Dear Roundtable,

In the last Report, we first announced the theme of the 25^th Annual Social Action Summer Institute – Focus on the Worker: “New Things” in Labor 120 Years after Rerum Novarum. Now we’re only days away from the gathering when many of us will come together for learning, prayer and fellowship. As we prepare for the event, please keep all the presenters and participants in your prayers – that the event may inspire us to be more Spirit-led, effective laborers working to share God’s justice in the world.

As you’ve no doubt heard, Bishop Gabino Zavala of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and co-president of Interfaith Worker Justice will be offering the opening keynote. In anticipation of that address, we’re reprinting Bishop Zavala’s 2010 Labor Day Message, “Enduring Principles of Catholic Social Teaching.”

Some of you know I’m currently pursuing a theology degree, and, inspired by the Church’s support of workers organizing across the country this spring, I wrote an essay for a Church history class on the context and impetuses for Rerum Novarum. I’ve adapted it for the Roundtable Report so that perhaps it might also serve as some background reading for the 2011 SASI.

In addition to planning for SASI, this summer the Roundtable board met via conference call for the first of a two-part summer meeting. Thoughtful conversations and important planning for the upcoming year took place – the most exciting being determining the 2012 Award Recipients and the theme for the 2012 Symposium. Jan Benton was selected to receive the 2012 Harry A. Fagan Award, and Monsignor Marvin Mottet was selected as the 2012 Servant of Justice Award recipient.

The 2012 Symposium will feature Catholic University of America political science professor Dr. Maryann Cusimano Love. She will offer food for thought around the shared and dissonant values of the American Constitution and those of Catholic social teaching.
Save the Dates: the Symposium and Awards Dinner will take place February 11-12, 2012 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in Washington DC. More information will be coming soon.

And while you have your calendar open, save the dates for the 2012 Social Action Summer Institute, which will take place July 29-Aug 1, 2012 at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. We are pleased that JustFaith Ministries will be a major planning partner for the event.

The Roundtable board continues to work this summer for the good of the Roundtable. They will meet again in-person directly after SASI for the second part of the summer board meeting. They are also currently engaged in annual calls to all of you – if you haven’t heard from a Roundtable board member yet, expect a call soon! These calls are an opportunity to share your joys and challenges with a peer eager to listen. They are also an occasion to share suggestions on how the Roundtable can be of better service – so please share your ideas! We appreciate your feedback, and we will take it to the July board meeting planning sessions.

We do put your suggestions into action; in the past year, several Roundtable members expressed a desire to receive more content and training around respecting human life and dignity. In May, Tricia Hoyt of the Diocese of Phoenix offered a webinar training for Roundtable members providing a New Framework for Sharing Teaching on Respect for Life. It was our most popular discussion call to date – if you missed it, be sure to check out the feature article & her powerpoint slides!
And as we plan for a fall webinar, please email me your suggestions of topics and speakers.

Responding to the brokenness they see around them, Catholic young people have heart to serve and change the world – and putting this desire into action can be a prime opportunity to learn about and reflect on Catholic social teaching and unite their faith with the world’s realities. Diocesan directors and young adult ministers gathered in May in the Diocese of Camden to reflect on “Integrating Faith, Service, and Justice”; check out the top three takeaways from the conference. Seventh graders in the Archdiocese of St. Louis also recently put their faith in action by hosting a Social Justice Festival; read about the learning and planning process they participated in – and share it with staff in your own dioceses!

As always, the Roundtable Roundup offers news of social action office transitions, the good work that you are doing, and upcoming initiatives from the Roundtable’s national partners.

In order to continue all of the Roundtable’s work, we depend on your support. Many of you have opted to wait until the start of a new fiscal year to pay your 2011 membership dues. If the new fiscal year has begun, please don’t hesitate – mail in your membership form and dues payment today!

I hope this summer is a rejuvenating time for you – that you are able to create space to hear the Spirit’s call as you plan for upcoming activities for the fall and beyond.

Grace & Peace,

Jenn Svetlik
Roundtable Coordinator

The Roundtable Association of Catholic Diocesan Social Action Directors recently announced Janice Benton as the 2012 Harry A. Fagan Roundtable Award recipient. She will receive the award for her exemplary contributions to the achievement of the Catholic social justice vision through her leadership as Executive Director of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD). The Roundtable presents the award each year to a person or persons whose work, in the tradition of Catholic social teaching, has led to significant progress towards greater social justice and dignity for all members of society at the national or international level.

Janice Benton assumed the position of NCPD Executive Director in May 2004 after twenty-five years of experience in the field of ministry and advocacy with persons with disabilities. She assisted in setting up NCPD in 1982, after serving two years on the precursor U.S. Bishops Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities, and continued on as staff, working in a variety of capacities. She is a frequent speaker at national and diocesan conferences, as well as a guest on various national radio programs. Janice is a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order and recently celebrated her silver anniversary as a Secular Franciscan.

