Pastoral Letter
from the
Bishop of the Diocese of Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs

To the Governors of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,
North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia

Concerning the Moral Obligation to Sustain the Hungry During the Federal Shutdown

Grace and peace to you in the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Redeemer.

In these uncertain days, as the federal government shutdown has interrupted the flow of vital assistance to families who rely on the supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), I write to you in the name of conscience and compassion, appealing to your moral
duty as stewards of public trust and guardians of the common good.

The sacred obligation to feed the hungry transcends political ideology and denominational boundaries. Our Christian tradition, grounded in the Gospel of Matthew (25:35), reminds us of Christ’s command: “For I was hungry, and you gave me food.” The National Council of Churches has long affirmed this as a cornerstone of Christian discipleship, an unmistakable mandate to care for “the least of these.” Likewise, our Jewish sisters and brothers teach tzedakah, righteous giving, as a sacred duty to uphold justice and provide for those in need. In Islam, the practice of zakat and the call to feed the poor form part of the Five Pillars of faith itself. Across our Abrahamic heritage, the moral imperative is clear: to withhold aid from the hungry is to wound the heart of God.

We live in a nation blessed with abundance. Yet even now, millions face empty cupboards and anxious nights. As the World Council of Churches and Caritas Internationalis have declared, hunger amid plenty is not merely a social problem; it is a moral failure. To allow our neighbors to go hungry when resources exist to prevent it is to abandon both our moral integrity and the covenant of compassion that binds every community together. In this time of fiscal impasse, when federal support has been interrupted, each state possesses reserves and resources that can and should be used to bridge the gap. To do less is to stand idly by while children, elders, and working families suffer needlessly.

It is the mark of a just society to protect its most vulnerable members. As every faith tradition attests, the measure of a people is found in how they treat those who cannot repay them. The elderly, the disabled, the single mother, the child who depends on a school breakfast, all are entrusted to our collective care. I urge you, therefore, as Governor and servant of the people, to act swiftly and decisively to release state reserves to
supplement SNAP benefits during this federal disruption. Such an action would not only alleviate suffering would bear witness to the moral conscience of your states and the compassion of your leadership.

As Reformed Catholics, we affirm that true charity must move toward justice. Feeding the hungry is not only an act of mercy, it is a demand of righteousness. The release of emergency funds represents an immediate moral response, but our call extends further: to work toward systemic reform that ensures food security for all people, regardless of circumstance or season. Our faith calls us to dismantle the structures that perpetuate hunger, poverty, and inequity, to labor for a society where every person has both bread and dignity.

Therefore, I beseech you, in the name of Christ and in solidarity with all people of faith and goodwill, to open the storehouses of your state, not as a burden, but as a blessing. This is not a partisan appeal; it is a human one. The moral arc of leadership bends toward compassion when it listens to the cries of the hungry and responds with generosity and courage.

A PRAYER FOR OUR COMMON MISSION

O God of mercy and abundance, open our hearts to the needs of all people. Grant wisdom to those who lead, compassion to those who serve, and sustenance to those who hunger. May we, through Your grace, build a society where justice and kindness meet, and no one suffers want.

Through Christ, our Savior. Amen.

In Christ’s Love,
✠ William R. Cavins
Most Rev. William R. Cavins
Bishop
Diocese of Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs
Reformed Catholic Church
October 28, 2025

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