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.
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October 2020 Upcoming Events and Opportunities |
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Please watch for announcements at this time regarding public meetings. All dates and meetings are currently subject to change. Be safe and be well!
MEETING SCHEDULE AND PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
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Peace and Justice Meetings are the third Wednesday of each month, and as always all are welcome to attend. Currently meetings are via Zoom.
- Peace and Justice Newsletter will be published monthly, reflecting ministry news and reports from the meetings and presentations.
October 21 Peace & Justice general and team meetings 7 PM via ZOOM meeting
- St. Bartholomew Church currently via Zoom.
- Meetings are otherwise scheduled for Third Wednesday of the month
- Teams: Programming, Communications, Finance and Grants
- All are welcome to attend and become involved!
October 3/4 Fair Trade Sales taking place in parking lot! Refer to electronic church bulletin
- coffee, tea, chocolate
- after all four Masses
- benefits after-school tutoring at St. Anne Parish, teacher salaries and snacks.
Sundays Weekly Hot Meal Site 4 - 6 pm, Meal Site Teams - meals are grab-and-go, volunteers needed
Sundays Women's Jail Ministry visits 1 - 3 pm, classes 6 - 8 pm currently suspended due to COVID-19
October 31 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM Polidor 5K Run/Walk for adult literacy in Limonade, Haiti!
START AND FINISH: St. Bartholomew Church 1306 27th Street, Columbus IN
Certified 5K course through the Donner Park area. There is ample parking on site. Support volunteers are positioned at intersections. Check in and same day registration 7:00-8:00 am, day of event.
In order to follow current COVID-related guidelines, WE ENCOURAGE ALL PARTICIPANTS TO REGISTER IN ADVANCE ONLINE or by mail.
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/629783154577397
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Themes of Catholic Social Teachings by The United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops
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Life and Dignity of The Human Person by Donna Keogh
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. In our society, human life is under direct attack from abortion and euthanasia. The value of human life is being threatened by cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death penalty. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.
"Every life is a precious gift from God." Genesis 2:7, 21-23 This gift must be respected and protected.
The precept “You shall not kill” is strongly negative: it indicates the extreme limit which can never be exceeded. However, it encourages a positive attitude of absolute respect for life; it leads to the promotion of life and a way of a love which gives, receives and serves.
This teaching rests on one basic principle: individual human beings are the foundation, the cause and the end of every social institution. That is necessarily so, for men are by nature social beings.
"Respect for all human life and opposition to the violence in our society are at the root of our long-standing position against the death penalty. We see the death penalty as perpetuating a cycle of violence and promoting a sense of vengeance in our culture. As we said in Confronting a Culture of Violence: ""We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing.""
-USCCB "Confronting a Culture of Violence: A Catholic Framework for Action, 1994
Jesus refused to stone the woman accused of adultery (John 8:1-11), reminding us to be cautious in judging others and to have hope in the possibility of reform and redemption.
Some say the persons on death rows deserve to die; certainly, many of their crimes were heinous and violent. However, the Church contends that each person, whatever sin he may have committed, has available to him or her the mercy of God to attain forgiveness until the point of natural death. It is not man's responsibility to choose whether or when a prisoner lives or dies. In the words of Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., "It's not about them; it's about us."
"Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live." (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Please pray for the souls of the two men scheduled to be executed in Terre Haute, Indiana this week.
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World Day Against the Death Penalty October 10, 2020
"I have yet to see a death case among the dozens coming to the Supreme Court on eve-of-execution stay applications in which the defendant was well represented at trial. People who are well represented at trial do not get the death penalty."
- Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, April 9, 2001
On October 10, 2020, the World Day Against the Death Penalty will be dedicated to the right to effective legal representation for individuals who may face a death sentence.
“Without access to effective legal representation during arrest, detention, trial and post-trial, due process cannot be guaranteed. In a capital case, the consequences that can arise from a lack of effective legal representation can be nothing less than the difference between life and death.”
- http://www.worldcoalition.org/
After seventeen years without executions, seven individuals have been rapidly executed at the federal prison in Terre Haute in July, August and September of 2020. Many more are awaiting the same fate. This means that the current American administration has ordered more executions in the past two months than in the 1988-2003 period that followed the restoration of the federal death penalty in 1988, after a short moratorium ruled by the Supreme Court.
In Indiana, the Indiana Abolition Coalition works to build consensus to end the death penalty through education, collaboration and activism.
What follows is an Indiana Abolition Coalition letter signed by many faith leaders in Indiana:
“We, the undersigned faith leaders, reflecting the rich diversity of faith traditions in Indiana, call upon our elected leaders to repeal the state’s death penalty. The public often seeks our guidance on tough issues, and we have concluded that the death penalty fails us. In Indiana, the law already provides a severe alternative punishment for capital murders – life in prison without the possibility of parole.
