Three years ago, the Archbishop of New Orleans threatened to close St. Augustine's Catholic Church, the oldest African American parish in the country. On March 1, 2009, a letter from the Archbishop was read to parishioners after mass stating that he will not close the church! Call To Action gives thanks to all of our members who have prayed, donated and/or traveled to New Orleans to help keep open this vibrant parish. Thanks to your support, Archbishop Hughes has realized that he cannot close this church. This is a reminder of the power of God's people to create a more just church!

We especially thank Sandra Gordon, Tom Honore and the core of local faith-filled activists. Sandra Gordon is a Call To Action member and one of the parish leaders of resistance and Tom Honore is a member of Call To Action's Board and AntiRacism Team who traveled to the parish in the early days of its struggle to remain open. We spoke with Sandra this week in New Orleans who asked us to pass along her deep thanks to everyone for their support over the last three years.

Accomplishments like this one are milestones in the history of the church justice movement. Please rejoice with us in this good news and keep in prayer other churches that have been closed. We invite you, your chapter or your small faith community to send a note of congratulations and continuing support to St. Augustine's... and then celebrate! The letters will be collected and added to this historic parish's archives to close this particular chapter in their long history and to begin living out the rest of what promises to be a fruitful journey as a community of Christ.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

Sandra Gordon

1746 Independence St.

New Orleans, LA 70117

St. Augustine's weathered another round of church closures that was announced this spring, but were told they would be re-evaluated later this year by the diocese.

In the meantime, Call To Action continues to monitor the situation and work with parishioners. This summer, our NextGeneration program for young adults traveled to New Orleans and worshipped with St. Augustine's parishioners. They also helped with the re-building of Ms. Thelma Jones' home, a parishioner of St. Augustine's.

Please continue to pray for St. Augustine's and we will keep you updated about the continuing campaign to save their vibrant church, one of the soul-centers of New Orleans.

After Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast region, Catholics and non-Catholics alike turned to their local churches for support. St. Augustine's Catholic Parish in New Orleans became a center for the recovery efforts. In March 2005, Archbishop Hughes decided to close St. Augustine's, despite the vibrant church life and its vital importance in the wake of Katrina's wreckage.

The parishioners and service providers working out of the parish protested, members of CTA's Anti-Racism team stood in solidarity with the church members, and soon the Archbishop entered into negotiations with the parish. It was agreed that the parish would continue to build up its programs and would be "re-evaluated" as to its status in two-years time. Today, St. Augustine's not only remains open, but, so importantly, it continues to serve the people of God.

The time of St. Augustine's evaluation is quickly approaching. One of the benchmarks on which the church will be evaluated in order to remain open is that of membership growth. St. Augustine's is accepting "Associate Members" who may not live within the parish boundaries but who will support the church with prayers, encouragement and, if one desires, a financial contribution. It does not mean you need to switch from your home parish, but rather be a supporter of St. Augustine's in addition to your own church. Please help us keep this vibrant, historic parish open and alive to continue its ministry of "breaking the shackles of sin and oppression."

Click here to become an "Associate Member" of St. Augustine's today!

Bishop Hughes of the New Orleans diocese has recently admitted his missteps in trying to close St. Augustine's in his recent pastoral letter, "Made in the Image and Likeness of God: A Pastoral Letter on Racial Harmony." Call To Action/USA applauds this action and has written him a letter of appreciation, which you can read by clicking here.

If you would also like to write Bishop Hughes a letter of appreciation, send letters to the following address and mention that you are a Call To Action member:

Archbishop Alfred Hughes

Archdiocese of New Orleans

7887 Walmsley Avenue

New Orleans, LA 70125

To send a letter of support to St. Augustine for their on-going work or to join their parish, contact:

St. Augustine's

c/o Sandra Gordon

1210 Govnichollf

New Orleans, LA 70116

504-250-2781 (c)