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Keep the Focus on Peacemaking
in Gaza and Israel
Click here to add your name to an email to President Bush from Catholic Relief Services calling for more action by the US to end the violence.
For background from Pax Christi on this crisis, click here. |
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Justice Jottings January 2009 |
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New on our Website
Reflect on immigrant
We've added a new
category, titled
Consistent Life Ethic, on the Links page of our website to include organizations who are working to protect life on several fronts. Click here to view the page. |
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Everyday Justice
The Marianist Tradition of Social Justice
Lived by the Ruach Community
by Mary Andrews
The Ruach Community in Chapel Hill, NC, like all Marianist communities, is made up of people who live very "intentional" lives. At first I was hoping we would share in a particular social justice project (for lack of a better word) but it didn't take me long to realize that most of our 12 members were already heavily involved in justice work before they joined Ruach...
We (meaning one or several of us, but a unified "we" due to community life): (no particular order)
- are heavily involved in prison reform through Our Children's Place
- cook, serve, and doctor regularly at the soup kitchen
- are therapists who walk with others one-to-one in critical times
- are liturgists within the church and take seriously the call to educate priests and laity
- are present at every protest march there is....
We laugh. We pray. We try to be faithful to the gospel ...together .... in our unique missions.
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 Racial and Immigrant Justice
A Pilgrimage Across the Border
Five women (Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur) made a Thanksgiving journey to the Mexican-American border in Agua Prieta. Here, Holy Family parish prepares immigrants for the border crossing into the United States. Click here to walk with them. Hot Button Issue #10
Assertion: The Catholic Church believes in open borders and only wants to increase the number of Catholics in the United States.
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| Death Penalty
St. Mary's U. Stands Against the Death Penalty
Click here to read the article from the St. Mary's U. newspaper about students and staff standing together to pray for the end of the death penalty. They plan monthly prayer meetings. Bro. Brian Halderman, SM, and Sr. Grace Walle, FMI, key resource people, plan to take students to Huntsville where executions in Texas are carried out.
Death Penalty Information Center Releases 2008 Report
On December 11 the Death Penalty Information Center released its Year End Report tabulating the numbers of executions and death sentences and covering such topics as Innocence, Clemency and the Cost of the Death Penalty. They report that "Compared to the 1990's, there has been a marked decline in death sentences in the U.S. since 2000. Every region of the country and every state that averaged one or more death sentences per year have seen a decline in the annual number of death sentences. Four death row inmates were exonerated and four had their sentences commuted to life in prison without parole during the course of this year. The total number of exonerations since 1973 is 130."
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| Global Economic Justice
Socially Responsible Investing - Is It Possible? Come and see at a Socially Responsible Investing Seminar on Sat. Feb. 7, 9am to 1:30 pm at the Marianist Center in Philadelphia. Steve O'Neil SM, director of Marianists International, will be the resource person. For more information click here.
Stop Trafficking
Click here for a link to a monthly newsletter about human trafficking and for information on January 11, The National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
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| Adele Social Justice Project
Young Adults - We Need Your Ideas and Participation!
As part of their yearly planning weekend the Adele Social Justice Project core team met with Dayton area young adults at the Marianist Sisters house to share experiences with social justice and discuss the needs of young adults at this point in their lives. Many attendees spoke of the need to find or build faith and justice-filled communities. The ASJP core team committed itself to making that a priority in the coming year and invites others inspired by this goal to join them. If you are interested in... * Developing social justice retreats for young adult communities? Contact: amydematteo@yahoo.com * Learning about grant writing and fund raising to support YA communities? Contact: fredehemphill@yahoo.com
* Developing justice themed small group study guides? Contact: lmccrcken@gmail.com * Have a special talent to share? (graphics? communications? languages? enthusiasm?) Contact: adelesjp@gmail.com
Have other suggestions? Let us know what you need and come help make it happen!
Celebrate Adele Days this January 10th!
Keep celebrating through the new year! The Adele Social Justice Project invites you to celebrate "Adele Days" this January 10th, the anniversary of her death.
