In September, Pope Francis invited the entire Church into a two-year process that will lead to the 2023 Synod of Bishops focused on synodality. The three guiding themes--communion, participation, and mission--are key dimensions of the work of justice and peace. They speak to an expansive, dynamic, and inclusive expression of the Gospel. All JPIC coordinators are encouraged to collaborate with their congregational leadership in this unique moment in our Church. As Pope Francis writes, “It is true: the Holy Spirit needs us. Listen to him by listening to each other. Leave no one behind or excluded.”. To assist in the process, CMSM has created a primer on synodality to provide a broad overview of the concept, the history, and the anticipated process.
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Take Action on Climate Change |
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Ahead of climate talks in Glasgow this November and inspired by the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Action Platform, the Catholic Climate Covenant is joining two critical care for creation advocacy initiatives in the U.S. that call on our nation’s leaders to reduce greenhouse gases and prioritize those most vulnerable to climate change.
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As an individual you can sign the Catholic Climate Action Petition. This is a faith-filled appeal to President Biden and the U.S. Congress to work beyond partisanship and create climate solutions that care for our common home and those who inhabit it. Sign it today!
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You can also encourage church leaders to sign the Climate Action Letter for Catholic Institutions. Like the petition, this letter is a faith-filled call for ambitious national solutions from Church leaders.
Both the individual petition and leaders’ letter will be delivered to the Administration and members of Congress.
Join your voice with thousands of other U.S. Catholics signing the petition and be sure to share your efforts with others. During this critical time, we must be willing to work together as a Church and as a nation toward climate solutions that protect the life and dignity of every human person, now and for the generations to come.
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Small Group Series on “Civilize It”
As a Church and a nation, we are polarized and divided. Pope Francis challenges us to respond by building a “better kind of politics, one truly at the service of the common good” (Fratelli Tutti, no. 154). “Civilize It” is a nonpartisan initiative from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that seeks to assist Catholics to counter polarization and division in Church and society by following the example of the Good Samaritan, who challenges us to “become neighbors to all” (Fratelli Tutti, no. 80).
Details: This three-part, small group gathering is being convened specifically for CMSM communities. The sessions will include an examination of conscience, use of individual and communal reflection, and suggest action steps for being bridgebuilders who act with charity, clarity, and creativity. Hosted by Bethany Welch of CMSM and facilitated by Emily Schumacher-Novak, Assistant Director, Education and Outreach, Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, USCCB. (While we'd like for participants to attend all three, we know that might not be realistic given schedules. Please register even if you can only attend one or two.)
Dates:
- Monday, November 1 - 3pm ET
- Monday, November 15 - 3pm ET
- Monday, November 29 - 3pm ET
Registration: Register here. You will be sent the Zoom link again as a reminder before each session.
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Rivers of Hope Retreat for men and women religious
Submit an application by November 15
Before the pandemic, LCWR, CMSM, the Religious Brothers Conference, Mexican American Catholic College, and the Asociación de Hermanas Latinas Misioneras en América collaborated on a grant funded retreat program that had to be postponed. We are happy to share that the retreat is back on for May 2022 in Maryland. And, it will now include a complementary virtual program that is free and open to the public.
Rios de Esperanza/Rivers of Hope is an experience offered to women and men religious currently ministering in direct service with persons who struggle to find hope in these challenging times. This one-week gathering of 40 religious will provide the space and time for deep reflection on the challenge of accompanying people who live with trauma and fear. Rivers of Hope is for religious who wish to find ways to continue ministering with hope and strength as well as learn ways in which they may assist others to cope with the challenges they face. Participants will pray with and reflect on their own ministry experiences and learn skills and processes that they can use themselves and with those they serve.
Please share the flyer here and encourage your colleagues to click on the embedded link to apply by November 15. A dynamic, virtual companion series will debut in December. You can see the details for the Rivers of Hope Pilgrimage here.
