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To: Clergy, parish/mission staff and social action ministers
From: Kat Doyle, Director of Justice and Peace Ministries; Office of Life, Dignity, and Justice
April 1, 2020 was CENSUS DAY… Have you and ALL of your parishioners responded? Earlier this year, Bishop Konzen signed a resolution naming the Archdiocese of Atlanta as a Complete Count Committee Campaign Diocese. That means that we want to do all we can to make sure that every man, woman and child in our diocese is counted in the 2020 Census.
While some of the deadlines for responding and being counted have been extended, the census is taking place right NOW. It can be done by mail, phone or online in isolation, without ever having to leave your home. Census data is private, protected by law and stored securely! And responding to the 2020 Census is EASY. You answer a simple questionnaire about yourself and everyone who was living with you on April 1, 2020.
As leaders in our parish and mission communities, it is our responsibility to bring awareness to issues of social justice and provide information to our Catholic faithful, especially during these trying times. It is important that everyone understands the impact that participating in the 2020 Census NOW will have in our communities over the next 10 years.
Can you imagine your hospital closing, your local parks or library closing or cutting hours, your school receiving fewer federal dollars for education or breakfast and lunch programs? Can you imagine your share of $678 billion tax dollars each year for the next 10 years going to another community? Can you imagine losing your voice in Congress, your state legislature or your county or local government? These are some of the things that will happen if we do not respond to the 2020 Census.
We are encouraging clergy and ministry leaders to find ways to reach out to parishioners with this important information. Please see resources, in English and Spanish, about the process of responding to the 2020 Census. We have multilingual census partnership specialists dedicated to helping your parish find ways to ensure that you are a complete count parish, even as we practice social distancing. Do not let COVID-19 and our empty parishes keep us from participating in this most fundamental civic duty.
If you have any additional questions, or need ideas and/or materials please do not hesitate to contact me at kdoyle@archatl.com/404.920.7897 or our Census Partnership Specialist Hector Montalvo at hector.montalvo.sanabria@2020census.gov.