Missouri Catholic Conference Annual Assembly to be held on September 30, 2006

June 12, 2006, JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Catholic citizens from around the state will attend the Missouri Catholic Conference’s Annual Assembly on Saturday, September 30, 2006 at the State Capitol in Jefferson City, Missouri. More than 700 people will spend the day “celebrating faith and freedom” by participating in workshops and listening to knowledgeable speakers on a variety of social justice issues.

Special guest and keynote speaker will be Dr. Richard Chole, MD, Lindburg Professor and Department Chairman of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis. He is President of the American Otological Society and Director of the American Board of Otolaryngology. Dr. Chole will address the pending embryonic stem cell research and human cloning initiative. The initiative seeks to amend the Missouri constitution to allow human cloning and the destruction of human life for medical research. Dr. Chole is an outspoken opponent of the initiative while his employer, Washington University in St. Louis, is a leading proponent of the initiative.

The Annual Assembly offers Catholics an opportunity to learn how they personally can make a difference in their parishes and communities through workshops that deal with public policy issues, social concerns and local parish involvement based on faith values.

The workshop presenters are professional leaders in their area of interest and this year’s line up looks to be one of the best the Annual Assembly has ever had. Attendees can choose from eighteen workshops topics including: Catholic Campaign to End the Death Penalty, childhood

obesity, legal and political issues surrounding immigration, providing adequate wages in a modern society, why so many initiatives are proposed, access to health care for the poor, decrease in federal funding for social services programs, and addressing the needs of the newly released prisoner. Catholic citizens from each of the four dioceses will receive the MCC Citizen Recognition Awards for working to put their faith and values into practical action in their communities.

The day begins with an opening general session at 10:00 am, a free lunch is provided, and closes with the Mass at 3:15 pm. The Mass will be concelebrated by the Missouri bishops at St. Peter Church, across from the capitol building. Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, Archbishop of St. Louis will be the main celebrant.