Workers' Rights and the Church

The connection between Catholic social teaching and workers' rights is the subject of a free discussion session on "The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers" Tuesday night at St. Mary of Sorrows Church in Fairfax, VA. The session will examine the "broad elements of work as a collaboration with God and as an opportunity for every person to fulfill the potential each of us is called to" as well as discuss "the purpose of the economy and the rights of persons with respect to it," says Anne Murphy of the Social Ministry of the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington. Thomas Shellabarger, Policy Advisor on Urban and Economic Issues for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will lead the discussion. Shellabargar "is an excellent and authoritative speaker on the subject," says Clayton Sinyai of the Catholic Labor Network and Laborers Local 11. The session is part of an eight-part series exploring the main ideas in the Church's documents on Catholic social teaching.