Nuns on the Bus Coming to Cape Girardeau

Press Release: NETWORK Missouri Nuns Launch Bus Tour Highlighting How Federal Budget Cuts Harm Struggling Families

FOR RELEASE: August 30, 2012

CONTACT: Mary Ann McGivern maryann.mcgivern@gmail.com 314.324.1050

Alice Kitchen akitchen1@kc.rr.com 708.228.7544

St. Louis: Missouri members of NETWORK, the sisters' lobby in Washington, today announced a Missouri bus trip by Catholic Sisters highlighting the work Sisters do to meet the needs of people at the economic margins and revealing how federal budget cuts proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and passed by the House of Representatives will hurt struggling families in these states.

The tour is called, "Nuns on the Bus: Nuns Drive for Faith, Family and Fairness."

The Sisters will board the bus in Kansas City on September 4 and make stops in Liberty, Harrisonville, Springfield, Ballwin, Cape Girardeau and Hannibal where the trip will end on September 7.

Along the way, they will visit Catholic-sponsored social service agencies that serve people who will be further harmed by proposed budget cuts, and they will meet with congressional offices to advocate for a fair budget. Local Church and political officials and the media are invited to meet with the Sisters during their daily stops.

September 4

1 PM, Liberty, MO Rep. Sam Graves

4 PM -- Senator Blunt's KC office


Wednesday, Sept 5


10 AM -- Harrisonville, MO Rep. Vicky Hartzier

3:30 PM -- Springfield, Rep. Billy Long in Springfield

Thursday, Sept 6


9 AM -- Ballwin, Candidate Ann Wagner

10 AM -- Ballwin, Rep. Todd Akin

3:30 -- Cape Girardeau, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson

Friday, Sept 7

11:30 AM -- Hannibal, Rep. Blaine Leutkemeyer

The Vatican recently criticized Catholic Sisters in the U.S. for spending too much time working for social justice instead of speaking out on issues such as gay marriage and abortion. Despite the controversy, Catholic Sisters stand with the Bishops in criticizing the Ryan budget and are committed to staying faithful to their mission to serve those in need. Because of their work, Sisters see the suffering of people in poverty on a daily basis. As a result, they recognize the harm that the Ryan budget will cause, including:

Undermining the food stamp program (SNAP) at a time when millions need it to feed their families

Beginning to shift Medicare to a voucher program, thus driving more seniors into poverty

Giving large tax breaks to the wealthy at the expense of protections for struggling families

Drastically cutting funding for health insurance programs for low-income people, causing millions to lose access to healthcare

Increasing Pentagon spending while cutting programs that serve people in need -- despite the Pentagon saying there are military programs that should be cut.

The bus tour is meant to focus attention on the enormous moral choices facing our country. Do we choose to be a nation of individualism and fear where the rich get richer at the expense of those in need? Or do we reclaim the principles of our founders and work together for all the people to form a more perfect union?

Mary Ann McGivern, Sister of Loretto