Shalom News North America
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An instrument of hope, formation, and action
concerning priority matters of social justice.
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Climate Crisis
Laudato Si'
Ecological Spirituality
Biodiversity
People and Planet
Poverty
Red Dress Day
Violence Against Women
Ukraine
Seeking Asylum
Dismantling Racism
Challenge of Peace
Investing in Peace
Capital Punishment
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Dear Friend,
Our goal is not to amass information or to satisfy curiosity, but rather to become painfully aware, to dare to turn what is happening to the world into our own personal suffering and thus to discover what each of us can do about it. - Laudato Si' (#19)
There is so much pain and challenge in the world these days. But there is also much reason for hope. May the resources found in this e-newsletter support your efforts to make a difference in the SSND spirit of Shalom.
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Shalom North America Contacts
(Click here to download pdf version of newsletter.)
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Latest IPCC Report on Our Climate Crisis
The central message of the latest update on the climate crisis from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is “without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, limiting global warming to 1.5°C is beyond reach.” However, as the IPCC working group co-chair noted, “having the right policies, infrastructure, and technology in place to enable changes to our lifestyles and behavior can result in a 40-70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.” Learn more. For those in the United States, we invite you to join Catholics from across the country in reaching out to your U.S. Senators to urge them to take action now to address the climate crisis. Click here to learn more and let your voice be heard.
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Year One LSAP Commitments
Last spring, the School Sisters of Notre Dame accepted Pope Francis’ invitation to become a “Laudato Si’ Congregation,” to be among the first group of Catholic organizations embarking on seven-year journey to full sustainability. To move us forward on this journey here in North America, the School Sisters of Notre Dame Atlantic-Midwest and Central Pacific provinces have put forward Laudato Si Action Platform (LSAP) commitments for 2022-23. May we all come to embrace these commitments with passion, and may they help us build momentum for our incredibly important journey toward sustainability and an integral ecology - for the sake of all God’s creation.
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Reflecting on Ecological Spirituality
Ecological Spirituality is the Sixth Goal of the Laudato Si’ Platform for Action (LSAP) to which SSNDs are committed. Cultivating an ecological spirituality, a way of perceiving and responding to God’s self-disclosure in creation, has always been at the core of our Judeo-Christian tradition. Although some forms of pre-Vatican II Catholic spirituality emphasized “otherworldliness,” and regarded the world as a spiritually dangerous place, many influential thinkers, like the Jesuit mystic Teilhard de Chardin, saw the entire universe as incarnational, with Christ as the future fullness of the whole evolutionary process. In the Divine Milieu he wrote “there is nothing profane here below for those who have eyes to see” (DM 66). Read Joseph Tetlow’s article on Ecological Spirituality here.
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Laudato Si' Week (5/22-29)
Laudato Si’ Week is a time to celebrate the seventh anniversary of Pope Francis’ world-changing encyclical, “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home.” It is a way for all Catholics to unite and rejoice in the progress we’ve made in bringing Laudato Si’ to life and to commit ourselves to further prayer and action for our common home. With the theme of “Listening and Journeying Together,” Catholics around the world will work on “bringing the human family together to protect our common home” (LS 13). We are encouraged to unite in action and learn more about how Laudato Si’ calls us to tackle the climate crisis and to join together in prayer for ecological justice. Learn more and explore opportunities for engagement here.
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Biodiversity (5/22)
The International Day for Biodiversity is May 22. Biodiversity is one of the ways that we encounter the self-disclosure of God in our midst. The Medieval Dominican Mystic Meister Eckhart wrote “every creature is a word of God and is a book about God.” Yet, our planet is losing biodiversity through human actions at an alarming rate. Since 1970, the population of the planet’s wildlife has dropped 65%. Every minute, forests the size of football fields are demolished. Without a wide range of animals, plants, and microorganisms, Earth and her community of life cannot prevail as these animals, planets and microorganisms are responsible for the air, food and water on which we all depend. Consider these six ways to preserve biodiversity. Looking for more? Explore these 52 tips for biodiversity.
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Global Poverty on the Rise
In their recent report First Crisis, then Catastrophe, the World Bank projects that Covid-19 and worsening inequality could result in 198 million more people living in extreme poverty by years end, resulting in a total of 860 million people living in extreme poverty - on less than $1.90 a day. However, a new estimate (from Oxfam) paints an even more grim picture. Oxfam projects that rising global food prices alone will push an additional 65 million people into extreme poverty this year, totaling 263 million moving into extreme poverty in 2022 - equivalent to the populations of the UK, France, Germany, and Spain combined. Learn more. Prayer resource.
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Red Dress Day (5/5)
Red Dress Day, or Red Dress Campaign, is an annual event held in memory of the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls across Canada. Red dresses are displayed in public spaces, empty, so that they evoke the missing women who should be wearing them. They provide a visual representation of the pain and loss felt by the families of victims and their survivors. The effort was inspired by an installation by Métis artist Jaime Black in 2015. Additional activities taking place across Canada on this day include marches, memorials, vigils (ex. Kitchener, Ontario), and women wearing red dresses. Learn more.
