Diocese of Winona-Rochester 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 or through the feedback button at the bottom of the newsletter with any questions or feedback. 
Refugees: La Sagrada Familia, by Kelly Latimore
Lisa Kremer OFS | Worthington PSM Coordinator, Catholic Charities
This year the Church has designated January 5th as Immigration Sunday, and the week of the 5th-11th as National Migration Week.

Immigration Sunday on Epiphany. Right in the Christmas season. Why you ask?

In order to answer that question, we first must get a handle on the immigration issues in this country and why the U.S. Catholic Bishops are speaking out so strongly about these issues. I challenge you to google “ U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Statements on Immigration ” and read some of the articles from the USCCB and Justice for Immigrants , which is the Catholic . . .
Action Alerts
Click on the red "take action" line to get more information and to take action today!

Every suicide is a tragedy—whether the person is young or old, healthy or sick. But legalizing doctor-assisted suicide creates two classes of people: those whose lives are protected, and those whose deaths are encouraged. Tell your Representative to support H. Con. Res. 79 , a resolution which urges the Federal Government to reject assisted suicide.


As Catholics, we affirm the inherent dignity of every person and the ability of families to seek security and safety for themselves and family members. For this reason, the U.S. Catholic Bishops oppose the Remain in Mexico policy and ask that the Department of Homeland Security act now to revoke the policy and provide immediate protection to asylum seekers.
Upcoming Events
Sacred is the Call
Join us for a morning of reflection in Rochester on the unheard stories from our immigrant neighbors, Catholic Social Teaching and our faithful response.


Saturday, January 25th, 2020
8:30AM - 1:00PM
5455 50th Ave. NW
Rochester, MN 55901


Presented by Marty Roers and Lori True of the CSJ Justice Office and Ritual & Liturgical Services Office of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Consociates.


For questions or to register, email: hspaxsocialjustice@gmail.com
Marty Roers is a Minnesotan with deep local roots. From Brooklyn Park and a St. John's University graduate, he served as a Maryknoll Missioner in East Africa including in a failed World Bank agricultural project in North-eastern Kenya and later with the nomadic communities of war-torn Southern Sudan. These transformative experiences, along with his extensive volunteering in Central America, his divinity studies at the University of Notre Dame, and working for the Office for Social Justice Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, have challenged and inspired his faith and his life. He currently serves as the co-director of the Justice Office for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.
Andres Cediel is a documentary filmmaker and Professor of Journalism. He recently wrote and produced "Trafficked in America," exposing the government's role in the labor trafficking of Guatamalan teenagers at an Ohio egg farm. Cediel graduated from Brown University and received a master's degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley.
The Southwest Crisis Center is hosting Labor Trafficking Dynamics in Midwest Rural Communities , a one-day, applied skills-based
conference aimed at equipping multidisciplinary partners, systems professionals, and community members with resources for understanding the dynamics, identifying victims, and building the local systems response to labor trafficking.

Jan 16th, 2020
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM ( Full Schedule )
Worthington Event Center
1447 Prairie Drive
Worthington, MN 56187
Cost $40
CST: 101
Coming to Waseca!
Have you heard the terms 'Common Good', 'Solidarity', 'Social Justice', or 'Consistent Life Ethic', and wondered what exactly they mean? Are you growing increasingly frustrated by a feeling that neither major party fully represents your viewpoint?

On January 18th , Sacred Heart Parish in Waseca will be hosting a morning of teaching and dialogue about how to live out our faith in the public arena! This presentation is sponsored by Catholic Charities' Office of Parish Social Ministry, and is designed to teach the basics of Catholic Social Teaching, as well as address any specific questions and concerns that participants bring.

There will be future presentations of CST: 101 throughout the Mankato Deanery.
Questions? Email ilandsteiner@ccsomn.org
Upcoming Events with the Rochester Franciscans

Fridays, 11:00AM - 1:00PM
1/17, 2/28, 3/13, 4/3, 5/1, 6/5
Reservations due one week in advance.
Cost is $12


With the day’s Gospel message on the right and life in the fast lane on the left, Dinner and Dialogue offers in-depth conversations about the most pressing social issues of our times. Fr. J. Michael Joncas will preach on the Liturgical readings of the day. Come share your experiences with the prepared questions for integrating spirituality in your daily life. 


January 27, 6:30PM - 8:00PM
Film Showing and Discussion
Cost is $10

Cultural norms suggest that ascending the ladder guarantees us a “good life”. Power, beauty, and increased capacity are the values for which to strive. Success is built on promotions and increased salaries and higher social standards. In his early life, St Francis too sought this pathway.
This film explores the value of 'Coming Down the Ladder,' to meet with those who have discovered the true value of encountering others.

January 30, 6:30PM - 8:00PM
Film Showing and Discussion
Free will Donation

This film depicts the untold stories of Latinos seeking asylum in the United States. Harvest of the Empire is a very compelling documentary that outlines the political and social roots that have driven millions to migrate from Latin America to the United States.
All events take place at Assisi Heights
1001 14th St NW
Rochester, MN 55901
2020 is the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. Many of the leaders of the suffragist movement were, by today's standards, pro-life. That is, they did not see abortion as beneficial to women. These women are considered the early pioneers of the feminist movement, including Susan B. Anthony and Alice Paul, who considered abortion the "ultimate exploitation of women."

Wednesday, Jan. 22
Prayer Service - 10:30 AM
March - 12 NOON
Fatal Flaws: Legalizing Assisted Death by Kevin Dunn (Spanish subtitles)

Panel Discussion:
Fr. Will Thompson
Pastor - Pax Christi
Susan Windley-Daoust, Ph.D.
Director of Missionary Discipleship
Are laws allowing euthanasia and assisted suicide leading society down a dangerous path? Should we be giving doctors the right in law to end the life of others by euthanasia or assisted suicide? What are the ethics and effects of these laws?

Film and Panel Discussion
Sunday, January 26th
1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
St. Francis Room – church basement

Spotlight on Resources

The divided life is a temptation so built into our society, we may not even recognize it. Yet most of us fall prey to it. We either undervalue work, resenting it as simply a job, or we overvalue it as an identity-defining career.

Michael Naughton, drawing on his background in both business and theology, proposes that the key to finding balance is another important human activity: leisure.
Dr. Michael Naughton is the Director of the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. He also serves as Board Chair at Reell Precision Manufacturing .
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.
We would love to hear your feedback on this newsletter. What do you like? What is helpful? What would you like to see? We can't wait to hear from you!  Send Feedback

Looking for past editions of our newsletter? You can access them ALL on Catholic Charities of Southern MN's Parish Social Ministry Page.