We join many in Indiana who question capital punishment due to its record as an ineffective, unfair, and fallible response to violence. The death penalty applies disproportionately to the poor and minorities and puts innocent lives at risk of execution. Since 1973, over 170 individuals sentenced to death were later exonerated of their crimes. When a human life is at stake, there is simply no room for error.
As faith leaders, we often serve as resources to victims’ families in the aftermath of murder. Given this responsibility, we have a special interest in advocating for policies that serve their needs and promote healing and well-being. There is growing evidence that the death penalty does the opposite: it prolongs victims’ pain and delays healing while appeals and reversals force families to relive their trauma.
Finally, we cannot ignore the millions of dollars it costs to prosecute a capital case. In light of the serious economic challenges facing our state and nation, the valuable resources expended on the death penalty would be better invested in programs to prevent crime and meet the needs of victims’ families.
As people of faith, we reaffirm our opposition to the death penalty and belief in the sacredness of human life. We urge you, our elected officials, to examine the reality of Indiana’s death penalty and seek ways to achieve true healing for those who suffer because of violent crime. Please support repeal of the death penalty. It is time for Indiana to move beyond this broken and harmful system.”
- IndianaAbolition.org
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The Peace and Justice Ministry subscribes to Compassion Newsletter, a bimonthly publication written by death row prisoners keeping their articles positive with a focus on reconciliation and healing. They actively try to help others. They award college scholarships to family members of murder victims.
Please check your inbox for two recent articles from Compassion.
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TOP TEN ACTIONS IN SUPPORT OF LOVE CHAPEL
DURING THE PANDEMIC CRISIS
St. Bartholomew August Second Collection raised over $13,000 for Love Chapel, thank you for your generosity!
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Prayers and daily intentions truly do help! Thank you!
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A friendly phone call to those in need, and those who are alone, can make a big difference in someone's life in isolation.
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Contribute food at the Pantry location.
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Volunteer to pack food boxes inside Love Chapel, daily shifts available.
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Volunteer to make home deliveries to the shut-ins.
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Contribute to the special collection being gathered daily at the St. Bartholomew Church Office.
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Help The Hungry – One Meal at a Time by donating to Love Chapel
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Contribute staple foods and needed cleaning supplies to The Blessings Box, a donation station located at First Christian Church Youth Center.
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Donate to The Ecumenical Assembly and Love Chapel. The need will extend for many months, and their reserves will need to be replenished. It is never too late to donate!
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And importantly, engage your friends, family, coworkers and neighbors in this all-important work to support our whole community.
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We Are The Peace & Justice Ministry |
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- Chairperson Donna Keogh
- Programming Team: Steve Audretch
- Finance Team: David Harpenau
- Communications Team: Jan Banister
- Blood Drive: Greg Scherschel, coordinator
- Next drive Fall 2020
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Voter Registration: Steve Audretch coordinator
- Next drive late Fall 2020 TBD
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Ecumenical Assembly: Theresa Baugh
- Pro-Life: Kelley Snoddy
- Giving Tree: Theresa Westerfeld, coordinator
- Meal Site: Susan Chandler,
- Sundays 4-6 PM
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- Friends of Haiti: Judy Harpenau, liaison
- Bread for the World Offering of Letters
- Next campaign 2020 TBD.
- Bread for the World, Fr. Marty Peter, Convener
- Second Tuesdays 7 PM at First Presbyterian Church
- Indiana Abolition Coalition: Donna Keogh, liaison
- St. Vincent de Paul: David and Hilary Baker, liaisons
- Women's Jail Ministry: Nancy Audretch, liaison
- Family Self Sufficiency: Jan Banister coordinator, plans for 2021 underway
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St. Bartholomew Hot Meal Site |
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There is a hot meal provided in our community through Ecumenical Assembly each evening. On Sunday evenings the meal site is Saint Bartholomew School cafeteria.
The meal site coordinator for our parish, Susan Chandler, is hopeful that more teams and individuals will consider assisting with meals. Info here:
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Sun 5pm-6pm
- SAINT BARTHOLOMEW CATHOLIC CHURCH
Mon 5pm-6pm
- FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Mon 5pm-6pm
Tues 5pm-6pm
Wed 5pm-6pm
- COLUMBUS FREE METHODIST – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Wed.
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4th Wed 6-7 PM
Thurs 4:30pm-5pm
Fri 5pm-6pm
- FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
4th Fri 6pm-7pm
Sat 4pm-5pm (excluding the 3rd Sat)
2nd Sat 11:30am-12:30pm
- OGILVILLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
3rd Sat 4pm-5pm
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