An important part of advocacy for social justice is attending and planning actions. These visible events help our lawmakers in Washington, D.C. and around the country clearly see what issues are important to everyday people and the great numbers of us with Franciscan values.
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Being a Franciscan presence in the public arena is part of our mission and the staff of FAN regularly participates in many kinds of advocacy actions. We also want to hear about and uplift what you’ve been doing in your community. Click here to let us know what actions you have participated in.
Here is what we’ve attended so far this year:
February 2026
February 18, 2026
FAN staff joined partner organizations in a prayer service near the US Capitol to pray and call for repentance and conversion so that our society might live out the gospel call to love, justice, peace, and reverence for all life and God’s creation.
January 2026
January 29, 2026
On Thursday, January 29, FAN staff joined people of faith from across the country in prayer at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Washington DC, then walked to the US Capitol to oppose any additional funding for DHS this year and for proper regulation, transparency, and accountability for ICE.
January 23: March for Life
FAN Executive Director Michele Dunne, Director of Advocacy Sr. Maria Orlandini, OSF, and Director of Communications Robert Christian joined a delegation of Capuchin friars and Secular Franciscans to march in the annual March for Life in Washington DC. They marched with a consistent ethic of life message of protecting life from violence, poverty, environmental destruction, and other threats, while creating a culture of welcome for all people at all stages of life, including migrants.
January 20, 2026
On Tuesday, January 20, Sr. Marie Lucey and Rosie Davila joined the American Friends Service Committee and other partners from Interfaith Immigration Coalition to deliver 13,000 signatures to the US Department of Homeland Security. The petition urged DHS to recognize the value of immigrants in our communities.
January 15, 2026
On January 15, FAN staff members joined other faith leaders outside ICE headquarters in Washington DC for a prayer vigil, encouraging the Trump administration to reconsider its decision to end Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for immigrants from Haiti. FAN Associate Director Sister Marie Lucey, OSF and Advocacy Strategist Rosie Davila spoke during the vigil.
You can watch the closing prayer here.
January 15, 2026
FAN Director of Campaigns and Creation Care Nora Collins, together with Creation Justice Ministries and the Sisters of Mercy, visited four Senate offices to discuss the US administration’s proposal to open US Coastlines.
January 8, 2026
FAN Peace Fellow Eli McCarthy helped to organize and participated in a public witness outside the White House, speaking out against injustice and in support of active nonviolence.