Jan was instrumental in the development of the Opening Doors to People with Disabilities manual, an extensive two-volume 1,500 page resource with guidance for promoting inclusion of people with disabilities at the parish and diocesan level. Through Jan’s leadership, NCPD is now reaching out to people through the NCPD Council on Mental Illness. She was active in the advocacy for the Americans with Disabilities Act and has addressed many concerns related to public policy issues involving people with disabilities. Leaders in Catholic social ministry know Jan for leading the liturgy committee and providing accommodations for people with disabilities at the annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington, D.C. so that they may have a voice on Capitol Hill.

Jan’s work for over 30 years in advocacy with persons with disabilities has opened doors and created welcoming communities of justice. The letter nominating her for the award stated that she is “truly is a gift to the Catholic Church for her work in the areas of human life and dignity” and that she offers a “powerful witness to the teachings of charity and justice with great enthusiasm, passion, and perseverance.” We wholeheartedly agree!

The National Catholic Partnership on Disability was created in 1982 to implement in parishes and dioceses throughout the United States the 1978 Pastoral Statement of U.S. Catholic Bishops on Persons with Disabilities. It represents the over 14 million Catholics with disabilities in the United States. Rooted in Gospel values that affirm the dignity of every person, the NCPD works collaboratively to ensure meaningful participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of the life of the Church and society. The site contains a multitude of resources around accessibility, catechesis, ministry, advocacy and awareness, and more. The organization will celebrate its 30^th Anniversary in 2012.

The Roundtable Award is named for the late Harry A. Fagan, who served as the director of Catholic Community Action in the diocese of Cleveland and later worked for the National Pastoral Life Center as staff for the Roundtable Association. Fagan also chaired the Social Concerns Department of the Ohio Catholic Conference and served on the board of the Catholic Committee on Urban Ministry. The award has been given annually since 1987.

Jan will receive the Harry A. Fagan Award during the Roundtable’s Annual Symposium on February 11, 2012 at the beginning of the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington D.C.

Download the 2012 Fagan Award Press Release.

“Social Justice Rockstar” of Diocese of Davenport Honored for Contributions

The Roundtable Association of Catholic Diocesan Social Action Directors has announced Monsignor Marvin Mottet, of the Diocese of Davenport, as the 2012 recipient of the Roundtable Servant of Justice Award for his exemplary contributions to the achievement of the Catholic vision of social justice. The Servant of Justice Award is given by the Roundtable to a member or former member whose work, through the tradition of Catholic social teaching, has led to significant progress towards greater social justice and dignity for all members of society.

For more than fifty years, Msgr. Mottet has been a leader with a profound commitment to social justice and an inspiration to many Roundtable members and others furthering the Church’s social mission.

Msgr. Mottet was ordained to the priesthood in 1956 and a year later helped form the Catholic Interracial Council to address widespread racial discrimination and segregation in Davenport, Iowa. Out of this organization came the Pacem in Terris Award that has honored 40 recipients, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Day, and eventually Msgr. Mottet himself.

After receiving an MSW degree and directing Catholic Charities of Davenport, Msgr. Mottet developed the “Two Feet of Social Action” approach, and Catholic Charities merged with Family Resources to become one of the first diocesan social action offices in the country. His “Two Feet” illustration remains relevant to this day as others seek linkages to current papal teaching.

In 1970, Msgr. Mottet helped establish the Eastside Center and additional neighbor centers that have become United Neighbors, an organization still serving low-income families and children. He was instrumental in the formation of Legal Aid, which is still a strong entity on behalf of poor people and recently celebrated its 40^th anniversary. In 1972, he was key in founding Project Renewal, which still operates in the same location organizing low income persons. His work became known through the Catholic Committee on Urban Ministry (CCUM), and he was a major actor in that network.

In 1978, Msgr. Mottet was appointed the Executive Director of the Campaign for Human Development, a post he held until 1985. Afterward, he returned to his home diocese of Davenport and was a founding leader of Quad Cities Interfaith congregation‐based organization to address the causes of poverty locally. At age 81, Msgr. Mottet continues to put into practice the Gospel’s preferential option for the poor as an advocate and an example.

Msgr. Mottet will receive the Roundtable Servant of Justice Award during the Roundtable’s Award banquet on February 11, 2012 and will address participants at February 12, 2012 luncheon before the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington D.C.

Download the 2012 Servant of Justice press release.

In late May, Tricia Hoyt of the Diocese of Phoenix offered a webinar for Roundtable members and partners on approaching the teaching of Respect for Life so that it can expand the vision of those who consider themselves pro-life but who struggle nevertheless with Catholic Social Teaching.

More than 30 social action directors enthusiastically joined the webinar. Tricia shared the format for presentations she has been offering for the past few months in her own diocese on respecting all life.

Tricia begins her presentations with discussion questions that break into the participants’ personal experience, asking them to share a time in which their human dignity was respected unconditionally, based not on achievements or talents but valued “simply for breathing air, for having life.” She then asks participants to recall a time in which their dignity was not respected – a time they have been judged and categorized, discriminated against, or dehumanized. Beginning with our shared human experience of unconditional dignity frames the conversation on Respect for Life in a way that expands beyond innocent life to include all human life.

