WASHINGTON - The lack of jobs that can support families, particularly among those without access to higher education, has placed heavy burdens on families and communities across the country. This Labor Day, the Church draws close to these families and expresses words of hope, said Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development in the 2016 Labor Day statement.

On September 9, the feast of St. Peter Claver, the U.S. Catholic bishops are urging dioceses, parishes, and other faith communities to participate in a Day of Prayer for Peace in Our Communities. This day complements the ongoing work of a special task force, led by Archbishop Gregory, to help bishops and communities engage the challenging problems connected with race relations.

WASHINGTON, DC - On the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Sept. 1, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), extended an invitation to people of all faith to join Pope Francis and unite as witnesses for the care of creation.

WASHINGTON, DC - USCCB Migration & Refugee Services has received a large charitable donation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), to further efforts assisting refugees.

WASHINGTON - Sister tephanie Still, PBVM, has been named director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO).

WASHINGTON - A joint declaration issued today by U.S. Catholic bishops and Iranian religious leaders calls for developing a culture of encounter, tolerance, dialogue, and peace that respects the religious traditions of others. The leaders regard the development and use of weapons of mass destruction and acts of terrorism as "immoral."

WASHINGTON - Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), invited all Catholics to unite in prayers with Pope Francis for the victims of the earthquakes in Italy and for those suffering due to natural disasters.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) president, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, has called for an emergency collection to assist victims of the recent flooding in Louisiana. He also issued a statement of solidarity with the victims and invited Catholics to generously help those in need.

More than 120 bishops and 15 Cardinals will join in a continental celebration of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in Bogotá, Colombia, on August 27-30.

WASHINGTON—Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) expressed prayers and support after the latest terrorist attack on a Catholic parish in Normandy, France, that left a priest dead and another person seriously injured.

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA/EWTN News) - After several shootings and increased racial tensions around the country, the head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has called for a national day of prayer and appointed a task force devoted to peace and unity.

WASHINGTON - In light of recent incidents of violence and racial tension in communities across the United States, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has invited all dioceses across the country to unite in a Day of Prayer for Peace in Our Communities.

I offer my prayers for the officers and families affected by the horrible shooting in Baton Rouge. We find ourselves amid a prolonged prayer of lament as we join to console the grieving and support the suffering. People are suffering because their uniform is blue, suffering because their skin is black and suffering simply because of their station in life.

WASHINGTON - More than 40,000 Americans are registered to attend World Youth Day (WYD), July 26-31, in Krakow, Poland. To assist this record breaking number of participants from the United States, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth has lined up a series of resources and a variety of digital platforms to engage youth and young adults at home and abroad.

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan and Archbishop William E. Lori - as chairmen of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities and Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, respectively - commended the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Conscience Protection Act of 2016 (S. 304) on July 13 in a 245-182 bipartisan vote.

WASHINGTON - Urging support for the First Amendment Defense Act Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, issued the following statement:

WASHINGTON - Following the Colombian Bishops' Conference statement regarding the cease fire announced in Colombia, Bishop Oscar Cantú of Las Cruces, New Mexico, chair of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace, extended a message of support and solidarity, July 5.

Recently, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, offered the following challenge: "But nowadays who is making an effort to strengthen marriages, to help married couples overcome their problems, to assist them in the work of raising children and, in general, to encourage the stability of the marriage bond?"

Much to the delight of abortion advocates, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has loosened its guidelines for the powerful abortion drug, RU-486/Mifepristone, marketed as "Mifeprex."

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA/EWTN News) - As an alternative to the "deeply disturbing" new federal guidance on transgender regulations for schools, the U.S. bishops pointed to the words of Pope Francis in offering a positive path to young people.

WASHINGTON - Two Committee chairmen of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued the following statement in response to guidance issued May 13 by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education entitled "Dear Colleague Letter on Transgender Students:"

WASHINGTON, DC (CNA) - It is perhaps not surprising that an American priest, Father John Courtney Murray, was one of the key contributors to Dignitatis Humanae, the most important document in modern times on the Catholic Church and religious freedom.

As New York state voters prepare to head to the polls to help decide the most heated and contested presidential primary in recent memory, the New York Catholic bishops are reminding the faithful of their political responsibility in staying true to Catholic doctrine.

Bishop Richard J. Malone was in Washington, DC, Friday morning to respond to the long anticipated exhortation by Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia, or The Joy of Love.

WASHINGTON - Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, welcomed Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, on love in the family. Pope Francis' "love letter to families" invites everyone to grow as members of the family of God, Archbishop Kurtz said April 8.

"We welcome this teaching from Pope Francis as the fruit of the synodal process started by him more than two years ago—a process that has inspired in our Church, and indeed all over the world, a renewed attention to the importance of marriage and the family for all of society," said Bishop Richard J. Malone of Buffalo, chairman of the Committee.

Bishop Richard J. Malone is one of three who have been chosen to go to Washington, DC, and respond to the Pope's Exhortation on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Bishop Malone is the Chairman of USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.

WASHINGTON - The 40th meeting of the Bishops of the Catholic Church in America will take place in Tampa, Florida, February 22-25, bringing together representatives of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM).

WASHINGTON, DC - National Marriage Week USA and World Marriage Day are opportunities "to celebrate the gift and blessing of marriage," said the chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

WASHINGTON, DC - Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York called on everyone "concerned about the tragedy of abortion" to recommit to a "vision of life and love, a vision that excludes no one" on January 14. His statement marks the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Cardinal Dolan chairs the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

WASHINGTON, DC - The National Prayer Vigil for Life will be held from Thursday afternoon, January 21-Friday morning, January 22, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, where Pope Francis celebrated Mass during his recent visit to Washington. Over 20,000 pilgrims from around the nation will pray there for an end to abortion before the annual March for Life.

WASHINGTON, DC - Hundreds of Catholics from across the country who work in ministries at parishes, dioceses, national organizations and college and university campuses will explore the implications of Pope Francis' teachings on ecology and mercy at the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, January 23-26, in Washington. The theme of the gathering, "Called to Live Mercy in Our Common Home," is meant to echo Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si' and the ongoing celebration of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.

WASHINGTON, DC - The General Counsel of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) filed a brief amicus curiae, January 8, in the Zubik v. Burwell case now before the U.S. Supreme Court on the question of the contraceptive mandate of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

BALTIMORE - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approved several items, including a proposed statement on pornography and a new introductory note and limited revision of their quadrennial statement on political responsibility, during their annual Fall General Assembly in Baltimore, November 17. The bishops also voted on a liturgical book, strategic priorities for the 2017-2020 cycle and on the 2016 budget.

BALTIMORE - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approved a formal statement, "Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography," at their annual Fall General Assembly in Baltimore, November 17.

WASHINGTON -The national collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) will take place in most parishes the weekend before Thanksgiving, November 21-22. The theme of this year's collection is "CCHD: Working on the Margins."

BALTIMORE - Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Migration, issued a statement on Syrian refugees during the Bishops' annual General Assembly in Baltimore Nov. 17.

As the world reacts to the terrorist attacks in Paris, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have released a statement of solidarity with the people of France:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The 2015 Fall General Assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in Baltimore will be live streamed on the Internet, November 16-17. The live stream will be available at: www.usccb.org/about/leadership/usccb-general-assembly/index.cfm. News updates, vote totals, texts of addresses and presentations and other materials will be posted to this page.

ROME - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will meet, November 16-19, in Baltimore for their annual Fall General Assembly. The bishops will hear addresses by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, USCCB president, and Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganó, apostolic nuncio to the United States.