Diocese of Winona Social Concerns   
News and Announcements
  "To promote and support parish social action through education"

Our committee meets on a monthly basis to discuss the issues of Social Concerns within our Diocese, and to plan opportunities to learn and explore issues of concern. Updates and information are available below. Feel free to contact us by responding to this newsletter, through the feedback button at the bottom of the newsletter, or through our Facebook page with any questions or feedback. 
Living the Beatitudes!

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven." Matthew 5:3-12

The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus' teaching. "Blessed" are those who are poor, mourning, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, clean of heart, peacemakers, and persecuted. This month we will look at the fourth Beatitude, "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied," and reflect on those words in our current age.

The Beatitudes and Social Justice
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. (Matthew 5:6)

With this beatitude, Jesus reminds us that to be a Christian is to be uncomfortable in this world.  There is a danger of complacency in this English translation because the words “righteousness” and “satisfied” can be interpreted, even by the best of us and even unconsciously, as “self-righteousness” and “self satisfied.”  Nothing could be farther from Jesus’ intent .....more
Local Efforts
 
This new program is an ongoing series of small educational dinners being held for the purpose of discovering more about those we call our neighbors.  Diverse stories, dreams, struggles, and joys are shared by immigrants who have made their way to the community of Worthington in search of a better life for themselves and their children. 

These gatherings are offered in a loving and open environment that comfortably allows participants to ask and answer questions about the immigration process, get facts, and address misconceptions that may exist.  Our prayer is that all who attend will feel more empowered to live out the Gospel of Jesus as He commands to “Love your neighbor.”  

St. Luke's in Sherburn's 40 bags in 40 days Project

Each week of Lent St. Luke's parishioners focus on a specific Work of Mercy and collect goods on that theme:

" Week One we focused on Jesus’ call to “Feed the Hungry” by bringing non-perishable food items for the local food shelf.
Week Two our eyes were set on Jesus’ call to “Clothe the Naked”. All gently worn clothing items collected will go to the Hope Shop located at St. John Vianney. All items at the Hope Shop are offered free of charge to those in need.
Week Three we considered Jesus’ call to “Instruct the Ignorant” by collecting gently used books for children through adults. In July we will take the books to the Banquet in Sioux Falls for their clients to enjoy.
Week Four our thoughts turn to “Sheltering the Homeless.” We are collecting, dishes, eating utensils, and tupperware. Items will go be distributed to the Haiti Missions, Hope Shop and the Banquet.
Week Five our focus is "Give Alms to the Poor," for which we will collect everyone's CRS Rice Bowls. The bags of Rice Bowls will then be presented the next weekend as part of our Palm Sunday offering. 
Week Six  the parish will "visit the Sick and Imprisioned" through a card shower. Each home bound parishioner will have their name written on a bag which can be filled with cards and notes written especially to them."

The parish's goal was to collect 40 bags of “Works of Mercy” by the end of Lent but they were able to meet that goal already by week 4!
Considering a lock is defined as a device that restricts access and confines, you may wonder how it   can possibly be associated with compassion.  But, did you know a lock can also be a symbol of promise, enduring friendship and love? A lock links and unites one to another.

In many parts of the world “love locks” attached to bridges and even metal trees have expressed uniting one to another.  The “Locks of Compassion” project will re-create a symbolic expression of unity regarding a spirit of compassion for refugee children and families in our community.   With a gift of $10 you will be provided a lock to decorate with signs, symbols, and words of compassion.

These  locks will be prominently displayed in Rochester this summer! 

For more information and to get involved check out Catholic Charities' Website.
What are you doing in your community?
Is your community doing a project or working on an issue that you would like to share? We would love to highlight your efforts, events and ministry! Let us know what you are doing.
Upcoming Events

To help disseminate trustworthy information about immigration, the School Sisters of Notre Dame will host a seminar called Immigration: Just the Facts”, Thursday evening, April 6, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in the Conference Center at 170 Good Counsel Drive, Mankato, MN.

Robyn Meyer-Thompson, a staff member from the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota in St, Paul, MN, will present information on the different ways immigrants gain entry into the United States: as a refugee, immigrant, asylum seeker, worker, student, or visitor. The presentation will include facts about visas, green cards, and vetting procedures, as well as statistics on immigrants in Minnesota.

