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June 2019

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Advancing Catholic social teaching by educating and preparing parishes 

to work for social justice

CALENDAR

June

June 18th 10:00 am

AND 6:00 pm

Parish Social Justice

Leadership Workshop

Pastoral Center, Bloomfield

Call to 860-242-5573 to

Register

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"Your support helps

From the Director

Dear Friends,

"Ferenji", "Ferenji", or "you, you,

you", were words of greeting from

the children whenever they saw the

CRS SUV. (Ferenji is derived from

"Frenchy", a nod to the first white

people the Ethiopians recall

seeing.) Not all children had the

freedom to drop what they were

doing and run to our vehicle. Some

were busy carrying water jugs or

leading a pack of goats. Others were caring for their

younger siblings. But one young boy we meet gave us

hope.

We had just visited an irrigation project, which was 10

years in the making. Men from the farmers collective

showed us their water pump. Their pride

in their ability to take ownership of the

care and maintenance of the pump was

clearly evident. It was irrigating their

fields and resulting in a variety of crops.

As was typical, during these visits crowds

would form around us. One of the young

boys was dressed in a karate outfit and

started doing flips. His father asked if his

son could perform for us. We could have

been anywhere at that moment - a proud

father, an energetic boy. Yet, we knew

this was only possible - the fact that his

father could send the child to a nearby

city for lessons - because CRS helped improve his

livelihood.

I bring back to you many "thank yous" from the people of

Ethiopia. Together we are changing lives.

Peace and Blessings

Your support helps

keep social ministry a

vital part of the

Archdiocese"

Peace and Blessings,

Lynn Campbell, Executive Director

"Think big. Start small. Scale up."

Shawn Duncan, Director of The Lupton Center

2019 Social Justice Conference closing remarks

10th Annual Bishop Peter Rosazza Social Justice Conference

THANK YOU, THANK YOU

We would like to gratefully acknowledge the

contributions of many individuals and groups who gave

generously of their time and talent to make the Tenth

Annual Bishop Peter Rosazza Social Justice Conference

possible

Our Thanks go out to -

* Wendy Quinn-for her music and her voice

* Arturo Iriarte, for his contribution of translation service

* Aaron Joseph and Abigail Treacy for photography and video services.

* Equal Exchange Cooperative, for their donation of Fair Trade coffee

* Our Exhibitors, for sharing their resources and passion

* Our Speakers, for their willingness to share their time & expertise

* And finally, our Participants, who share our commitment to social justice,

and without whom this conference would not exist!!

We'd like to extend a very special Thank You to our Conference

Committee for their hard work and commitment

to bringing you the very best experience.

Shawnee Baldwin Patrick Laorden Lisa Orchen

Deacon Tom Breen Richard Natale John Ryan

Lynn Campbell Sandra Natale Kay Taylor-Brooks

Agnes Dann Mary O'Brien Phillip Walker

Arturo Iriarte Lisa Orchen

Parish Social Justice Leadership Workshop

Inspired to move beyond charity? Or, as our

Conference keynote speaker said, to climb

Denali?

As a follow-up to our conference, we will host a 2

hour leadership workshop on June 18, 2019,

10:00 AM and repeated at 6:00 PM. The training

will be held in our office at the Pastoral Center,

467 Bloomfield Ave, Bloomfield.

The workshop will help people articulate and

understand the obstacles that stand in the way of doing effective parish social

justice work. Once those obstacles are analyzed and overcome, it's possible to

engage more effectively in the Church's social justice ministry.

Pat Speer, of Amos Resources, will facilitate the workshop. Pat has spent the past

42 years helping churches to successfully engage in public life and action for

justice.

Registration is required by calling 860-242-5573 or

mailing agnes.dann@aohct.org The workshop is free and open to all.

