August 2022 Upcoming Events and Opportunities |
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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.
August 17 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!
Sundays Weekly Hot Meal Site 4 - 6 pm, Meal Site Teams - volunteers welcome and alternate teams needed
Sundays Women's Jail Ministry visits are being planned; no visits are currently permitted on Sundays
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Themes of Catholic Social Teaching by The United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
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Our faith enables us to be thankful for the many rewards in our daily lives. The most basic of our needs are very easy to take for granted: a home, nutritious meals, compensation for our hard work, access to safe and clean water, health care, and opportunities for education and advancement.
"I entrust her soul to God, and I pray for the Haitian people, especially the little ones,
so they can have a more serene future, without misery and without violence."
-Pope Francis on the death of Sister Luisa Dell'Orto, 64, in Port-au-Prince
Catholic Social Teaching as described by the Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops enlightens us on The Option for the Poor and Vulnerable as follows. “A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.”
True worship is to work for justice and care for the poor and oppressed.
Friends of Haiti guides St. Bartholomew parishioners in the many ways that the call to action and prayer can be most effective, through nutrition programs, sponsoring of students in schools and professional training, and health care initiatives focused at the parish level.
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St. Bartholomew's twinning relationship with Ste. Anne Parish is celebrated on Haiti Sunday, which is July 23 and 24, 2022.
It is impossible to understand what is happening in Haiti today without knowing about Haiti's history. How could it be that Haiti, whose people who are so kind, hospitable, and hard-working, be so poor? The reasons are varied and complex. The New York Times article provides one important reason: reparations which were demanded by the French following a slave uprising leading to Haiti's independence in 1804. Payment of reparations to French and U.S. banks resulted in a strangle hold on Haiti's economy preventing the building of basic infrastructure, roads, sanitation, and education. The injustice that Haiti has suffered for centuries leads to the country still being identified as the "poorest country in the Western Hemisphere". As Catholic Christians, it is our duty to educate ourselves about the injustices present in Haiti and our Gospel call to respond.
A recent New York Times series of articles explains the background, history, and present concerns for Haitians who have long suffered poverty, poor health, and limited access to education. Below are excerpts from France’s Ransom: The Times reveals how Haiti became the poorest country in the Americas.
“The poverty is beyond compare to anywhere else. Even countries that are impoverished compared to the United States or Canada, or many Western countries — they still have some level of social services. Haiti just doesn’t.”
“Even if you’re rich, you have to bring in your own water, and you need a generator for electricity. There’s no real transportation system; it’s basically privatized. There’s no real sewage system, so people use outhouses or the outdoors. There’s no real garbage pickup, so trash piles up. There’s little public education — it’s mostly privatized — so poor people don’t get much, if any, formal schooling. The health care is abysmal.”
Further, historical American involvement and responsibility for current conditions are discussed in the series:
“We haven’t even gotten into The U.S. occupation from 1915 to 1934 and Haiti’s dictator family, both of which further looted the country. It was one crisis after another inflicted on Haitians.”
How will we answer the call to bring light, hope, nutrition, education, and health care to the poorest and most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters, just miles from our shores? While the need is ongoing, as we celebrate Haiti Sunday we have an opportunity to demonstrate our faith in action. Please be generous.
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Prayer for Haiti
O gracious Creator, God of all goodness and love, we lift up our Haitian brothers and sisters to You in prayer. Our hearts go out to all those who suffer from want. Grant them Your wisdom, strength and hope in the face of all that is occurring in their beautiful homeland.
God of mercy and justice, assist all those volunteers who have given so much time, energy and resources to our Haitian neighbors. Bless their efforts to help restore and improve their lives.
Bless the children of Haiti who seek a better world and a brighter future.
Heavenly Father, we ask Your blessing upon the successful Haiti Sunday efforts. May the good work You have begun find its fulfillment in Your sight.
We pray this blessing in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Amen.
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MISSION STATEMENT of ST. BARTHOLOMEW
PEACE AND JUSTICE MINISTRY
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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.
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We Are The Peace & Justice Ministry |
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- 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
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Voter Registration: Steve Audretch coordinator
- Next drive fall 2022
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Ecumenical Assembly: Shireman Brown
- Pro-Life: Kelley Snoddy
- Giving Tree: Theresa Westerfeld, coordinator
- Meal Site: Susan Chandler,
- Sundays 4-6 PM
- Volunteers always welcome!
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- Friends of Haiti: Judy Harpenau, liaison
- Bread for the World Offering of Letters
- Spring 2023, Mike Spencer
- Bread for the World, Fr. Marty Peter, Convener
- Meetings TBA
- St. Vincent de Paul: Marilyn and Jim Clerc liaisons
- Care for Our Common Home: Dave & Suzie Shaw liaisons
- Women's Jail Ministry: Nancy Audretch, liaison
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