When the dignity of life is recognized, Tricia offered, life is respected “for no good reason,” and a person is valued beyond his or her mistakes – a counter-cultural idea!

The challenge of caring for human life from conception until natural death manifests itself in numerous realms; spiritual, political and social. The spiritual challenges include understanding and interpreting scripture and Church tradition.

The biblical texts provide us with a rich vision of how to live and respect all of life. Tricia enlightened participants to a deeper understanding of the frequent call in the Hebrew Bible to care for the widow. In Israelite society, ‘widow’ was a term reserved for women who had lost not only husband, but also brother, son and any other male relative who could represent them publically. Widows had no one to be the voice for their voicelessness.

Tricia also recalled Micah 6, reminding participants that the verses that precede the oft-quoted verse 6:8 is a discussion on what constitutes proper worship of God. Micah 6:8 provides the answer – the way to worship and honor God is to care for all of humanity.

An additional example that Tricia shared to highlight the way in which the biblical texts can form us in this world is by examining the Semitic concept of personhood. People of the biblical world thought about skin as something that wrapped around all people, flowing from one to another. Personhood did not consist of divided individuals but rather a one-skinned-ness, each possessing mutual responsibility to the other.

The webinar highlighted some of the many texts from Catholic tradition which teach the expansiveness of the call to promote life in a multiplicity of ways. Tricia reminded us of the Compendium’s teaching that “the right to life includes religious and political freedom and the ability to exercise these rights for the common good” (164). The right to life includes the opportunity for all to work for the benefit of the community. She suggested that participants tie these teachings back to the preliminary discussion questions around personal experience with human dignity.

To face the spiritual challenges of understanding Respect for Life, we must enlarge our hearts. Citing Jack Jezreel, Tricia recommended that we daily embrace in our hearts a person or group we didn’t embrace yesterday so that our hearts are enlarged. We must pray to recognize the unconditional personhood of those we judge, those who are divisive and destructive, and those who do not treat us with dignity to be living witnesses to a full Respect for Life.

To face social and nationalist challenges that hinder an understanding of Respect for Life, we should explore a biblical conception of freedom and justice. Nationalist rhetoric in the U.S. commonly employs these terms, but with very different connotations. For those in the biblical world, justice meant realizing the common good, and freedom was a bonded freedom. As Christians we too are called to this freedom, bonded to all of humanity, where we are free to build relationships and create community, working together for the common good.

To address the social challenges social action directors face in teaching about respecting life, Tricia uses teachings from Deus Caritas Est and talks about forming conscience. She closes her presentations with a discussion on how to apply a Catholic ethic to many facets of human life – birth, the economy, health, family, education, migration and poverty (One participant reminded us that the environment should be added to that list). Tricia emphasized that applying a Catholic ethic in these situations isn’t always easy. We must be ready to accompany the people of our parishes and dioceses as they grapple with these situations.

Participants vocalized unanimously that this framing was hugely helpful and that they would use the examples that Tricia shared in their own work, particularly the light she shed on biblical texts. Starting with people’s own experience as a foundation for the theology of Respect for Life was also widely appreciated. One participant suggested showing images of many different kinds of people, along with a mirror, as an alternative basis for discussion around the concept of recognizing the dignity of all of humanity.

There is much work to be done in enlarging hearts and promoting a respect for all life. Let’s keep the conversation going – how are you sharing Catholic teaching on respect for life in your parish or diocese? What challenges do you face and what recommendations can you share?

To see the presentation Tricia gave during the webinar, visit the Virtual Roundtable online.

Bishop Gabino Zavala, of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and President of Interfaith Worker Justice, will open the Social Action Summer Institute with reflections on the dignity of work and theological foundations for supporting workers rights.

On Labor Day 2010, he offered the following reflection, Enduring Principles of Catholic Social Teaching.
Reprinted with permission.

Catholic Social Teaching, stretching from Rerum Novarum (1891) to Caritas in Veritate (2009), has given us enduring principles to deal with “new things” as they arise in the economies of our time. Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the conditions of workers in a world that was in the midst of rapid technological change. This new economic structure had little or no regulations that produced not just gaping inequality between the industrialists and workers, but really two very different human realities. The teeming industrial towns had poor sanitation and housing; inhumane working conditions for men, women, and children; and, a political system unable or unwilling to address the new social environment wrought by economic change.

The class struggle in Europe and the United States pitted the opulence of rich against those struggling for survival. Pope Leo XIII, in his search for peace, condemned the violence of ‘class struggle’ and sought resolution in gospel values. The letter from the pope “On the Condition of Workers” had a huge impact in the Church and on the people of the United States that were fraught with concern over the rights of workers, wages, unions, and larger social conditions.

The lasting points made in Leo XIII’s encyclical and found throughout the church’s social doctrine begin with a correct view of the human person. Human persons are willed by God; they are imprinted with God’s image. Their dignity does not come from the work they do, but because they are as human.