Save the Date

WE HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US FOR OUR 51st ANNUAL DINNER

October 22, 2019

at the Aqua Turf

Our Keynote address will be given by Kerry Robinson

"Justice, Recovery, and Reform in the Catholic Church"

Most Reverend Donnelly Awards will be presented to:

Deacon Art Miller for the Individual award

Center for Reflection, Education and Action (CREA)

Sr. Ruth Rosenbaum, executive director for the Organization Award

Welcome Abagail

Meet Abigail Treacy our Summer Intern. Abigail is from West

Simsbury and attends St. Catherine of Siena Parish. She is

attending Catholic University in Washington DC where she will

be a Sophomore in the fall. She has been a great help already

and we are very happy to have her with us.

Welcome Abigail

Human Trafficking Updates

There are several ways you can get involved in preventing

vulnerable children from being lured into trafficking and to

helping survivors transition to a new life.

We are excited to announce that Amirah has secured a safe

home location in the Greater Hartford area - the first home

of its kind in Connecticut! The Amirah Program will be

accepting adult survivors of sex trafficking and is hopeful

that the opening will happen by October 2019.

Volunteer teams are needed to adopt a room. Contact Lynn

Campbell if you would like additional information. Pro-bono

assistance of professional plumbers, electricians, and lock smiths are also needed.

Amirah is looking to hire a part-time Development Manager. Information can be found here.

Parishes are also invited to participate in the Underground's backpack event on August 2,

7pm at Wintonbury Church. DCF is also looking for churches to sponsor an event in other

geographic areas. Contact Annmarie at theundergroundct@gmail.com

We will be offering an awareness event at Annunciation Parish at St. Mary Church in

Newington on July 30, 6:30 PM, in honor of World Day against Trafficking in Persons. To

register contact David Tedeschi at diamonddave48@cox.net.

Keep the Promise - Supporting Mental Health in CT

We are pleased to announce that we are able to

award Keep the Promise with a local Catholic

Campaign for Human Development grant. Keep the

Promise (KTP) was formed in response to the

state's failure to invest savings derived from

closing state hospitals into the housing, supports,

and services necessary to enable people with

mental health conditions to live successfully in the

community.

This past legislative session, members worked tirelessly to inform legislators how essential

community services are to their well-being. They worked hard for the past few years to get

the Mental Health Parity bill passed. Their powerful advocacy skills paid off and the bill

passed House and Senate. Congratulations KTP!

DREAMERS one step closer to permanent legal protection

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 6 (Dream Act of 2019) on June 4. The Dream Act

of 2019 provides critical protection to Dreamers, immigrant youth who entered the United

States as children and know America as their only home. The bill offers young people who

qualify "permanent resident status on a conditional basis" and a path to full lawful

permanent residency and eventual citizenship To receive the

permanent residency and eventual citizenship. To receive the

conditional status, the youth must, among other

requirements, have entered the U.S. as a child, been

continuously present in the United States for at least four

years prior to enactment of the bill, meet certain

admissibility and security requirements, and have obtained or

be pursuing secondary education.

Bishop Joe Vásquez, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on

Migration, released a statement praising the vote. Read

more.

Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl in Action

Did you know that 25% of CRS Rice Bowl donations stay in the

Archdiocese to support hunger and poverty alleviation programs?

Funds are used for parish based food pantries, community kitchens,

poverty education programs, and community gardens. CRS Rice Bowl

grants are available to Catholic parishes and schools at the OCSJM's

website. For more information call Lynn Campbell, director, at 860-

242-5573 ext. 2689.

The remaining 75% of CRS Rice Bowl donations serve as unrestricted donations. Lynn was

able to witness CRS Rice Bowl funds in action in Ethiopia. The Missionaries of Charity have

a long standing partnership with Catholic Relief Services. She visited one of several sites

the sisters operate in Ethiopia. She met Sister Marta, one of the sisters that live in this

communal life, who said, ""The Missionaries of Charity are carriers of God's light," she

says. "Jesus is shining through us in ways that we are not always aware. It may not bear

fruits today, but will bear fruits for eternity."

Thanks to the generosity of CRS Rice Bowl participants, the sisters are

able to provide critical food aid for over 200 people with severe physical

and mental health conditions each day.

Parishes in Action

Through our Parishes in Action Program, we worked with St.

