Indiana Catholic Conference

02/03/2026

Official Statement from Bishop Doherty on Immigration

As many of you know, this past November the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a Special Message to voice concern regarding the evolving situation around immigration in our country. This message reaffirmed our Catholic teaching on the “fundamental dignity of all persons,” in particular the lives of immigrants who have for many years “made enormous contributions to the well-being of our nation.” It also called for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed toward immigrants or law enforcement.

Our diocese is keenly aware of these issues. Many of our priests and religious have come from other countries to serve in our parishes and schools. These individuals are crucial to the success—both spiritual and logistical—of all our ministries. It is our duty to ensure that they, and all people, are treated with their God-given human dignity.

It is worth remembering that the Catholic Church has always taught that a country has the right—and the duty—to control its borders. This is not nationalistic. It is practical. Without appropriate protections and policies, immigrants face great risks to their safety, including trafficking. The USCCB Special Message called proper border protections “an antidote” to such risks and reminded us that human dignity and national security are not in conflict with each other.

For many years, I have had priestly liaisons to the USCCB’s Office of Migration and Refugee Services, as well as to their Secretariat of Justice and Peace. These groups provide regular communications to ensure that our leadership keeps the needs of immigrants and other at-risk groups at the forefront of our work. As your bishop, I want to assure you that I am attentive to what is happening in our country and continue to pray and work for just and humane solutions.

I invite you to continue to pray for healing in our country. I also invite you not to get caught up in the name-calling and belittling that has plagued us in recent days, regardless of your position. The nature of the Catholic Church is universal and does not leave room for hatred or violence.

If you would like to learn more about the Church’s official teachings on immigration, visit usccb.org/migrationministries.

01/31/2026

Archbishop Charles C. Thompson has released a statement “An Appeal for Civility Rooted in Humility and Empathy.” 🙏

He counsels that recent violence and division raise serious concerns about our moral direction, reminding us that “violence is not the answer to tension and disagreement” and that “there but for the grace of God go I…any of us.”

Read the full statement 🔗 https://ow.ly/PigR50Y6PN8

01/31/2026

05/08/2025

Habemus Papam! God bless Leo XIV!

05/08/2025

12/06/2024

We're extremely grateful for Representative Morris' bill and are hopeful that the coming legislative session will see action against the use of capital punishment in Indiana.

🚨BREAKING: Indiana state representative Bob Morris announced that he will file legislation to end Indiana's death penalty. In a letter to Gov. Eric Holcomb, Morris said, "Over the course of the past several months, but especially over the past several weeks, I have been praying about this and I have been reading discourses from church leaders, historic figures, and philosophers. The recent Supreme Court decision to return the matter of abortion to each state and Indiana’s Special Session thereafter resulted in tremendous upheaval in my heart regarding the value of every human life. My view of this issue is driven by my faith. I believe only one position honors our Lord and Savior, our Creator: to protect all human life."

Read the full letter here: todayscatholic.org/representative-makes-position-known-regarding-death-penalty/

12/06/2024

With Indiana’s first state ex*****on in 15 years scheduled for Dec. 18, the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC) is already working to promote legislation for the 2025 General Assembly—set to begin on Jan. 8—that would eradicate the death penalty in Indiana.

Indiana Rep. Bob Morris (District 84) “will file a full death penalty repeal bill that will have the option of life without parole,” says Alexander Mingus, executive director of the ICC, which serves as the public policy voice for the Church in Indiana. Morris, a Catholic, designed the bill to adhere to Church teaching, which opposes the death penalty.

Read more: https://www.archindy.org/criterion/local/2024/12-06/deathpenalty.html

Indiana Catholic Conference

11/12/2024

We're very excited to have our new Associate Director on board! Welcome, Roarke!

She hails from Australia, her confirmation name is Meinrad, and she is embarking on a journey that will bring her love for the Catholic Church and its teachings into the public sphere in Indiana.

Roarke LaCoursiere was recently named the new associate director of the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC), the public policy voice of the Church in the state. It is a role for which she believes God has been preparing her all 24 years of her young but remarkable life.

“I can look back and see how God’s hand has guided me here,” said LaCoursiere, who took on the position in early September following two years of law school, experience in the Indiana Attorney General’s office and many formative summers at Saint Meinrad Archabbey and School of Theology.

Read more: https://www.archindy.org/criterion/local/2024/11-08/icc.html

08/08/2024

Indianapolis recently hosted the summer gathering for the National Association of State Catholic Conference directors immediately following the Eucharistic Congress.

While state Catholic conference staff are most know for public policy work, their work is ultimately directed toward the Church's mission of evangelization in the public sphere.

By Victoria Arthur Hours after 50,000 people experienced the closing Mass of the historic National Eucharistic Congress in downtown Indianapolis, a smaller gathering of the Catholic faithful was just beginning a few blocks away. Dozens of Catholic public policy directors from across the United St

07/08/2024

In response to Indiana's recent decision to once again pursue the death penalty, the Bishops of Indiana have released the following statement:
https://www.indianacc.org/news/indiana-catholic-conference-opposes-the-resumption-of-state-ex*****ons

The Bishops of Indiana reiterate the Church's teaching against the death penalty, particularly against its use in a society that can adequately prevent criminals from harming the social order after incarceration.

The Bishops ask the Attorney General to "rescind the motion asking the Indiana Supreme Court to set an ex*****on date for Joseph Corcoran".

The Bishops ask the Indiana General Assembly to "legislatively repeal the use of the death penalty in Indiana".

Finally, the Bishops ask the Governor to "remove plans to include a death chamber in the new state prison under construction in Westville, IN".

July 8, 2024 On behalf of the five Catholic dioceses in the state of Indiana, the Indiana Catholic Conference is strongly opposed to the decision to seek the resumption of ex*****ons in Indiana as recently announced by the Indiana Governor and Attorney General. 

06/20/2024

When Alexander Mingus becomes the new leader of the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC) next month, 2,000 years of Catholic social teaching will be embodied in a 28-year-old with a deep love for the Church and a gift for bringing its message to the public sphere.

Mingus has had four years to prepare for the role of serving as head of the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Indiana, working directly with Angela Espada, who has served as executive director of the ICC since 2019 and plans to retire at the end of July.

Read more here: https://www.archindy.org/criterion/local/2024/06-21/icc.html

Indiana Catholic Conference