Social Justice Minutes

• June 16, 2007 Minutes
• September Minutes

Immigrants In America

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Social Justice Committee  

St. Cecilia's Social Justice Committee balances works of charity with initiatives to promote social justice. Charity aims to meet the direct and personal needs of individuals experiencing crises or long-term burdens. Social justice aims to change the societal structures that allow inequities to exist. Our charity and justice activities are based on the major themes of Catholic social teaching ( http://www.osjspm.org/cst/themes.htm ) :

• Dignity of the human person                                                               ( http://www.osjspm.org/cst/gs_cos1.htm )
• Common good and community                                                           ( http://www.osjspm.org/cst/mm.htm )
• Option for the poor ( http://www.osjspm.org/cst/eja.htm )
• Rights and responsibilities ( http://www.osjspm.org/cst/pt.htm )
• Role of government and subsidiarity                                                    ( http://www.osjspm.org/cst/q_subsid.htm )
• Economic justice ( http://www.osjspm.org/cst/eja.htm )
• Stewardship of God's creation                                                            ( http://www.osjspm.org/cst/q_stew.htm )
• Promotion of peace and disarmament                      (http://www.osjspm.org/cst/cp.htm )
• Participation                                                                                       ( http://www.osjspm.org/cst/q_participation.htm )
• Global solidarity and development                                                       ( http://www.osjspm.org/cst/q_solid.htm )

Our current activities include:

Loaves and Fishes  

Center for Victims of Torture  

Haiti Parish Twinning Program

Habitat for Humanity

Food Shelf Collection

Clothing Collection

Sowers of Justice

Loaves and Fishes - St. Cecilia's prepares and serves a hot meal at the Dorothy Day Center six times each year: the second Wednesday of February, April, June, August, October, and December. For further information, contact Joanne Kellen and Larry Coleman at 651-644-4502.

Center for Victims of Torture ( http://www.cvt.org ) - St. Cecilia's volunteers assist the Center in providing therapeutic and social services to persons who have suffered politically-motivated torture in countries around the world. As clients and their families make a new life in Minnesota , our parishioners serve as befrienders and tutors, provide child care, transport clients, teach life skills, and much more. For further information, contact Jean Andrews at 651-644-4502.

Haiti Parish Twinning Program - St. Cecilia's has twinned with the Cathedral Parish of Port au Prince , Haiti in an effort to build a mutual relationship with parishioners from that community. We sponsor several fundraisers each year to raise money to send to Port au Prince. For further information, contact Marge Virnig at 651-644-4502.

Habitat for Humanity ( http://www.hfhmn.org/ ) - Each year, St. Cecilia's partners with St. Frances Cabrini, Prospect Park United Methodist Church, and Habitat for Humanity to build or rehab a home for a needy family. As Habitat for Humanity's mission states, we aim to eliminate poverty housing and make safe and affordable housing a matter of conscience. Volunteers are needed to work on-site, bring food, and donate funds to support our efforts. No construction experience is needed. For further information, contact Gayle Geber at 651-644-4502.

For more information about our current Habitat Home click here.

Food Shelf Collection - St. Cecilia's sponsors a monthly food shelf collection and donates proceeds to the Merriam Park Food Shelf. Food items and cash donations are much appreciated by low-income families to help them meet their basic needs. For further information, contact Marge Virnig at 651-644-4502.

Clothing Collection - Clothing donations from St. Cecilia's parishioners are delivered to Joseph's Coat or Halle Q. Brown Center on a weekly basis. Donations of clothes in good condition can help people find employment, protect them from the cold in winter, and clothe their children. For further information, contact Marge Virnig at 651-644-4502.

Sowers of Justice - This Archdiocesan project is a membership organization for Catholics committed to changing hearts and social structures on behalf of justice. Sowers of Justice is a network that helps its members act on behalf of justice in their personal, family, work, and political lives. Sowers is faith based, skills based, and action oriented to make a difference by taking collective action that produces real and lasting change. For further information, contact Helen Haas at 651-644-4502.

Other social justice Web sites of interest:

In God's Image - Archbishop Harry J. Flynn's 2003 pastoral letter on racism.

http://www.osjspm.org/racism.htm

Center for Catholic Studies - From the University of St. Thomas , the Center promotes encounters with the broad and diverse expressions of Catholic culture.

http://www.stthomas.edu/cathstudies/INDEX.HTML

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops - The hierarchy of the Catholic church in the U.S. promoting the greater good which the church can offer.

http://www.usccb.org

Institute for Peace and Justice - A faith-based nonprofit organization advocating for peace and justice in our communities and around the world.

http://www.ipj-ppj.org

Common Bond Community - Minnesota 's largest nonprofit provider of affordable housing.

http://www.commonbond.org