March is National Social Work Month and the theme of this year’s celebration is “Social Workers are Essential.” The theme would seem to be right on target, judging from what Karen Wilkow, a social worker with 20 years of experience has to say about her job.
Catholic prelates in Texas and Mississippi will, for the most part, maintain COVID-19 precautions at their parishes despite recent announcements from each state’s governors that restrictions will ease.
Ashley Lantz was one of the first local Catholic school teachers to receive the first vaccine shot when appointments opened in early January. As luck would have it — or rather, it being “a part of God’s plan,” as Lantz says — she found an afternoon appointment on Jan. 11, the first day of eligibility for teachers in New York City.
“Every time I tried to schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment, it was like I met with a brick wall,” said the 79-year-old Holy Names sister. She reached out to her doctor, attempted to navigate the Oregon Health Authority website and called the local public health information line.
Dennis R. DePerro, the 21st president of St. Bonaventure University, died of COVID-19 complications March 1. He was 62.
When personal protective equipment (PPE) was hard to find early in the pandemic, St. John’s University Associate Professor Charles Fortmann saw the challenge and put on his thinking cap.
The House passed the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill, also referred to as the American Rescue Plan of 2021, early Saturday morning, Feb. 27. While the bill will fund vaccines, testing and tracing, and will also provide economic relief to American families and adult dependents, it doesn’t include prohibitions on abortion funding.
Slovenian Archbishop Mitja Leskovar, the papal ambassador in Iraq, who was supposed to accompany Pope Francis during his March 5-8 visit to the land of the two rivers, tested positive for COVID-19 on Feb. 27 and is now in isolation
Having the ability to educate and advocate for her family inspired Joyce Christian of Somerville, Tennessee, to become a nurse.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration is under federal investigation for its handling of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.
