Racial injustice and every kind of discrimination is against everything Jesus Christ preaches. We all must stand up and protest inequality and brutality wherever we see it. We urge all our parishioners to pray for the victims and their families and to educate themselves about this issue. We urge you to contact your elected officials to tell them to enforce our laws against racism and all types of discrimination. Please consider making a contribution to an organization that is fighting against racism and discrimination.

For a link to the statement of U.S. Bishop Chairmen:
http://www.usccb.org/news/2020/20-83.cfm

We are forming a Care for God's Creation Group (CGC) following Pope Francis's encyclical, Laudato Si, to bring awareness to the importance of protecting our environment and reducing our carbon footprint for our grandchildren and for the benefit of the poor. We are looking for more members and we'll meet every second Thursday at 6:00pm in Room 14.

At Rise Against Hunger events, participants pack nutritious meals which will be used in schools, orphanages, vocational centers and in disaster response. These meals change lives by promoting education as well as improving students’ health and nutrition. It is a fun and educational way to raise awareness of world hunger and to lend a hand to people in critical need across the globe.  Our April event has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus.  Check back for details when we are able to reschedule.

For more details, click here!

We welcome anyone who has a passion for social justice. We meet every second Thursday in Room 14 at 7pm. Come check us out. For more information call or email Janet Zaccarelli (203-912-6033) or janz1210@gmail.com.

On behalf of the Peace & Justice Committee, thank you to everyone who attended or volunteered at the Human Trafficking awareness event on January 31. We appreciate your presence and use of eco-friendly serving products during our soup supper. In addition, we are most grateful for the donations and purchases you made at the Serrv fair trade market.
 
If you're interested in seeing more fair trade items, please use the link:
http://serrv.org/?a=HOPE
20% of your sale will go to fund a safe house in Nicaragua for victims and families of human trafficking.    

PEACE AND JUSTICE COMMITTEE
ST. THERESE CATHOLIC CHURCH

MEETINGS

Held every 2nd Thursday of the month at 7pm in Room 14 of the Administration Building

MISSION STATEMENT

 As a faith-community of St. Therese Catholic Church, we desire to foster the values of Jesus Christ and to promote the Social Teachings of the Catholic Church.

GOALS

1. to promote the integration of the social teachings of the Catholic Church into the total faith formation of the St. Therese Parish Community.
 
2. to provide a process for an interior “change of heart.”
 
3. to respect the dignity of human life in all its stages.

OBJECTIVES

1. to deepen our own understanding of the Church’s Social Teachings, especially by our own reading, study, reflection and prayer.
 
2. to provide means for others - especially our own parishioners - to learn the Church’s Social Teachings, especially by devising strategies and projects to enable people to have a personal encounter with Jesus and to have a personal encounter with people who are poor and marginalized.
 
3.  to include the “Seamless Garment” manner of respecting the dignity of human life; this includes such issues (in alphabetical order) as: abortion, arms race, capital punishment, civil rights, cultural values, discrimination, ecology, euthanasia, gun violence, health care, hunger, immigration reform, militarism, poverty, prejudice, racism and segregation, religious liberty, unemployment, urban renewal, welfare, and all isms.
 
4. to work together with, and assist, others who are working for justice and peace, especially by membership in agencies which work to promote justice and peace.
 
5. to dialogue and work together with other parishes, organizations, coalitions, and neighborhood groups to participate in collective action around common interests.
 
6. to add our voice to change structures in our society which restrict justice and peace, especially by personally contacting our legislators to ensure a more just legislation.
 
7. to use the Principles of Non-Violence in our proceedings.
 

Click below to read "Ten Building Blocks of Social Teaching" by William J. Byron in America Magazine

http://americamagazine.org/issue/100/ten-building-blocks