The seminar is free and open to the public. Click here for more information or  contact Sister Jeanne Wingenter, Justice and Peace Coordinator for the School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province at 651-695-0570 or jwingenter@ssndcp.org.

Sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Central Pacific Province, Mankato Campus.


Please join us for a free breakfast as Ed Heisler speaks about men’s role in preventing violence and sexual exploitation. In every community across the country, pornography is the most prominent sex educator for young people.  As a result, generations of youth understand sexuality to be linked with violence, degradation, and exploitation.  What we are missing is a primary prevention strategy focused on reshaping cultural norms that allow commercial sexual exploitation to thrive and allow a majority of men to remain silent, if not actively participate in commercial sexual exploitation.  The Don’t Buy It Project is a prevention and education model used by communities to take a stand against sexual exploitation.  Men As Peacemakers believes that violence and exploitation can be prevented and that change begins with the individual, who can then be engaged and help create change in their relationships, communities and society.

Hosted by Southwest Crisis Center 
RSVP appreciated but not required. Contact Jen at 507-283-9917 or
jennifer@mnswcc.org

Biodiversity Above and Below Ground: Implications for Soil Health

April 20, 6:30-8:00pm
$10 pre-registered/pre-paid. $15 at the door.

This presentation focuses on the complex interactions among living organisms that inhabit soils. This network of life is pivotal in regenerating fertility and fostering soil health. Learning how to enhance biodiversity above ground amplifies microbial diversity within soils. This symbiosis contributes effectively to soil resiliency and productivity in an ecologically sound manner.

Bruno Borsari, an Italian by birth, is a Professor of Biology at Winona State University. He earned his Doctor of Agriculture at the University of Bologna and PhD from the University of New Orleans. He taught and practiced ecological farming, agroforestry and prairie restoration for 30 years in various countries, mainly West and Central Africa.

Spotlight on Resources
This  year Earth Day is on Saturday, April 22nd.

"We show  our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth  is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are  called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with  all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and  ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored." - USCCB

"Minnesota Catholic Conference sat down with nationally-recognized Christian meteorologist Paul Douglas to talk climate change, weather, and Pope Francis's encyclical on natural and human ecology, Laudato Si'. " 
  • What You Can Do Today
  • Liturgical Aids: Scripture, Prayer and Song for the Parish and Home
  • Preaching Environmental Justice
  • Environmental Quotes 
You can also check out Catholic Climate Covenant's " 10 Ways YOU Can Make a Difference" and " 10 Ways Your PARISH Can Make a Difference"
Catholic Social Teaching 101 Video Series
 CST 101 is a collaborative 7-part video series presented by the USCCB and Catholic Relief Services on Catholic Social Teaching. Learn from Cardinal Seán O'Malley, Helen Alvaré, and Bill O'Keefe as they discuss the Rights and Responsibilities.   >>>

For more information: CST 101
Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services have collaborated to offer this lectionary-based catechetical session for adults preparing for initiation into the Catholic Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). You can download this free resource here.
Those  Blessed Among Us:
Father Niall O'Brien - "The Authentic Missionary"
The above photo of Columban Father Brian Gore  (fourth from the right), diocesan priest Father Vicente Dangan (fourth from  and Father Niall O'Brien (second from the right) along with the other seven members of the "Negros Nine" was taken after a celebration of Mass in 1991 in the jail where they had been held during their 1983-1984 incarceration. 
 I first learned of Father Niall O’Brien, an Irish Columban Priest who was  a missionary in the Philippines, last year when I was given the assignment to read his book Revolution from the Heart. I was immediately captivated by him and his story of non-violent activism. Ateneo de Manila University described Father O’Brien like this, “Throughout his priestly life as a missionary in our country he embodied for all who met him and got to know him the truest meaning of Christian mission for our time and for every time…he incarnated in fullest measure a most genuine “preferential love for the poor” and a true sharing of their every “joy and hope,” their powerlessness and vulnerability, even in prison and under threat of death…[he was a] true disciple of Jesus with his great gifts he enkindled hope in all those he encountered.” .....More
April Extra: 
Catholics at the Capital: We Meddle in Politics
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