JUSTICE JOTTINGS
November 2022
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Death Penalty Abolition Speaker Cody Huffman
When: Wednesday, November 30 via Zoom at 8:00pm ET | 7:00pm CT | 6:00pm MT | 5:00pm PT!
What: Join MSJC's Death Penalty Abolition & Restorative Justice Team for a conversation with St. Mary's University Law Student Cody Huffman. Cody worked with Death Penalty Action and other organizations to fight for a stay of execution for Melissa Lucio, who was sentenced to be executed on April 27, 2022. With only two days to spare, a shocking decision was rendered from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. The Court stayed Melissa Lucio's execution on April 25, 2022 and ordered the District Court of Cameron County to consider the evidence of her innocence.
Join us for a virtual discussion to learn more about this case, the death penalty in America, and Cody's experience on Wednesday, November 30th!
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ASJP Kickin' It - Following the Death Penalty Abolition Speaker
When: Wednesday, November 30 via Zoom at 9:00pm ET | 8:00pm CT | 7:00pm MT | 6:00pm PT!
What: Following the Death Penalty Abolition & Restorative Justice Team's (DP/RJ) conversation with Cody Huffman, the Adele Social Justice Project (ASJP) invites folks present to stick around and debrief together for 30 or 45 minutes! This ASJP post-event session is designed with questions in mind for young people, but all are welcome to come discuss and learn from the voices and experiences of younger Marianists and participants. Register below (same as the DP/RJ speaker registration)!
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Pauli Murray Film Discussion Collaborative Event
When: Thursday, December 8 via Zoom at 7:30pm ET | 6:30pm CT | 5:30pm MT | 4:30pm PT!
What: Join MSJC's LGBTQ+ Trans Advocacy Committee, Racial Justice Issue Team, and the Women & Justice Issue Team us for a virtual discussion on the many intersectional social justice themes exemplified in a recent documentary titled My Name is Pauli Murray. Participants should view the film prior to the event. Pauli Murray was a non-binary and Black lawyer, poet, and priest.
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MSJC REFLECTIONS & RESOURCES |
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DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
Racism, Death Penalty, Restorative Justice, and Black Catholic History -- Reflection by DP/RJ Team Member John Holden
“We instruct . . . all the faithful to endeavor to be missionary disciples carrying forth the message of fraternal charity and human dignity. We ask them to fight the evil of racism by educating themselves, reflecting on their personal thoughts and actions, listening to the experience of those who have been affected by racism, and by developing and supporting programs that help repair the damages caused by racial discrimination. We need to continue to educate ourselves and our people about the great cultural diversity within our Church.”
(U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love – A Pastoral Letter Against Racism,” November 2018)
It is worthwhile to consider each part of the above statement from the U.S. Bishops’ pastoral letter published four years ago this month. The statement has relevance to the practice of the death penalty, and of restorative justice, and to the celebration of November as Black Catholic History Month. In this month when we pray in loving remembrance for all saints and souls that have gone before us, let us also pledge ourselves, individually and collectively, to fight the evil of racism by educating ourselves, reflecting on our thoughts and actions (both past and present), and taking steps to repair the harm. (Read more here...)
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INTEGRAL ECOLOGY
TEAM UPDATES
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MSJC/MEEC Integral Ecology Team (IET) held the first in-person meeting November 4 - 6 at Mount St. John in Dayton to set goals and network with others in the region. Representatives from University of Dayton River Stewards, Hanley Sustainability Institute & Laudato si Working group; Queen of Apostles community (QAC), Mission of Mary Cooperative Urban Farm and Marianist Environmental Education Center (MEEC) joined. In a naturalist hike and reflection on the Marianist Nature Preserve trails followed by a dialogue on our environmental hopes and concerns, ending with a local foods dinner, featuring recipes cooked from Mission of Mary Urban farm food. IET team members include all 3 Marianist Family branches and range from Philadelphia to Honolulu. Pictured here (clockwise from center bottom): Laura Koonce, Leanne Jablonski FMI, Susan Vogt, Rich Wokutch, Steve O’Neil SM, Matt Naveau, Tony Garascia, Jennifer Melke-Marks.
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The Marianist Social Justice Collaborative has enrolled in the global Laudato si Action Platform (LSAP) as part of MSJC’s participation in the Marianist Family Encounters Project. The Encounters project is engaging all branches, ministries, institutions, organizations and communities in the North American Marianist Family to articulate the unique contribution of our Marianist charism as we respond to Pope Francis’ invitation to action through the Global Compact on Education (GCE) commitments and LSAP goals. The MSJC/MEEC Integral Ecology team is coordinating MSJC’s work that reflects the collaborative and overlapping work of our MSJC issue teams. Everyone in our Marianist networks is invited to visit the Marianist Encounters.
RESOURCES
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Advent Resources
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2022 Advent Dreaming Calendar from the Office of Peace, Justice, and Ecological Integrity of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
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Pax Christi Advent Reflections
- Holiday Purchasing - Choose FairTrade Products
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Opportunity to visit in-person Saturday Nov 19th 10am - 3 pm at Curran Place, University of Dayton or order online (Nov 14 - 23rd) to get free shipping and 20% of your purchase goes to Catholic Relief Services. More info: https://tinyurl.com/AOCfairtrade
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PRAYER FOR THANKSGIVING
Us here at MSJC wish each of you a wonderful Thanksgiving. And we hope you will reflect on the question: How can you give thanks this year in a way that promotes advancing social justice?
Giving Thanks
For the expanding grandeur of creation, worlds known and unknown, galaxies beyond galaxies, filling us with awe and challenging our imaginations:
We give thanks this day.
For this fragile planet earth, its times and tides, its sunsets and seasons:
We give thanks this day.
For the joy of human life, its wonders and surprises, its hopes and achievements:
We give thanks this day.
For our human community, our common past and future hope, our oneness transcending all separation, our capacity to work for peace and justice in the midst of hostility and oppression:
We give thanks this day.
For high hopes and noble causes, for faith without fanaticism, for understanding of views not shared:
We give thanks this day.
For all who have labored and suffered for a fairer world, who have lived so that others might live in dignity and freedom:
We give thanks this day.
For human liberty and sacred rites; for opportunities to change and grow, to affirm and choose:
We give thanks this day.
We pray that we may live not by our fears but by our hopes, not by our words but by our deeds.
We give thanks this day.
- By O. Eugene Pickett
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BEYOND MSJC
OPPORTUNITIES & UPDATES
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2022 Seed Grants Awarded! - Visitation State Marianist Community
The Marianist Visitation State Community is pleased to announce the disbursement of $5000 to this year’s three Seed Grant recipients. Our community of committed lay members provides funds that enable faith communities and fledgling service projects to thrive--to grow and respond to the genuine needs of the young and the poor and to engage in the struggle for peace and justice.
Each of our 3 grantees received a portion of the money they requested–we provided enough to each applicant to assist them in accomplishing part of their planned project.
Here are the three groups that were awarded grants. Read more about their projects at the link below.
- Chaminade Madonna College Prep HS in Hollywood, FL
- Mission of Mary Cooperative (MMC) in Dayton, OH
- Chaminade University School of Nursing and Health Professions in Honolulu, HI
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