The Holy Father wrote about the dignity of work and the rights and dignity of workers. Work is the way we procure the necessities of life for ourselves and our families; it is the way we realize ourselves through self expression; and finally, through work we contribute to the common good.

Pope Leo XIII stressed:
1. the centrality of the human person
2. the errors of socialism and laissez-faire capitalism
3. the right to form trade unions and other associations
4. the right to limited working hours and to rest
5. the right to a just wage

Caritas in Veritate, an encyclical written in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI, expresses similar concerns about our economic and social life in an increasingly globalized society. Facing the current economic crisis squarely, with so many people around the world lacking decent work and struggling for the necessities of life, the Holy Father offers a moral framework for economic life, a call to solidarity, and the challenge of working together to build an economy that is founded on gospel values. Pope Benedict clearly places the human person at the center of economic life as he reflects on creation, respect for life, rights of workers, and the role of civil society.

Benedict notes: “The repeated calls issued within the Church’s social doctrine, beginning with Rerum Novarum, for the promotion of workers’ associations that can defend their rights must therefore be honored today even more than in the past, as a prompt and far-sighted response to the urgent need for new forms of cooperation at the international level, as well as the local level.”(#25)

Instead of relegating labor unions to a by-gone era, he says it is “important…that labor unions – which have always been encouraged and supported by the Church – should be open to the new perspectives that are emerging in the world of work.”…“The global context in which work takes place also demands that national labor unions, which tend to limit themselves to defending the interests of their registered members, should turn their attention to those outside their membership, and in particular to workers in developing countries where social rights are often violated.” (#64)

On a related matter, Benedict says, “the dignity of the individual and the demands of justice require, particularly today, that economic choices do not cause disparities in wealth to increase in an excessive and morally unacceptable manner, and that we continue to prioritize the goal of access to steady employment for everyone.”(#32)

Benedict then responds to the question: What is meant by the word “decency” in regard to work? He goes on to say “It means work that expresses the essential dignity of every man and woman in the context of their particular society: work that is freely chosen, effectively associating workers, both men and women, with the development of their community; work that enables the worker to be respected and free from any form of discrimination; work that makes it possible for families to meet their needs and provide schooling for their children, without the children themselves being forced into labor; work that permits the workers to organize themselves freely, and to make their voices heard; work that leaves enough room for rediscovering one’s roots at a personal, familial and spiritual level; work that guarantees those who have retired a decent standard of living.” (#63)

The Catholic tradition, our social doctrine, asks us to look at social and economic issues from the perennial viewpoint of the value of human work that finds its intrinsic meaning in the dignity of the worker. Making the principles of Catholic Social Teaching applicable to everyday life is never easy. We need to develop ways to assess not just our own individual actions but wider trends in society both in public policy and economic activity. As Pope Benedict XVI writes: “The current crisis obliges us to re-plan our journey, to set ourselves new rules and to discover new forms of commitment, to build on positive experiences and to reject negative ones. The crisis thus becomes an opportunity for discernment, in which to shape a new vision for the future.” (#21)

Widely considered the first great social encyclical, Rerum Novarum was issued by Pope Leo XIII on May 15, 1891. It marked the first formal endorsement by the magisterium of the budding Catholic social movement and laid the foundation for the magisterium’s teaching on social issues.

Allie Suwanrumpha, “Factory Worker” February 6, 2008 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution.

Rerum Novarum responded to the emergent ideas of the day promoting the common good while warning against the negative elements in the two prevailing schools of thought on how to structure the economy – socialism and capitalism. Against socialism, it asserted that private property was a right and principle of natural law. Against laissez faire capitalism, Rerum Novarum declared that the state has a role in protecting private property, regulating the conditions of work, seeing that employees receive a just wage, and producing laws to encourage a wide distribution of property. It also stated that it is the Church’s task to remind the world of the inequalities and sufferings that exist and to alleviate poverty through works of charity and the promotion of justice. The document also encouraged and supported organizations that promoted social and worker solidarity, such as trade unions and Catholic social action organizations.

Even before the encyclical was issued, the Church was engaged in work responding to the inequalities and violations of rights that had developed as a result of the Industrial Revolution. In Germany in 1864, Bishop Wilhelm von Ketteler had published The Worker-Question and Christianity. Alongside these teachings, Christian workers’ clubs and union movements were developing across Europe – of which Cardinal Gaspard Mermillod of France was a part. He was called to Rome to consult on economic issues and later helped found the Fribourg Union, committed both to papal loyalty and addressing social issues. The Union’s statements on work as a laborer’s personal act (not just a commodity), just wage, and collective bargaining were reflected in Rerum Novarum.

Tom Szustek, “Restaurant workers protest” March 16, 2011 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution.

While organizing for and promoting workers’ rights were taking place in Europe, there was also a great deal of hostility toward the Church by the European working class (including the assassination of archbishops). In the U.S., however, the immigrant working class was backbone of the U.S. Church. To a great degree, the impetus for Rerum Novarum was American, seeking to identify with and protect the rights of Catholic immigrant workers.