* Learn more about this youngest founder of the Marianists and the Marianist Sisters.
* Have an "Adele Day" party with french food and service to others.
* Write letters, as Adele was known for, to support others on their journey.
* Support an Adele ministry or your favorite charity in her name.
And just keep Adele's joyful welcoming spirit alive throughout the day!
Send us pictures and stories of how you celebrated Adele and you could be in next month's newsletter. adelesjp@gmail.com
Next Weekend for Young Adults is June 12-14
The next Adele Social Justice Project immersion/reflection weekend for young
adults will be held in Clevelend on June 12-14. Click here for more information. |
GLBT Initiative 
A Place at the Marianist Table
Linda Zappacosta and Dominic Garascia presented the GLBT's pilot "A Place at the Marianist Table" to the New York/ New Jersey Young Adult Marianist Community on November 23. Those who attended found the issues discussed very compelling and relevant to their personal experiences and daily lives. The personal stories shared about living in the Church as a Gay Catholic, among other things, helped the attendees to understand the issues from a new perspective. Participants found the discussion to be thought provoking and intellectually stimulating. They also inquired about a follow up session to further investigate and discuss these issues. One participant said, "The presentation and discussion was great and I thank you for sharing your story." In traditional Marianist fashion the group followed the pilot with a potluck dinner.
Pictured left to right: Dominic Garascia, Lisa McCracken, Sara Durand, Linda Zappacosta, Brandon McCracken, and Kathy Murray. |
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MSJC Steering Committee
New Steering Committee Members
Three new people are joining the MSJC Steering Committee: Errol Christian from Honolulu HI, Jessica Merugu from Cleveland OH, and Julie Nagasako from Hilo HI. Current member Alison Zlatic (Radelet) will be leaving the committee to devote more time to the care of her recently born twins. Welcome to our new members and thanks to Alison for your three years of service.
Jessica Merugu is Director of Campus Ministry at Villa Angela - St. Joseph HS in Cleveland. She has been involved in a number of social justice immersion experiences, both in this country and internationally, is active in the local Pax Christi group, and is a member of the diocesan Catholic Community Action Board.
Errol Christian is Director of Campus Ministry at St. Louis School in Honolulu , where he coordinates the Community Service Learning Program. He previously was Program Director for the Hawaii Catholic Conference and has been involved with Marianist LIFE.
Julie Nagasako works for Catholic Charities as Hawaii Island Community Director. She's been involved in Marianist LIFE, taken several leadership positions with the Marianist Lay Network, worked on advocacy projects with the homeless, and participated in the Marianist Lay Formation Initiative.
Steering Committee Annual Meeting The Steering Committee will meet on Jan. 15-18 at the Cape Family
Retreat Center for our 2009 annual meeting. Watch for a report of the meeting in the February Justice Jottings.
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| Events
Beyond Poverty: From Greed to Green
The Partnership for Global Justice is sponsoring a conference in Cleveland on Apr. 24-26 that will explore how to create a sustainable future for the planet. David Korten, author of ""The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community", will be the resource person. For more information, click here.
Energy Stewardship: from Pew to Planet
On Saturday, January 31, 2009 from 9am-5pm, join this MEEC (Marianist Environmental Education Center) workshop to learn more about faith-based energy ethics, the realities of our energy crisis, recent scientific findings on climate change impacts, and more. Click here to get your registration in by the January 16 deadline. |
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Midwifing a New America
Click here to read this thought-provoking reflection by Vincent Harding.
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Action for Advocates
January 11-20 - Ten Days of Prayer to End Torture
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture calls upon faith communities across the country to join their "Countdown to End Torture" by praying an interfaith prayer during the ten-day period between January 11th (the anniversary of the opening of the prison at Guantanamo Bay) and the inauguration on January 20th. Click here to get the prayer and for more information.
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Thought to Ponder
Ten Reasons to Hope from 2008Read about ten hopeful signs from last year, gathered by the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center (www.ijpc-cincinnati.org), as we begin 2009. Let's remember and celebrate the power that we have when we come together and organize. Click here to enjoy this sampling of social justice victories from 2008! | |
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