COURTESY MINNESOTA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE

Catholic middle and high school students in Minnesota who want to learn more about the faith and applying Church teaching to issues in the public arena have a unique opportunity May 12.

An interactive, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. webinar will feature Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, a member of the State Legislature and staff with Minnesota Catholic Conference, which represents the public policy interests of Minnesota bishops.

Titled “Lessons in Advocacy: Students Standing for Life and Dignity,” the webinar will explore why Catholic students’ voices matter in the political process and how their ideas can become law, what the Church teaches about defending the life and dignity of every person, and how to effectively interact with legislators.

Jack Lawlis, MCC’s policy and outreach coordinator, said that with the shift to online learning as schools closed in March to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the conference staff seized the opportunity to offer new programming designed specifically for young people.

“Students make great advocates for issues of life and dignity,” he said in an email to The Catholic Spirit. “But they don’t always know how to do so. For that reason, we created ‘Lessons in Advocacy: Students Standing for Life and Dignity,’ an interactive webinar that helps students realize why speaking to legislators about important issues matters. It then gives them some basic tools and knowledge necessary to defend human life and dignity in the public arena.”

Catholic school superintendents, middle and high school principals in each diocese in Minnesota have been alerted to the offering, which will include Bishop Cozzens joining the students for prayer and sharing his experiences of advocacy. The webinar also will explain the legislative process, and students can ask questions of a Minnesota state legislator.

MCC’s in-person May 6 Capitol 101 event in St. Paul was canceled because of the coronavirus. The webinar is similar to that gathering, except this year it is online and designed for Catholic students ages 12 to 18, Lawlis said. There is hope among MCC staff that more students across the state will be able to participate via internet, as well, he said.

Parents or guardians of students must register their students for the event. The MCC has set up a landing page for the webinar and registration.