ICC welcomes opportunities to speak with groups throughout the state
By Natalie Hoefer
Since Jan. 8, life has been a whirlwind for Angela Espada and Alexander Mingus. The Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis became their home-away-from-home as they advocated for or against legislation according to the teachings of the Church during the state’s 2024 General Assembly.
The General Assembly ended on March 8, and now the two are ready to hit the road.
“We try to do as much as we can” to meet with the faithful in Indiana, says Espada, executive director of the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC)—the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Indiana.
“We think it’s really important to get in front of people to talk about what the ICC does, to give legislative updates, talk about Catholic social teaching, really trying to help articulate what forms the foundation of any position and thought that we are trying to share with legislators and with the broader public on behalf of the Church.” (Related story: End of legislative session includes nod to National Eucharistic Congress)
‘Understanding separation of Church and state’
Espada and ICC associate director Mingus have addressed groups small and large throughout the state. The two share examples of groups they’ve presented to—parishes, parish ministries, Catholic women’s conferences, wives of the Knights of Columbus at a statewide convention, students on college campuses, high school religion and politics classes—even the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis last November.
“The first thing we usually talk about is why we [ICC] exist,” says Espada. “So many people have heard that religion and politics shouldn’t mix, and [wonder] why does the Catholic Church even have somebody down at the Statehouse.”
Mingus adds that many people consider the U.S. Constitution’s mention of the separation of church and state to mean that “religions [should] stay far away from any sort of public discussion whatsoever.
“But the Church has said, ‘No, that’s not the case.’ And it was certainly not the understanding of anyone who founded our country, but rather that religion has a certain role to play in bringing moral vision to these discussions.”
So, when speaking to groups across the state, Espada says she and Mingus offer two reminders regarding the role of the ICC.
“One is that we are required to bring morality into the public law, and most people would agree that politics is a place where morality is needed,” she explains.
“But we also remind them of the issues that we’re talking about—education, health care, taking care of the sick, taking care of the marginalized. The Church has been doing that a lot longer than some established governments, so it makes sense for us to weigh in on these topics that we have a history and a connection with, in addition to being faithful citizens and bringing in morality.”
By sharing what the ICC does, says Mingus, “We can really dive into not only understanding separation of church and state, but what are we as Catholics actually called to do?”
‘To come together and share our voice’
One of those actions is voting—another topic Espada and Mingus address with Catholics statewide.
“I think there is a tendency that some people have to be frustrated—and I think rightly so in many cases—with our political system,” Mingus observes. “And then the response is kind of an apathy or a desire to distance themselves from politics.”
But the Church promotes “seeing the ideal [in politics], the usefulness of it as a way for us to come together and share our voice about what we care about and what is good,” he says.
The ICC encourages Catholics to participate in civic engagement, particularly by contacting their legislators and by voting in national and local elections.
“There’ll be more conversations about politics as we get ready for the presidential election,” says Espada. “We’d like to encourage people to be reminded of faithful citizenship, to be more aware and to participate more in local elections—not just get excited about the presidential election. … We’re going to need a new governor in Indiana. That’s going to be important. The governor will affect our lives and the state legislature.”
She adds that those too young to vote can still have an impact in promoting Catholic values in the political and public arena.
“I’m excited about getting more young people ignited about what’s going on,” says Espada. “The last few years, when we’ve been at the Statehouse when there’s been conversations about the environment and care for creation, there have been a lot of young people that have been involved.”
‘An outlet for expressing social teaching’
Voting and political and civic involvement are not just a way to forward Catholic social teaching. Such actions form one of the Church’s seven tenets of Catholic social teaching, a topic Espada and Mingus often address.
“Catholic social teaching can help to give us a framework for thinking through difficulties with politics and society,” says Mingus. “Angela and I can help guide parishes and groups through that.
“And we can talk about the practical tools the ICC offers to give an outlet for expressing social teaching in American political life,” such as through its Indiana Catholic Action Network that keeps voters informed of pressing issues, allowing them to easily contact their legislators.
If timing or logistics prevent an in-person presentation on Catholic social teaching, individuals and groups can also watch the ICC’s online, seven-part series of short videos on the topic and read its accompanying blog.
“And if, after viewing [the series], folks want to have a more in-depth conversation, we’ll go anywhere in Indiana,” Mingus adds.
Whether the group is small or large, high school students or senior citizens, in a city, town or rural community in Indiana, Espada and Mingus welcome the opportunity to speak about the ICC’s mission, educate on Catholic social teaching and encourage Catholics to further those teachings through political and civic engagement.
In the meantime, says Espada, “We remind people to pray for elected officials, for their city or town, and for the state.”
(For more information about the Indiana Catholic Conference [ICC] or to request a speaker, go to indianacc.org, e-mail icc@archindy.org or call executive director Angela Espada at 317-236-1455 or associate director Alexander Mingus at 317-236-1458. To sign up to receive Indiana Catholic Action Network updates, go to indianacc.org/register. To view the ICC’s seven-part series on Catholic social teaching, go to indianacc.org.) †