Understanding the connection between Catholic immigrants to the U.S. in the late 19^th century and the importance of promoting the dignity of work and protecting workers’ rights is important work for us as the Church today, too. Latino Catholic immigrants, which make up 1/3 of the U.S. Church, are often victims to violations of workers’ rights.

At the recent conference on Rerum Novarum at Catholic University, Fr. Clete Kiley shared testimonies of hotel staff whose workload of rooms to clean had nearly doubled in recent years, and workers felt compelled to work at an exhausting pace and through lunch to complete the work. “We want to be proud of our work,” they insisted. These are Catholic women with families, seeking to do their jobs well, and being robbed of wages when forced to work through lunch. They have been discouraged and even prevented from forming unions to provide a channel through which their voices can be heard more clearly against the injustices they face. They call out to their brothers and sisters throughout the Church, to help them to secure just and dignified work — a concrete recognition of their own human dignity and their ability to be co-creators with God in their work.

BP America, “Workers remove damaged boom from the waters” July 4, 2010 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution.

Rerum Novarum was clear in recognizing the right to strike as a tool for workers to demand their rights, as well as the role of unions in negotiating workers’ rights. Later encyclicals and documents by the U.S. Bishops continue to make these rights explicit. In the Bishops’ letter Economic Justice for All for all, they write, “No one may deny the right to organize without attacking human dignity itself. Therefore, we firmly oppose organized efforts… to break existing unions and prevent workers from organizing” (104).

And in Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI writes, “Through the combination of social and economic change, trade union organizations experience greater difficulty in carrying out their task of representing the interests of workers, partly because Governments, for reasons of economic utility, often limit the freedom or the negotiating capacity of labor unions. Hence traditional networks of solidarity have more and more obstacles to overcome. The repeated calls issued within the Church’s social doctrine, beginning with Rerum Novarum, for the promotion of workers’ union that can defend their rights must therefore be honored today even more than in the past” (25).

Lawrence Lew, O.P., “The Holy Family engaged in Work” March 26, 2007 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution.

Examining the content of and the context in which Rerum Novarum was offered to the Church by the magisterium, can help guide our understanding of the history of Church teaching and our social analysis in the present age. Many of the problems that plagued the world when Rerum Novarum was written still challenge humanity today: economic decline, concentration of wealth in the hands of few, powerful employers neglecting the dignity of their workers and using their work solely as a commodity to further profits at any cost. The teaching of the Church and the examples of everyday Catholics living out their faith through practicing worker justice is a living witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

At the 2011 Social Action Summer Institute later this month, over 100 Catholics from across the country will come together to learn and discuss Supporting Workers Today, and will examine the history of Catholic thought on work, explore current case studies in promoting workers’ rights, and strategize for the future of the Church’s work locally in promoting human dignity and the dignity of work.

You can still join us - register today!

Text adapted from Rerum Novarum: Context, Foundations and Impetuses by Jennifer Svetlik and notes from the conference on the 120^th Anniversary of Rerum Novarum: Church, Labor and the New Things of the Modern World at the Catholic University of America in May 2011.

By: Genevieve Jordan, Romero Center, Diocese of Camden

If we start with service, incorporate meaningful reflection on experience, and accommodate their state in life, we’ve begun well on the journey of integrating faith, service and justice in ministry with young adults.

About 30 people in ministry to young adults gathered from May 22-26, 2011, at Romero Center Ministries in Camden, NJ, for, “Integrating Faith, Service and Justice: Catholic Young Adult Ministry for the 21^st Century,” the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association’s Mid-Atlantic regional gathering.

Conference participants represented a variety of ministerial fields: campus ministry, parish ministry, diocesan directors, Catholic volunteer programs and Catholic non-profits that engage young adults in service and reflection. They gathered for professional development and renewal through prayer and reflection, service immersion, workshop presentations and facilitated discussions.

There was so much insight gleaned from the week, but below are just three practical takeaways that can help us to integrate faith, service and justice in Catholic young adult ministry.

1. Start with Service

A few months ago, I said to Patricia Slater, former Director of Romero Center Ministries and the Pastoral Associate for Peace and Justice Ministry at Christ Our Light Catholic Community in Cherry Hill, NJ, that service experience is the backdoor for engaging young adults.

“Gen,” she corrected me, “it’s the front door.”

Melissa Cidade, Director of Pastoral Assistance Surveys and Services Service for CARA (Center for Applied Research and the Apostolate) shared data with conference participants that suggests Slater is right. Cidade’s data showed that 90% of millennial Catholics (born between 1982 and 1990, age 18 to 26 in 2008, and make up 15% of adult Catholics according to CARA data) said that as Catholics, helping the poor is very important to them.