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Moose Hide Campaign Day (5/12)
The Moose Hide Campaign is an Indigenous-led grassroots movement of men, boys and all Canadians, standing up to end violence against women and children. They work to build a safer society for all by: addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls; speaking out about domestic violence; building healthier masculinities; teaching young boys the true meaning of love and respect; and healing support. Click here to learn more and explore ways you can support reconciliation and help to end violence against all women and children through participation in Moose Hide Campaign Day on May 12. (All are welcome.)
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Uniting for Ukraine
On April 21, the Biden Administration announced the creation of “Uniting for Ukraine,” a streamlined process for displaced Ukrainians seeking to enter the United States. The program relies heavily on humanitarian parole, a mechanism in U.S. immigration law that grants individuals authorization to enter the United States for a temporary period of time. While the program provides eligibility for work authorization, it does not authorize recipients to receive the same services and benefits provided to refugees. Click here to read the USCCB response to this initiative. As part of their ongoing efforts to aid those impacted by the war in Ukraine, the USCCB has partnered with Welcome.US on its Uniting for Ukraine initiative. Click here to explore ways you can support Ukrainian resettlement in the United States.
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Asylum Seekers and Title 42
Title 42, a public health measure used to keep immigrants out of the country since the Trump administration, was scheduled to end on May 24th. On April 25, 2022, a federal court judge delayed the Biden administration decision to end the policies of Title 42. This week, the Supreme Court heard arguments about ending the Migrant Protection Protocols, better known as the “Remain In Mexico” program, which forces migrants from a third country who attempt to enter the US through Mexico to remain in Mexico while their claims for asylum are processed. Click here to read more about both of these matters.
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What can you do to support refugees and those seeking asylum in the U.S.? Catholic sisters are invited to sign-on to this letter to President Biden. All are welcome to join in the 2022 Refugee Advocate Days (May 9-13) sponsored by the Refugee Council USA. Don’t forget to urge Congress to pass an Afghan Adjustment Act to provide a path to Lawful Permanent Resident status for Afghans who need a safe place to rebuild their lives.
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Dismantling Racism
This month we take time to reflect upon George Floyd and the racist violence that brought his life to a cruel death on May 25, 2020, and how his words, “I can’t breathe,” have animated many efforts to dismantle the chokehold that racism has on people of color. We invite you to view Trevor Noah's video reflection on racism below. Click here for a discussion guide on the video.
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Our SSND North American provinces are working on dismantling racism. If you would like to learn more about our work or join us in our efforts, please reach out to Arlene Flaherty (Atlantic-Midwest Province) or Tim Dewane (Central Pacific Province).
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The Challenge of Peace
On May 3, 1983, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (as it was known then), released The Challenge of Peace: God’s Promise and Our Response, a pastoral letter on war, nuclear weapons policy, and promoting peace. Many of the 50 million Catholics in the United States at the time, according to one NY Times columnist, considered the bishops’ action to be the boldest and most decisive step on social issues in the history of the American hierarchy. It caused the White House great concern and efforts were made to modify drafts. The pastoral represents a watershed moment in the transformation of the American Catholic Church into a major voice in the American public sphere.
You’ll find carry-over from this encyclical in the publication of the 2022 pastoral letter, Living in the Light of Christ’s Peace by Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in which the Archbishop calls for serious conversation about universal, verifiable nuclear disarmament. Pax Christi USA is hosting a 3-session virtual study circle this month on Archbishop Wester’s pastoral letter. Learn more/register here.
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Investing in Peace
The horrendous war in Ukraine reminds us how important it is to recognize and seize upon opportunities to support peacebuilding efforts which can help prevent future violent conflicts. Two key funds the U.S. government has dedicated to peacebuilding are the Atrocities Prevention (AP) Fund, which supports State Department efforts to prevent mass atrocities and genocide, and the Complex Crises Fund (CCF), which is one of USAID’s most important quick-response tools to stem violence and plant seeds of peace. Learn more/urge Congress to provide funding support for these important peace building initiatives in the upcoming FY 23 appropriations. Another way you can invest in peace is through prayer. Consider this SSND Shalom International Solidarity Reflection on promoting peace, solidarity, and compassion.
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First Friday Prayer Vigils
On the first Friday of each month, Catholic Mobilizing Network holds a Virtual Prayer Vigil to lament upcoming executions and bear witness to the inviolable dignity of all human life. The vigil on Friday, May 6 (2 – 3 pm Eastern) will focus on Carman Deck (who is scheduled to be executed by the State of Missouri) and Clarence Dixon (who is scheduled to be executed by the State of Arizona), and will include prayers of gratitude for three stays of execution. Sister Eileen Reilly, SSND will be hosting this vigil and Sister Jackie Tobin, SSND will be one of the participants. These vigils typically include guided prayer, petitions, Scripture reflections, and contemplative silence. Learn more/register here.
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The SSND Shalom Network witnesses to the Gospel with audacity and hope as we collaborate to build just relationships and respond to the urgent needs of our times. |
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Shalom News North America is an e-publication of the Shalom North America Contacts (SNAC) of the School Sisters of Notre Dame - Arlene Flaherty, Barb Paleczny, Ethel Howley, Mary Carter Waren, and Tim Dewane. Your comments, suggestions, and feedback are always welcomed. Email us at tdewane@ssndcp.org.
Please only print this e-publication if necessary.
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