JUSTICE JOTTINGS
August 2021
|
|
|
|
COMING IN SEPTEMBER
Marie Thérèse de Lamourous-Celebration
|
Join the Women and Justice Team for a celebration of Marie Thérèse’s life and legacy (via Zoom) on
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 8:00 pm (EDT).
We will share stories about her (Joanne McCracken, Marceta Reilly and Bro. Jack Ventura will be some of the storytellers) and discuss ways we can model her work.
We'll also discuss ways we might enable women today to persist when faced with difficulties. Come and learn more about her special characteristics, share with us in prayer, and meet Marianists from throughout our country.
HOW: If you would like to participate, RSVP to msjc.women@gmail.com. A zoom link will be sent to you closer to the date. Please share this invitation with others
|
|
Seeing White Series Begins Sept. 30
Join us for our third 8-week series of reflections and conversations facilitated by the MSJC Racial Justice Team. Each week participants will listen to the podcast series "Seeing White" and engage in conversation and reflection via Zoom.
WHEN: Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern - Beginning Sept. 30 and ending Nov. 18.
|
|
Celebrating Campaign Success
Our major fundraising campaign – Forging a Future for Justice – raised over $57,000! It was a big effort on the part of MSJC leadership, but an even bigger show of support by our generous donors.
We were particularly encouraged that about 75 of our donors were new this year. A big thanks goes out to everyone who contributed to the campaign – those who gave and those who encouraged others to give. It was a team effort, and the size of our team is growing.
If you did not make a contribution and would like to, we are still accepting donations. Just click on the Donate Here button in left column above
|
|
DEATH PENALTY & RESTORATIVE JUSTICE |
|
Fast & Vigil at the Supreme Court
MSJC and members of its Death Penalty Abolition and Restorative Justice Team were sponsors of, and participants in, the 28th annual Fast & Vigil to Abolish the Death Penalty. Held each June 29 to July 2 at the U.S. Supreme Court (and also online in 2020 and 2021), the event includes 'teach-in' sessions with murder victim family members, death row exonerees, death row families, and leaders in the national abolition movement.
In one of the moving talks, Jack Sullivan shared the story of the murder of his niece 24 years ago. (Read more...)
|
|
Make Me an Instrument of Peace -
Dr. Martha Hurley
I have been a member of the Death Penalty Abolition/Restorative Justice Team for a few years now. I am thankful for the many opportunities to gather with others and engage in advocacy.
Much of my time this summer was spent in dialogue with others about restorative justice (RJ), incarceration, and the death penalty in Ohio. Voices in support of implementing RJ in the local area were plentiful. I had the opportunity to co-facilitate RJ circles on a few occasions and gained some personal insight. My conversations with community groups on death penalty abolition and RJ applications were meaningful. I left many of those meetings with concrete action plans and tools in hand to continue the work. I hope to see the fruits of this labor in action via local initiatives in the near future.
I also had the opportunity to speak frequently with a person incarcerated on death row in a southern state. (Read more...)
|
|
LGBT INITIATIVE
LGBTQ+ Retreat – An Enriching, Challenging Time of Renewal
The fifth annual retreat of the LGBT Initiative was held at the Daylesford Abbey in Paoli, PA July 30 - Aug 1.
Retreat master, Dr. Craig Ford of St. Norbert College, gave four inspiring talks. The in-person participants were joined by others via Zoom, one of whom was from Argentina. All left inspired xxxxx (Retreat participants above)
by the prayer, the information received, and the small group conversations.
The lovely grounds of the abbey enriched the experience.
A Home for All –
A Catholic Call for LGBTQ Non-Discrimination
This statement, A Home for All, was developed by New Ways Ministry and supports the church’s teaching that LGBTQ people should never suffer discrimination. Please read the statement and if you agree, endorse it.
The LGBT Initiative Team “visited” the Colegio Marianista de Buenos Aires in Argentina
On August 6, the LGBT Initiative Team made its first presentation via Zoom outside of the US (and in Spanish!) to the Colegio Marianista de Buenos Aires! The audience was made up of 120 seniors, plus some school administrators, teachers and psychologists. The main presenter was Ish Ruiz, lay Marianist and team member, who introduced us to the need for and importance of INCLUSION of LGBTQ+ people in the Catholic Church in general, and in the Marianist Family in particular.
José Luis Pérez, team member, lay Marianist from Buenos Aires and alumnus of Colegio Marianista, organized the event, and shared about his life’s journey as a gay Catholic. Another young lay Marianist and lawyer, Antonio Nucera from Rome, also participated, and highlighted the importance of these exchanges, adding that in some countries in Europe today, this kind of presentation is unthinkable, and in others, such as Poland and Hungary, it can even lead to imprisonment!. (Read more...)
|
|
ENVIRONMENT
Recordings Available from Laudato Si Conference
Recordings (Keynotes, Eucharists and Breakout Sessions by sectors including schools, universities, preaching) from the July 2021 Laudato Si' and the U.S. Catholic Church Conference, sponsored by Catholic Climate Covenant and Creighton U., are available here.
|
|
Let’s Move Church Leaders Toward Climate Action
Get equipped to do something about climate change by attending this webinar on engaging Catholic Church leaders for Climate Action.
WHEN: Tuesday, August 31 from 3 - 4 pm EDT.
REGISTER: for this free session and link to the recording here,
|
|
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Seed Grants -
Do You Have a Project that Needs Additional Funds?
The Marianist Visitation State Community is a community of vowed lay Marianists who have a long history of serving the Marianist Family. As an expression of our commitment to "do whatever he tells you" in support of Mary's mission to respond to the needs of the world, we have put some of the resources with which we have been blessed at the service of others through Seed Grants.
In previous years, we have provided financial assistance for an Intergenerational retreat on social justice, Changemakers program speakers and a challenge grant for the Marianist Lay Community of North America (MLC-NA). The application process is now open for 2021. We want to enable small communities and fledgling service projects to thrive, grow and respond to the needs of the young and the poor, and to engage in the struggle for peace and justice.
Applications are due by Tuesday August 31, 2021 and will be evaluated by a subcommittee from the community. Grant recipients will be notified by the end of October. Grants of $1000 - $5000 will be awarded by year end. See the Application form for more information.
Seeking Host Family for Hospitality House for the Homeless
The Elizabeth NJ Coalition to House the Homeless runs a transitional housing program for working families that are homeless called Hospitality House. Modeled after the Houses of Hospitality started by Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker, the houses provide temporary housing to families as they heal, regroup and return to independent housing.
They are seeking a live-in Host Family to provide supervision, build community and be a general support. Lay Marianist Linda Flores-Tober and her husband Carlos have been a Host Family for over 30 years and thought that other Lay Marianists might be interested in the position. Here is the position announcement and job description, with contact information if you want to explore this opportunity.
|
|
|
|
We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.
Anne Marie Bonneau
|
|
|
|
Questions, comments, or feedback for Justice Jottings can be sent to Jim Vogt
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
