Monday, Jul 18, 2016

July 18, 2016 show

Members of St. Martin de Porres parish in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago regularly go out into the streets after Mass, holding signs of "Honk for Jesus," and "Prayer Changes Things." Pastor Tom Walsh tells Bob about the programs offered by the parish to residents as an alternative to the sometimes violent unrest found in a neighborhood beset by high unemployment and poverty. Next, Cook County Circuit Judge Colleen Sheehan talks about the upcoming pilot program for a Restorative Justice Community Court in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. Stephanie Murray Johnson, director of government relations for Catholic Charities of Chicago, alerts listeners that the stopgap state budget approved for the first six months of the new fiscal year that began July 1 offers only a little relief for social service providers since they are getting reimbursed for 65 percent of contracted costs. Regina D'Amico of Illinois Right to Life tells listeners about the organization's upcoming "Barnyard Bash" set for Aug. 7.