Anyone in ministry with young adults knows that many either disagree with the Church on some issues, or place so much value on certain issues that they neglect others. It is staggering that an overwhelming percentage of millennial Catholics agree that helping the poor is very important to being Catholic. (It’s also staggering that as ministers, we continue to miss this, though it’s one of the most definitive statistics we have about young adults and the Church!) This Fall 2010 article from St. Anthony’s Messenger also suggests that service is a Catholic value, second nature to millennials. In my own ministry, I hear repeatedly that Church teaching and values are irrelevant to the world and daily life; service is an exception.

While most Catholic young adults believe that helping the poor is important, significantly fewer connect service to justice and even fewer can articulate a theology about why helping the poor is essential to our faith. Cidade’s data showed that 55% of millennial Catholics think Church involvement in social justice activities is somewhat important and 31% of millennial Catholics think it is very important. Only 10% said they were very familiar with Catholic Social Teaching.

The implication of this data for ministry is that service experience makes sense and is important to most millennial Catholics: so we should start there. Nothing can replace service in providing encounters with others that lead to personal reflection and transformation. Service experience ignites an interest in justice issues and the theology connected with a need for service.

2. Don’t Throw Out the Reflection

Reflection is an essential part of integrating faith, service and justice. Conference participants spent a few sessions reflecting on their own service experience through various models of theological reflection.

David Golembowski, board member of JustFaith Ministries and Associate Lobbyist for NETWORK, guided participants in theological reflection after the service they had done that day at sites in and near the city of Camden. He used resources from JustFaith’s program for college aged young adults, JusticeWalking. JusticeWalking’s model for reflection is great for young adults: it includes ritual, music, Scripture, and questions that relate directly to service experience and life.

After their second day of service, Patricia Slater led conference participants in reflection using the pastoral circle. The pastoral circle method of reflection leads with social analysis of the service experience. This model may be helpful when working with young adults who do not know each other or feel uncomfortable diving right into faith sharing, since social analysis allows folks to collectively troubleshoot an external issue. The conversation can’t stop there, however, and we shouldn’t be afraid to encourage young adults to move from social analysis into deeper conversations about where God is working and how they’re called to serve.

Conference participants and presenters alike voiced that unprocessed service experience may only encourage stereotypes or expectations of a particular community. It’s also a missed opportunity to connect the service experience with the life and call of the individual. Reflection should ideally take place directly after service experience, even if it’s only for a short period of time and sends folks with questions for the road. Though post-service reflection often feels uncomfortable or inconvenient, it is grounds for transformation. Don’t throw it out!

3. Accommodate Busy-ness and State in Life

If we want people to take part in our activities, we need to provide activities that accommodate their schedules. In my own listening through the conference week, I heard that young adults are incredibly busy.

A panel of five post-college young adults spoke to conference participants about how service and justice can bridge campus and parish life. Many of them were involved in service in college or completed a year of post-graduate service.

They represented a slice of the young adult population stretched thin with commitments but that still hopes to be involved with other young adults in faith-based opportunities. All of the panelists voiced interest in service experience, but didn’t want to commit to something too frequent or ongoing. One panelist said she appreciated when parishes offered young adult events every few weeks, as long as she could drop in without feeling pressure to show up every time.

Slater reminded us that service experience attracts young adults who are single or married without children. If we advertise an event for “young adults, single and married,” then we need to provide babysitting. Slater suggested that respecting the state in life of young adults with families might mean creating a session for families that simulates the kind of reflections one might have after a few hours of service, such as a hunger banquet or a short, relevant video.

We heard over and over again from conference participants that the young adults they minister with are overextended. We need to show young adults that we respect their commitments and busy-ness by providing opportunities that are one-time events and accommodate their state in life.

Genevieve Jordan is currently the Director of Young Adult Ministry at Romero Center Ministries and  transitioning to Executive Director this summer. She holds a Master’s degree in Theology through the University of Notre Dame’s Echo Faith Formation Leadership Program. She is a regional representative for the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association for the Mid-Atlantic region.

The 7th grade students from Our Lady Queen of Peace parish in the Archdiocese of St. Louis spent the year studying social justice issues. They wished to share what they had learned about victims of injustice and motivate the community to get involved, so they hosted a Social Justice Week at the parish school and a Social Justice Festival after each mass one weekend in late May.

Greg Rohde, Director of Parish Social Ministries for St. Louis Catholic Charities, discusses the Social Justice Festival with a student.

During their studies, the students learned the principles of CST and considered what it means to affirm that all are sisters and brothers of Jesus Christ. They examined the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and discussed what it means to be part of the family of humanity, and how denying human rights is a crime against humanity and a sin against God’s people – something to which they must respond. They identified the differences between charity and justice, and brainstormed ways they can make a difference in the world by practicing both. Through the experience, they developed a commitment to be moved by the sufferings of others, to live as brothers and sisters of Christ and members of one world family, and invite their school and parish community to join them.

The students engaged in WebQuest studies on social justice issues, designed by the pastor Fr. Beighlie, and worked through case studies on the issues which they presented and discussed. They created action plan proposals to tackle specific injustices, not just alleviate their symptoms. The action plan which they decided to undertake was to host a Social Justice Week at the parish school which included a Mass, collection for the local food pantry, day on recycling with a petition eliminating the use of Styrofoam (signed by nearly all students in the school), and demonstrations and simulations on the topics of education and criminal justice.

