June 2022 Upcoming Events and Opportunities |
|
MEETING SCHEDULE AND PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
- Peace and Justice Meetings are the third Wednesday of each month except November/December combined meeting, and as always all are welcome to attend.
- Peace and Justice Newsletter will be published monthly, reflecting ministry news and reports from meetings and presentations.
June 15 Peace & Justice general meeting 7 PM
- Via: In person church lower level meeting room #1
- Teams: Programming, Communications, and Finance
- All are welcome to attend and become involved!
Fair Trade Sales Coming Soon!
- coffee, tea, chocolate
- after all weekend Masses
Sundays Weekly Hot Meal Site 4 - 6 pm, Meal Site Teams - volunteers welcome
Sundays Women's Jail Ministry visits currently being
|
|
Themes of Catholic Social Teaching by The United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops: Life and Dignity of the Human Person, Rights and Responsibilities, Solidarity
|
|
As Catholics, we profess a belief in the sanctity and dignity of human life, we abhor the taking of life by violent means, and we are often generous in our support of populations around the world who have been impacted by war, starvation, genocide and violence.
In the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching as defined by the USCCB, all offer a direction and social vision that mirror the values shown to us by God and announced by the life of Jesus Christ. The following three provide special insight into the value of life and our responsibility to uphold the rights and freedoms of all mankind.
Life and Dignity of the Human Person
The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching.
Rights and Responsibilities
The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities--to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.
Solidarity
We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers and sisters keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that if you want peace, work for justice.1 The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers. Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.
“Finally, the common good calls for social peace, the stability and security provided by a certain order which cannot be achieved without particular concern for distributive justice; whenever this is violated, violence always ensues. Society as a whole, and the state in particular, are obliged to defend and promote the common good.”
|
|
In an opinion article by Franciscan Father Daniel P. Horan in The National Catholic Reporter May 18, 2022, a metaphor of a deadly virus connects the spread of racially motivated gun violence such as the tragic mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. He is the Director of the Center for Spirituality and Professor of philosophy, religious studies and theology at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana.
Fr. Horan writes, “I was reminded of a line from Pope Francis' 2020 encyclical letter ‘Fratelli Tutti, On Fraternity and Social Friendship.’ In it, Francis writes: ‘Racism is a virus that quickly mutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding, and lurks in waiting.’
“For much of the American population, the thought of guns and their disproportionately destructive power rarely comes to mind until a tragedy such as what unfolded in Buffalo this weekend forces a renewed awareness.”
There is a lesson for all who choose to embody the Catholic faith and its Social Teachings, when we learn of yet another seemingly senseless act of violence against any group of human beings. It is especially challenging to witness individuals being specifically targeted due to their ethnicity, race, gender, orientation, or any other factor. Father Horan continues in his opinion, “Those who identify as Christians, especially those of us who are white Christians, have a responsibility rooted in the core of our faith tradition to not shy away from diagnosing and responding to these viruses. Because each of these contradicts the core of Christian faith, you cannot claim to be a legitimate Christian and espouse white supremacist ideology, deny the reality of racism, embrace white nationalism or conspiratorial narratives, or support the proliferation of assault weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.”
At Saint Bartholomew, we are fortunate to have visionary leaders with concerns for violence and its root causes. A special service project related to the current state of violence, and the Catholic Social Teachings that relate to this issue, is being discussed and proposed; a planning group has been established. Look for more information to come in the bulletin and website.
“Charity calls for individuals to respond; justice requires communal action.”
USCCB from Sharing Catholic Social Teaching
See the full article here:
https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/buffalo-makes-it-clear-racism-and-gun-violence-are-christian-problem
|
|
BUFFALO: A PRAYER FOR VICTIMS OF RACISM AND GUN VIOLENCE
God of abundant love, In the aftermath of another horrific act of violence and racism,
In which, human lives, sacred and precious, were lost,
We pray for blessing and healing in the Buffalo community.
In a special way we pray for the ten lives lost, and the three individuals
who were injured during the attack.
We pray for their loved ones and for all who were present during the attack and
who are grappling with its aftermath.
We hold in our hearts all those killed by gun violence
and who are victims of racism.
God, wrap your healing love around these individuals and their families and communities, and inspire
each of us to act with prophetic love so that racism and violence have no place to grow in this world.
Amen
|
|
RESULTS! Physical letters signed at all Masses:
Senator Young - 127
Senator Braun - 121
Representative Pence - 116
Representative Hollingsworth - 1
|
|
Thank you to those who signed letters in person before and after Masses on May 21-22!
Bread for the World Offering of Letters to Congress are available online, you can still participate.
|
Each year, people of faith write letters and emails to their members of Congress who have the power to impact the policies and programs that can end hunger. By taking part in Bread for the World’s 2022 Offering of Letters, you will help make nutrition for mothers and children a priority in our own country and abroad.
You can send your letter directly to your representatives electronically online. Use the buttons at left to send a message to all your representatives in one letter for each topic, national or global concerns. This takes just a few minutes, and requires your nine-digit zip code to automatically connect to your representatives.
|
|
MISSION STATEMENT of ST. BARTHOLOMEW
PEACE AND JUSTICE MINISTRY
|
|
The Peace and Justice Ministry recognizes the Church as the Body of Christ.
- The goal of Peace and Justice Ministry is to provide leadership to St. Bartholomew parishioners to help them witness the Good News of Jesus Christ.
- Through education, prayer, reflection and direct communication, it helps parishioners to be effective in communities at local, national, and international levels, thereby enabling them to achieve meaningful and effective social action.
VISION STATEMENT
Integrate Gospel values into our lives as disciples of Christ through Outreach, Justice, and Spirituality.
Our Challenge and Goal:
Assisting parishioners to align faith with daily life.
To live differently in society as a reflection of our faith.
Responsibilities
Advocacy: Advocate for social mission (Outreach, Justice, and Spirituality) within the Parish.
Volunteerism, Personal Involvement: Be a model of social mission and faith in action within the Parish.
Education: Assist in the development, implementation, and recruitment of program initiatives.
Outreach: Discern and provide leadership for parish involvement in local, national, and global justice outreach.
Financial Support: Assist with determination and allocation of monetary stewardship for parish justice outreach and other initiatives. Along with other members, ensure that funds are being used responsibly and as intended.
|
|
We Are The Peace & Justice Ministry |
|
- Chairperson David Harpenau (interim)
- Programming Team: Steve Audretch
- Finance Team: David Harpenau
- Communications Team: Jan Banister
- Blood Drive: Greg Scherschel, coordinator
- Next drive fall 2022
-
Voter Registration: Steve Audretch coordinator
- Next drive fall 2022
-
Ecumenical Assembly: Shireman Brown
- Pro-Life: Kelley Snoddy
- Giving Tree: Theresa Westerfeld, coordinator
- Meal Site: Susan Chandler,
- Sundays 4-6 PM
- Volunteers always welcome!
|
|
- Friends of Haiti: Judy Harpenau, liaison
- Bread for the World Offering of Letters
- May 2022, Mike Spencer
- Bread for the World, Fr. Marty Peter, Convener
- Second Tuesdays 7 PM at First Presbyterian Church
- Indiana Abolition Coalition: open, liaison
- St. Vincent de Paul: Marilyn and Jim Clerc liaisons
- Women's Jail Ministry: Nancy Audretch, liaison
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
