennsylvania to attend, including Misericordia University, Carlow University, and Mercyhurst University.

The trip was funded by the President’s Excellence Fund, and attendees met at the Washington Retreat House. The goal was to have students visit with senators to complete advocacy work on behalf of climate change through provisions outlined in the Build Back Better budget package.

Jeff secured meetings with a staff member from Brian Fitzpatrick’s office and the legislative director from Madeleine Dean’s office, where students asked questions and advocated for climate change policy.

During the four-day trip, students attended advocacy training, where they met students from other institutions who are also interested in advocacy work. Students learned how to perform advocacy work and host advocacy meetings. While in DC, they connected with an advocacy group called Catholic Climate Covenant. The group provided students with talking points and connections between advocacy and faith.

In addition to attending this program, the group visited the National Basilica, the Catholic University of America, Capitol Hill, and other locations in Washington, DC. All attendees had the opportunity to visit an organic urban farm right in DC as well.

Next year, the CMHE hopes to offer students the opportunity to travel to the United Nations.

Be sure to check out a recap of the event on the Sisters of Mercy website.