The culmination of Social Justice Week was the carnival at the parish which featured a number of learning games. Each booth featured a specific issue and all proceeds were contributed to agencies supporting these causes. The games included a Cake Walk for Women’s Rights, a Ring In Human Trafficking Toss, Shooting Hoops to Sink Illiteracy, Ambulance Race for Health Care, Fish Trash from the Duckpond and many more. Students provided factsheets they had created based on their research on the issues and on Catholic social teaching broadly. That night, they ate simple meals from the food pantry and constructed cardboard houses to sleep in at night to simulate a homeless camp.

The Social Justice Festival builds on last year’s activities, in which the 7^th grade students undertook a “Box City Project” in which they researched issues around poverty, hunger and homelessness, then hosted a 24-hour immersion experience for their fellow students and the parish, spending the night in boxes and eating simple donated foods while raising money for local charities. You can read their research and their process, via a narrative accompanied by photos, on the parish website.

Learn more about the Social Justice Week and carnival.

Over 200 attend 2^nd Annual Social Justice Conference in Archdiocese of Hartford

Over 200 people attended the Office for Catholic Social Justice Ministry of the Archdiocese of Hartford’s second annual Social Justice Conference. The keynote speaker for the June 11 event was Dr. Stephen Colecchi, Director of the Office of International Justice and Peace of the USCCB, who outlined how Catholic social teaching calls us to Build One Human Family.

Simultaneous translation into Spanish of the keynote, bilingual prayer and music, and a selection of workshops in Spanish was offered to accommodate the Archdiocese’s growing Hispanic presence.

Participants chose from among 20 workshops on subjects ranging from social media in the parish, to global solidarity, the environment, and immigration, and browsed through exhibits of social justice organizations such as the CT Network to Abolish the Death Penalty and Not for Sale, the CT chapter of the national human trafficking awareness organization.

View content from the conference.

- Lynn Campbell, Lcampbell@catholicsocialjustice.org

**The Archdiocese of Hartford is still accepting applications for an Executive Director, the position is posted on the Roundtable Website Jobs Page**

Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph to Host Ecumenical “Journey to Justice Day”

As part of a larger ecumenical community group working to raise awareness about poverty in our midst, the St. Joseph-area Catholic parishes and Human Rights Office of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph are putting together a “Journey to Justice Day.” The goal? Each person will get to experience someone else’s story firsthand – a poor Hispanic family, an ex-offender, an inner-city grade-schooler, a recovering drug addict, a homeless man, or perhaps an ex-battered woman – and return to the larger group to share what they saw and heard. This day of immersion will assist participants in recognizing the struggles and activities of those who are poor, break down stereotypes about poverty, open their hearts to the process of conversion, and offer new ways to act compassionately and justly with those who are low-income. Save the Date for Sept. 10, 2011

Highlights from the Diocese of San Jose:

In August 2010, the Diocese hosted the Social Action Summer Institute (SASI)—by all accounts, a great success! In September of that year, the Diocese collaborated with the Interfaith Council for Economic Justice to advance Labor in the Pulpit. This June, the Diocese observed Torture Awareness month, providing sustained theological reflection on torture as a moral issue. Additionally, seven adults from the Diocese of San Jose and two members of the Shinnyo-en Buddhist Order participated in the First Annual Catholic-Buddhist Interfaith trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica. This August, the Catholic Green Initiative team will begin a year-long series on environmental justice for the diocesan newspaper, the Valley Catholic. The articles will consist of scientific analysis and theological reflection on the issues of water, energy, air, consumption patterns, and food choices. We continue to update our website to emphasize the integral link among all the life issues.

TRANSITIONS IN SOCIAL ACTION OFFICES:

From the Archdiocese of Chicago:

Scott McLarty begins his tenure in the Archdiocese of Chicago as Director of the Office for Peace and Justice on July 1^st. Scott comes from Saint Ignatius College Prep., where he taught theology for 8 years. Jesuit educated, Scott has his Master of Arts in theology from Loyola University Chicago. He is also an adjunct professor at DePaul University in the Department of Catholic Studies. Scott and his wife and daughter are parishioners at St. Clement Church in Lincoln Park. There, he teaches the adult confirmation classes and helps out with RCIA and Theology on Tap.

From the Diocese of Phoenix:

Debbie DiCarlo is happy to introduce herself as the new Director of Parish and Community Engagement for Catholic Charities Community Services in the Diocese of Phoenix. She says, “I am stepping into the mammoth shoes of Tricia Hoyt in this position and am relieved to know that not only will Tricia continue to mentor me but that there is an organization like the Roundtable to assist in mentoring as well.  In my new position, I will assist parishes to engage in the mission and vision of Catholic Charities in “helping our community’s most vulnerable with solutions that permanently improve lives” by utilizing a comprehensive and developed approach to Parish Social Ministry. I bring to this position 15 years of parish work as Director of Parish Social Ministry which is complimented by an active role on the CCUSA PSM Board. I look forward to learning any tricks of the trade available and to connecting with new and old friends alike.

