In response to a court ruling that struck down the state regulations requiring a 24-hour waiting period prior to an abortion and informed consent be provided to women, MCC said it is clear that the intent of the 2022 ballot proposal was to grant constitutional protections to an industry that places itself above the health and safety of women and the lives of pre-born children.
MCC president and CEO Paul A. Long offered comments on the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, an Augustinian priest who holds dual American and Peruvian citizenship, and has taken the name of Pope Leo XIV for his papacy.
Sister Monica Kostielney, R.S.M., former president and CEO of Michigan Catholic Conference from 1994 to 2010, died on Monday, April 28th at the age of 87. Her career included several gubernatorial appointments, numerous board positions, lifetime achievement awards, and countless friends and colleagues in Michigan and across the country.
MCC President and CEO Paul Long offered prayers for the Holy Father Pope Francis upon the news of his death Easter Monday, and offered reflections on his 12-year pontificate.
MCC extended a welcome to Most Rev. Edward J. Weisenburger after he was named by Pope Francis as the new archbishop of Detroit and expressed gratitude to retiring Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron for his years of faithful and fruitful service in Michigan.
Lansing Update publishes on Fridays when the Michigan Legislature is in session and chronicles legislative activity of interest to Michigan Catholic Conference.
This week, MCC responded to a court ruling that will further deregulate abortion in Michigan, while also lending support to legislation that recognizes the dignity of the preborn. Also, a case is made for why Pope Leo XIV is a Michigan pope.
The Church welcomed with great excitement this week Pope Leo XIV as the newest Successor to St. Peter, becoming the first American-born pope to lead the global Catholic Church, who even studied for a period of time in west Michigan.
Catholics in Michigan are encouraged to urge their congressional representatives to support legislation to significantly expand school choice across the country. Plus, MCC mourns an iconic former leader of the organization, and everything you wanted to know about the upcoming conclave.
There were a number of updates on MCC’s legislative initiatives this week, but the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday was on the hearts and minds of many.
More school safety legislation that will improve protections in all schools advanced this week with support from MCC. Plus, an invitation to enter into the Sacred Mysteries ahead of Easter during the Triduum.
The Word from Lansing is a regular column written by Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) staff for Catholic news outlets. Through these columns, MCC outlines current advocacy issues of importance to the Conference and discusses the Catholic position and role in the political process. This publication complements the more regular updates provided by Michigan Catholic Conference’s Catholic Advocacy Network.
Even though she retired from public life 15 years ago, reflecting on Sister Monica’s life and legacy—who passed away at the age of 87 on April 28, 2025—and recalling some of her insights provide invaluable perspective on the continued need for the Church to be present in public policy advocacy.
At the heart of immigration are individual people with names, families, and stories. This column invites readers to recognize the person of Jesus Christ in others through the experiences of migrants who have traveled to unfamiliar surroundings to support and protect themselves and their families.
Ensuring every student receives a quality education is critical to promoting the common good. As the state budget process gets underway, MCC will be advocating for a student-centered approach to education funding.
As the end of the current legislative session approaches, there remains another opportunity for lawmakers to increase school safety funding for nonpublic schools, and that's where faithful Catholic citizens can help.
Among the Church’s social teachings, there is none more important than protecting human life and dignity, which is highlighted every year in October during Respect Life month. This column focuses on two specific life issues due to their continued presence and discussion in the public square among legislators, candidates, media, and the general public.
Focus is MCC’s quarterly publication that examines a social or public policy issue through the lens of Catholic social teaching. Focus has a mailing list of 4,200 and typically distributes 50,000–75,000 copies to Catholic institutions across the state.
How should Catholics think about immigration and the migrants who land here? This edition of Focus shares how the Church’s perspective on immigration is guided by the fundamental Catholic social doctrines of upholding human dignity and caring for the poor and vulnerable. This publication features the stories of immigrants who have traveled to Michigan, explains why and how the Church serves migrants, and answers frequently-asked questions about Church teachings on immigration.
Catholics can be a light to this state and the nation by allowing the truths of the faith to inform their voting decisions. This edition of Focus is intended to help Catholics in Michigan embrace the vocation of a faithful citizen in the 2024 election and beyond by putting on “the mind of Christ” before voting.
The Catholic Church calls for honoring and protecting the dignity of human life at all stages until natural death, which makes assisted suicide a direct contrast to the respect for life. It not only threatens the lives of the sick and dying, but also the lives of other vulnerable people. As efforts to legalize or expand assisted suicide continue to surface both in Michigan and elsewhere, this edition of Focus addresses why assisted suicide should be opposed and shows what true compassion for the suffering and dying looks like.
The Advocacy Reports are published at the conclusion of each two-year legislative session and summarize MCC’s public policy and communication advocacy work across the nine advocacy principles that guide MCC’s involvement in legislative issues.
Over the course of the 2019–2020 state legislative session, Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) worked diligently with lawmakers and legislative staff of both political parties to advance the common good. In a February report, MCC details its advocacy work from the past two years and highlights critical legislative achievements for Michiganders, especially those that recognize the dignity of the human person and address the needs of the vulnerable.
