LOS ANGELES --- More than 200 One LA-IAF leaders gathered Oct. 29 at Immaculate Conception Church to get out the vote in support of Prop H, Los Angeles' affordable housing bond. Congregants from Immaculate Conception, Immanuel Presbyterian, Precious Blood, St, Kevin, St. Michael, and St. Thomas walked precincts to energize voters about Prop H and affordable housing needs. If approved by voters, Prop H would provide $1 billion to house homeless and low-income families and assist first-time homebuyers. One LA-IAF, an organization of 100 congregations, schools and unions, is organizing additional precinct walks in South Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. The walks further an on-going strategy by One LA churches to organize their congregations and communities to address pressing issues facing families. "Today we walk, tomorrow we vote, and together we are making our communities and city more affordable for all," said Msgr., Jarlath Cunnane, pastor of St. Thomas Church.

Native American events slated
LOS ANGELES --- Numerous special events will be held this November to celebrate American Indian Heritage Month. Red Nation is hosting a Native film festival, concerts, comedy night and youth workshops. "We use this celebration of our American Indian Heritage Month to focus the world's attention on the unique strength of our communities and the contributions of our outstanding achievements in the performing arts and to spread the message globally that Indian country is strong today," said Joanelle Romero, founder of Red Nation Celebration. For more information about scheduled events, see www.rednation.com.

Parishioners urged to commemorate Restorative Justice Week
SACRAMENTO --- The California Conference of Bishops is urging parishioners to use the occasion of International Restorative Justice Week (Nov. 13-19) to become educated about Restorative Justice. Diocesan ministries will be promoting Restorative Justice Week through distribution of CCC-prepared materials to parishes and priests. The materials include bulletin inserts, homily notes and prayers of the faithful --- in English and Spanish. The materials are being placed on both the Restorative Justice website (www.restorejustice.com) and the California Catholic Conference website (www.cacatholic.org). Restorative Justice Week began in 1975 in England. Known then as Prisoner's Sunday, its purpose was to remind the public of the incarcerated men and women in that country. The day of remembrance was subsequently adopted in Canada and several other Commonwealth nations.

Conference seeks to mobilize U.S. Catholics against global poverty
SAN FRANCISCO (CNS) --- In a world where half of the population is poor and more than 1 billion people endure a poverty so harsh that their very survival is at risk daily, the notion of eliminating extreme poverty from the world in this lifetime may seem utopian. But Columbia University professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, author of "The End of Poverty," said with only a little more help from the United States and other developed nations, the lives of the world's poorest people could be dramatically improved. America and other nations simply need to live up to the development assistance promises they made six years ago, he said in a keynote speech Oct. 27 at the "Point 7 Now" national conference on global poverty. The event was held Oct. 27-28 at St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco. The "Point 7 Now" conference title refers to goals adopted by the nations of the world in September 2000 at the U.N. Millennium Summit, aimed at reducing extreme poverty and improving the lives of those living in the world's poorest countries by the year 2015. Governments of most developed countries agreed to increase their aid to the poorest countries --- pledging the equivalent of seven-tenths of 1 percent of their gross domestic product each year for development assistance.

French bishops say expanding use of Tridentine Mass threatens unity
METZ, France (CNS) --- The possibility of a papal indult expanding permission to use the Tridentine Mass and the recent establishment of a traditionalist religious community in France threatens the unity of the church, said a statement from 10 French bishops. An Oct. 30 statement said the bishops from the archdioceses of Besancon and Strasbourg and the Diocese of Metz expressed "their concerns" over wider use of the Tridentine Mass, the pre-Vatican II rite favored by traditionalist groups. The old rite is celebrated in Latin and follows the Roman Missal of 1962, which was replaced in 1969 with the new Roman Missal. "The bishops fear that the extension of the use of the Roman Missal of 1962 makes the direction of the Second Vatican Council relative," said an Oct. 30 statement released on the Web site of the Diocese of Metz.