From Myles McCabe:
My long association with the Roundtable from the beginning is ending. It has been a great 30 years but as of April 29, I am no longer working with the Marianists as the Director of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation. You can each me at myles2491@gmail.com or at 314-775-5561. For official business with the Marianists contact Fr. Paul Marshall at pmarshall@sm-usa.org or 314.553.1207×208.

Still in the Storm: Retreat Opportunities for JustFaith Ministries’ Graduates and Friends

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” – Mark 6:31

Taking our heart out to the world.                Are you hungry for renewal?
JustFaith Ministries challenges us to be disciples by taking our hearts out to the world of problems and possibilities. The work of the Gospel draws us out into busy, broken places. Unless we are deeply rooted, we run the risk of burnout. Inevitably all of us encounter the two occupational hazards of Gospel work: cynicism and self-righteousness.

Letting the world into our hearts.       How are you “re-sourced” and restored?
The Engaging Spirituality process is designed to draw people into prayerful intimacy, to open a space that allows us to take the world to heart. By implementing spiritual practices we sink our roots deeply, grounding our lives in the contemplative wisdom of our tradition. Breathing in, we allow ourselves to be inspired and refreshed by God’s Holy Spirit working in and through us.

An Invitation to Restoration- a day-long or overnight retreat
JustFaith Ministries is inviting you to take a long, deep restoring breath, by offering retreat opportunities to graduate groups, religious communities, diocesan staff or church leadership. The developer of Engaging Spirituality, Joe Grant, will be available for a limited number of engagements around the country in the summer and fall.

This retreat is offered in one-day (6-hour) or overnight (9-hour) formats. If this opportunity resonates, review the following questions.

• Can you guarantee a minimum of 25 participants?
• Can you secure a suitable location (church, diocesan or retreat center)?
• Can your host group cover travel expenses and an honorarium for the retreat leader?

If you would like to know more contact Tina Bruner – tina@justfaith.org 502-429-0865.

JPHD 2011-2012 School Year Multi-Media Arts Contest Materials – Available Now

Help spread the word to parishes and schools in your diocese about the Multi-Media Youth Arts Contest, sponsored by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Materials for the ‘11-‘12 school year are available now on the CCHD website. Letting schools and parishes know about these materials now can allow them to integrate the contest into their curriculum during the year.

The theme for the ’11-’12 contest is Put Faith in Action! Uproot Poverty Together. The contest guides students to learn about poverty, its causes, Catholic social teaching, and the Church’s response. Collaborate with your diocesan Catholic schools, youth ministry, and religious education colleagues to promote the contest together. Access the contest packets for young artists, educators, and diocesan contacts here!

JPHD: Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award – nominate a young adult now!

The Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award is given annually to a Catholic young adult between the ages of 18-30 engaged in efforts to end the root causes of poverty in the United States. The award is an excellent opportunity to recognize a deserving young Catholic from your diocese. The annual winner is recognized at the bishops’ meeting each November, providing an important opportunity for the bishops to celebrate the contributions of young people and the work of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). Watch a video of the 2010 winner.

We need your help identifying deserving young adults!  Please help by:

1) Nominating young persons from your diocese, and

2) Getting the word out about the award to other potential nominators, including parishes, college campuses, faith-based CCHD-funded groups, your diocesan newspaper, electronic newsletters, and your diocesan young adult ministry office. View the brochure and nomination form now. Nominations are due July 31.

In early June, the Roundtable Board met via conference call to plan for the next year’s events and beyond. This was the first of a two-part meeting; the second part will take place in person in New Orleans at the completion of the Social Action Summer Institute.

During the meeting, the Roundtable Board selected Jan Benton as the 2012 Harry A. Fagan award recipient. Jan will be recognized for her leadership of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability and tireless work to promote a just, welcoming community. Additionally, the board selected Monsignor Marvin Mottet of the Diocese of Davenport as the Roundtable’s Servant of Justice award winner. Msgr. Mottet, affectionately titled a “social justice rock star,” was nominated because of his fifty-year history promoting justice in Davenport and beyond; through his development of the “two feet of Christian service” model and numerous other accomplishments.

Looking towards February, the Board also selected a theme for the 2012 Symposium, examining the of Constitution and American values in light of Catholic social teaching. This symposium will explore the similarities and dissonances of these values systems and highlight the visions of the “general welfare” and the “common good.” Participants will take back resources to their communities to be used as tools for dialogue and framing faithful citizenship in order to bring Gospel values to the forefront of political life in a polarized society. The Symposium will be opened on Saturday, February 11, 2012 by Dr. Maryann Cusimano Love.

In July, the board will meet with members of the USCCB Justice, Peace, and Human Development staff, evaluate the Social Action Summer Institute, discuss the state of diocesan social action and how the Roundtable can strengthen diocesan offices, and evaluate the organization in light of the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management’s Standards for Excellence.