Nearly 1 in 5 people in the 10-county Diocese of Lansing live in poverty. To help guide Catholics in the diocese in responding to this, Bishop Earl Boyea has established a new Commission on Catholic Social Teaching. The commission will assist the bishop in his ministry to catechize all the faithful in the diocese on the principles of Catholic social teaching, advance human dignity and promote the common good of society.

The new commission will advise Bishop Boyea in determining the diocesan response to important social issues, including poverty, the sanctity of human life, the dignity of the person, marriage and family, solidarity and care for creation. For the past 50 years, parishes participated in these efforts by making donations to the USCCB’s Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). The new Commission on Catholic Social Teaching will replace the CCHD initiative for the Diocese of Lansing. The inaugural meeting of the commission has been scheduled for August 2020.