Building Your Toolbox for Justice
Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. [Matt 25: 40] We continue to explore how our Catholic faith calls us to seek justice for the most vulnerable; to right the structures of sin that exist in society.
Building Our Toolbox for Justice: Immigration Advocacy
February 1, 10am-12pm, McKenna Hall
For more information, please contact Ashley Klick at (202) 903-2836.
2018-2019
Racial Justice
Professor Marcia Chatelain will lead a discussion about race and its effects on social structures. We will investigate issues of white privilege, how our views of race define the structures we create in society, and what our Catholic faith says about altering those structures.
Saturday, December 1, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm (McKenna Hall)
Homelessness
What are the primary causes for homelessness, and why is it so hard to find housing? What is the difference between homelessness and chronic homelessness? What are we invited to do, to assist our homeless neighbors? These are questions we will explore in this session about structures in society that lead to and perpetuate homelessness.
Saturday, February 23, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm (McKenna Hall)
Hunger
Bread for the World will join us to explore global food policy, how decisions are made about who gets assistance with food, and possible actions Christians can take to reduce the number of hungry people in the world.
Friday, March 15, simple supper, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm (McKenna Hall)
Care for Creation
It might seem odd to talk about the natural world as a structure. But in this session we will ponder how our individual actions, governmental policies, social systems, and structures impact the Earth and those with whom we share it. We will also look at Laudato Si’ and other Catholic teachings about caring for creation.
Saturday April 27, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm (McKenna Hall)
Past Sessions
Immigration
Don Kerwin of the Center for Migration Studies of New York, along with David Laing and Claudia Cubas of the Capital Area Immigration Rights (CAIR) Coalition will explore the structural aspects of our immigration system as well as the injustices built into the system.
Saturday, September 15, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm (McKenna Hall)
Don Kerwin presentation Building Your Toolbox
Immigration and Detention Visitation - What Can You Do
2017-2018
Where does the idea of justice come from in the Catholic faith?
Fred Kammer, S.J. explored the scriptural and doctrinal bases for justice and how the Church came to be involved in this work.
Resources:
November 4 Session Notes
5 Kinds of Justice
Cycle of Baal
What does it mean to be part of a Jesuit parish that promotes justice?
Bill Kelley, S.J. explored the Jesuit tradition of serving the faith and promoting justice and how that tradition continues on through current parishes.
Resources:
Society of Jesus 32nd General Congregation, Decree 4 — Faith and Justice
Progression of Justice
What is the role of the laity in working for justice?
Kevin Ahern, author of Structures of Grace and assistant professor at Manhattan College, led a discussion about lay movements within the Catholic Church; what roles they have played in the past and continue to play as well as how parishioners might take a lead in working for justice.
Resources:
Catholic Organizing in the Anthropocene Handout
Catholic Organizing in the Anthropocene Presentation
How do we identify where to use these tools?
In this last session, we explored how we listen for and recognize God's invitation to work for justice. Both as we identify the issues we are called to work on individually and as a parish. We concluded with a prayer service.