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Economic Justice for All Webinar
Together with the Catholic Labor Network, CMSM is pleased to co-sponsor a panel discussion on November 22 at 2pm ET to mark the 35th anniversary of Economic Justice for All, a pastoral letter written “ ...to help Catholics form their consciences on the moral dimensions of economic decision making…” Panelists include Rev. David Hollenbach, SJ and others who will share their observations on the origins of the document, the intervening years, and possibilities for the future. Register here.
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CMSM JPIC Coordinators Quarterly Meeting
Save the date for the December meeting, Tuesday, December 7 at 3pm ET on Zoom. Link coming soon.
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Holy Cross Retreat Center, a ministry of the Conventual Franciscan Friars in Mesilla Park/Las Cruces, New Mexico has accompanied migrants in the southern border region for many years. In the last few months, the retreat center team, led by Fr. Tom Smith, OFM Conv. has extended hospitality to assist two particularly vulnerable groups: Afghan evacuees and Haitian asylum seekers. The center itself could not accommodate the large number of arrivals from Afghanistan, but they could house twenty-five volunteers from Team Rubicon, which is a group of veterans and first responders who provided transition support at nearby Fort Bliss where the evacuees first landed in the United States. Later this fall, Holy Cross was able to help eight Haitian families who came through the Del Rio, Texas crossing connect with transportation to their U.S. sponsors.
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Laudato Si' Action Platform Update |
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The Feast of St. Francis kicked off forty days of prayer and promotion around the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. Many congregations are using this period to debut their public commitments toward integral ecology. Of the approximately 150 congregations with LSAP promoters in the joint CMSM/LCWR group, 27% have shared a statement. These have arrived in print or video form or via a link to the document on the congregation website. Some leaders have used the Sample Commitment Form provided by the Religious Orders working group while others have penned their own. All of these approaches are welcome!
Once the congregational/institute leadership has signed off, statements are sent to laudatosiactionplatform@gmail.com where they are catalogued. Submissions will continue to be accepted through November 14 and count toward the “first year” of LSAP commitments. Your congregation may choose to wait until a future year to commit to the journey. That is fine too. The important dimension now is the process of discernment.
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November is Black Catholic History Month
To learn more about this designation and the causes for canonization for seven Black Catholics, you can review this guide here by Catholic University of America. Additional resources are available here through Villanova University.
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Angels Unaware Virtual Conference - October 25-29
The United States Catholic Mission Association invites you to a national Catholic dialogue on how to be in solidarity with the immigrant, the migrant, the refugee. Timothy Schmalz, the artist who created Angels Unaware, commissioned by Pope Francis, will open our dialogue, Fr. Michael Gallagher, SJ, will illuminate the global reality while Marisa Limon Garza will spotlight the U.S.A. challenge. Fr. vanThanh Nguyen, S.V.D. will invite us into the Word of God, Rhonda Miska will review the Church’s long-standing concern for the migrant, and Lisa Parisio will contrast the language of the tradition to the language of policy debate. Sr. Dr. Joanna Okereke, HHCJ and Dr.Mark Gray will present the CARA study on the Church’s care for the migrant and the immigrant. Bishop Joseph Tyson, Diocese of Yakima, will give the closing address. Register here.
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Job posting for justice and peace role
The Presentation Sisters Union – USA Unit is hiring a Director for their Justice and Peace Office. The primary responsibility of the Director of Justice and Peace Office is to educate and animate the Sisters and Presentation People on issues of justice, peace and care of the earth. You can find the posting here. Applicants are encouraged to submit their materials by October 31, 2021.
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Friends in Solidarity: Conversation with John Grisham webinar
Friends in Solidarity, the US partner to Solidarity with South Sudan, is pleased to share with you an invitation to a conversation with John Grisham, the novelist and author of Sooley, a fictional tale about a South Sudanese basketball player. The book quite accurately describes the situation in South Sudan, a situation that shows little improvement. We are hoping to broaden our base of supporters through this webinar, November 10 at 8:00 pm ET. Please share this with your lay colleagues and community members. To register click here.
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