Catholic Church's social teaching attracts Salt Lake diocese's new government liaison

Intermountain Catholic

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Jean Hill (left) and Dee Rowland present a summary of the 2011 Utah Legislature to the Diocesan Pastoral Council at San Andres Catholic Church in Payson.

SALT LAKE CITY - The Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City has welcomed Jean Hill as its new government liaison. She will lobby Utah legislators on issues of importance to Catholics. She also will direct the diocese’s Peace and Justice Commission and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

An attorney, Hill has worked for the past 10 years in the State Board of Education. As a part of that job, her duties included attending Utah Legislature sessions to talk about education bills, and prosecuting teachers for misconduct involving their teaching licenses. During that time she also served on the diocese’s Peace and Justice Commission.

Dee Rowland, who is retiring after 26 years as the diocesan government liaison, met Hill through her work and believes Hill’s background will benefit her new position.

"She is full of energy and experience, I was just so delighted that she accepted this job," said Rowland.

Hill said she and Rowland talked about Rowland’s retirement before the decision was made. Because she enjoyed working with the Peace and Justice Commission, "when she decided to retired I decided it was time to apply," said Hill.

Born and raised in Utah, married with three boys who attend Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic School, a graduate of Judge Memorial Catholic High School and a parishioner of Saint Vincent de Paul Parish, Hill has been long involved with Catholic social teachings in Utah, which has led her to relish the challenge in her new position of getting the word out to Catholics about the Church’s position on various political issues.

"We need to get past the idea that we are taking political positions, and get a better understanding on how government actions and how things that government wants to do affect us," said Hill. "Catholic teaching talks about many of these issues because many of these issues involve how we care for God’s creation… It all comes together, and we need to be aware as we are making voting decisions and we are reading the paper on how our faith is impacted by everything that is going on around us."

Hill is committed to helping Catholic individuals understand the impact that the political process has, and she wants to help people understand how, when a person votes, that vote reflects the beliefs of that particular person.

"You need to understand, before you vote, what you are voting on when you are voting for your representatives and your senators," said Hill.

Hill said that her main attraction to the government liaison position that now she holds in the diocese was the opportunity to work on issues that "I care about and I am concerned about and I’d like to have a positive impact on."

At night, when Hill reviews what she has done during the day, her question is, Would God be happy with what I have done today? "My thought is typically, ‘Did I do what God would have wanted me to do today; have I expressed the issues in the way that makes the most sense to what I believe?’" said Hill.

Hill can be reached at 801-328-8641 ext. 336.