Justice

Justice

“Following the example of Jesus and in accord with our founders’ sprit we recognize with clarity the miseries of people throughout the world on both the local and global level. With the Church we affirm that justice is a constitutive element of the Gospel message. Since our mission of unity rests on reconciliation, we proceed by way of mutual consultation and collaboration with the bishops to change the conditions which cause poverty and oppression.” — Sisters of Saint Joseph Constitutions, #22.

“That same spirit will make us search for ways to respond creatively as women of the Church to the developing needs of people, to see what miseries exist and how we might address them ourselves or remedy them in collaboration with others.” — Sisters of Saint Joseph Constitutions, # 26
“Grounded in our Mission: We live and work so that all people may be united with God and with one another.”— Sisters of Saint Joseph Constitutions, # 16.

“Attentive to the urgent needs of Earth and the global community, we will engage with courage and vigilance in personal and public advocacy for systemic change.” — Sisters of Saint Joseph General Chapter 2019 Direction Statement

Education

The Congregation often relies on The Justice Office to learn about issues. The SSJ Center offers opportunities for education around Catholic Social Teaching and situations/causes/issues crying out for justice. This includes the promoting of reading circles/book clubs, webinars, in-person workshops and lectures and facilitating access to many of these opportunities. We look for opportunities to collaborate with LCWR on a national and regional level, with Chestnut Hill College and other Sponsored Works, with Local Religious Congregations, Change for Global Change, Local Civic Groups, and the U.S. CSSJ Federation.

Prayer

We gather frequently in prayer at our Motherhouse to intercede for those suffering oppression and violence and to consider how and where God calls us to respond. The SSJ Center provides prayers services and promotes opportunities to participate in many gatherings for prayer.

Advocacy

This is an activity by an individual or a group that aims to influence decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions. It means engaging with those institutions to ensure that they uphold our faith values: respect for the dignity of every person, justice for those who are marginalized and/or living in poverty, and care for the natural world. Advocacy is putting our faith into action. Columban Center for Advocacy & Outreach https://prev.columbancenter.org/