Thursday, February 27, 2025
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EST
Location: School of Continuing Studies Auditorium
It’s sometimes difficult to be both a committed Republican or Democrat and a committed Catholic. In the United States, neither party’s priorities reflect the full range of Catholic social teaching, and at the same time, political parties are powerful tools for organizing citizens around particular priorities and mobilizing the country’s resources in service of the common good. As faithful citizens, U.S. Catholics must make difficult choices when participating in public life.
How does partisanship affect the way we live as faithful citizens? How much should we be willing to compromise? How much can we rely on political parties to prioritize issues that reflect the values found in the Gospels, such as respect for life, a priority for the poor, welcome for immigrants, and care for creation, among others? What does political discernment look like in our current context? When does partisanship demand too much?
This timely Salt and Light and Latino Leaders gathering will explore how partisan commitments and Catholic values can co-exist or conflict for voters, advocates, political staffers, or others engaged in the political process.
Christian Soenen, projects manager of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, will moderate the dialogue.
This gathering will have three parts:
6:00 - 7:00 p.m. | Welcoming Happy Hour
Meet and network with other young leaders over food and drink
7:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Dialogue
A conversation on “Is Partisanship a Threat to Faithful Citizenship or a Way to Live it Out?”
8:00 - 9:00 p.m. | Reception
Continue the conversation with other young leaders over food and drink
This Salt and Light and Latino Leader Gathering is for young adult Catholics to come together to explore links between faith, Catholic social thought, and their lives and work, especially on public policy.
For those who cannot join us in person, the dialogue starting at 7:00 p.m. EST will be livestreamed and posted online for later viewing.
Participants
John McCarthy
John McCarthy was the senior advisor for political engagement to President Joe Biden and was the deputy national political director for Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. He served as national director of faith community outreach for Hillary for America and was a co-chair of Catholics for Obama-Biden.
Matt Mowers
Matt Mowers was a senior White House advisor at the U.S. Department of State from 2017 - 2019 where he advised the Secretary of State. He helped lead PEPFAR, the United States' global HIV program, and served as an adviser to the U.S. delegation to the United Nations General Assembly under President Donald Trump’s first administration. He is currently president of Valcour, a global public strategy firm.
Luz Tavarez
Luz Tavarez is the vice president for government affairs at Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), where she directs CCUSA’s ongoing efforts to urge national policymakers to recognize the needs of the most vulnerable and to adopt measures that support them. She is the former director of public and community engagement for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York.
Michelle Meza (G’24)
Michelle Meza was a regional mobilization manager for Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign in Wisconsin and a state reporter and state manager for Decision Desk HQ. She is currently the director of strategic alliances at Woodberry Associates. She's a graduate of Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy and a member of the Latino Leader Advisory Council for the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life.
Accessibility
All in-person accommodation requests should be sent to cathsocialthought@georgetown.edu by February 21. A good-faith effort will be made to fulfill requests.