Joseph Church and St. Mary Church (now St. Mary Parish) to

bring together their social ministries efforts. Over thirty-five

participants committed to this effort, learning about the current

ministries which were active in both communities and discerning

what new areas of social ministry they can explore. St. Mary

Parish hopes to form a social justice ministry that harmonizes

the efforts from both communities. Participants enjoyed having a

forum in which they could exchange thoughts and ideas.

Parishes in Action is a great opportunity for your parish if you

are looking for a new direction in social ministry, bridging efforts

between two newly merged parishes, or looking to enhance the structure and efficacy of

your current efforts. For more information you can contact Patrick Laorden at

Patrick.Laorden@aohct.org.

Laudato Si'

This year, the challenge saw new opportunities to engage Laudato Si' through prayer,

learning, and acting. The following schools participated in the challenge:

St. Joseph School, Bristol

Our Lady of Mt Carmel School Meriden

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, Meriden

St. Gabriel School, Enfield (2nd year)

St. Bernard School, Enfield (2nd year)

East Catholic High School, Manchester (2nd Year)

St. John the Evangelist School, Watertown (2nd Year)

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, Waterbury (3rd Year)

Holy Trinity School, Wallingford

Holy Trinity School created a prayer and education video

highlighting Care for God's Creation which engaged the entire

school. Faculty from St. Bernard School and St. Gabriel School

took opportunities to learn more about Laudato Si' through

professional development from our Laudato Si' team. St. John

the Evangelist School adopted more sustainable practices in their school by eliminating

paper cups and bowls and replacing them with durable plastic ware and replaced two water

fountains with refillable water bottle fillers. Great job to all the participating schools for

engaging the Laudato Si' Challenge this year!

Environmental Legislation 2019

The legislative session just ended on Wednesday, June 5th and

there were some victories with respect to environmental

legislation in Connecticut. Here are some updates:

Single-Use Plastics: the state will be banning plastic bags by

2021, including "compostable" bags.

Offshore Wind: the passing of HB 7156 resulted in a mandate to

purchase 2000 MW of offshore wind, a big step forward in the

shift towards renewable energy in Connecticut

Fracking Waste: SB 753 calling for a state-wide ban on fracking waste passed the Senate

unanimously, a six-year effort that consisted of over 60 local bans

CURRENT ACTIONS: Plans are still set for the diversion of $54 million in energy efficiency

funds on July 1st. Please call Governor Lamont's office 860-566-4840 on July 1st to stop

this diversion!

Current Parish Social Ministry Resources

Here are some resources to help pray, reflect, and take action on religious liberty. During

Religious Freedom Week (June 22-29, 2019)

Sacraments and the Social Mission (USCCB) is a resource "to better understand the

connections between the celebration of the sacraments and our social mission as followers

of Jesus and the Body of Christ.

JustFaith Module (Just Engagement: The Power to Change) is an eight-week program offers

tools and tips to organize your own grassroots advocacy efforts, no matter what issue you

or your group decide to address.

DOCAT (YOUCAT) is an excellent source of information on social justice for young people,

helping them to get to know and live the social doctrine of the Church. [It] is the great

practical successor to YOUCAT, the very popular youth catechism based on the Catechism of

the Catholic Church.

Combatting Racism - Educational Resources (USCCB) for K-8, high school,

college/university, and adult educational resources on racism, to accompany a study on the

recent pastoral letter on racism "Open Wide Our Hearts."

Reducing Plastic Waste and Moving Beyond a Throwaway Culture is offered by the Catholic

Climate Covenant and offers various Catholic resources on the topic of single-use plastics.

Getting Started with Parish Social Ministry, Parish Assessment Tool and Parish Social

Ministry Basics, can be found on our website resource page

Visit the CRS Ministry Resource Center to find ministry tools for prayer, formation and

action with a global perspective.

Rooting out Reasons to Migrate video Rick Jones CRS was interviewed about push

Rooting out Reasons to Migrate video. Rick Jones, CRS, was interviewed about push

factors of Central American migration on 35 West, a podcast produced by CSIS

7 Things You May Not Know About Human Trafficking, and 3 Ways To Help by Rebekah K.

Lemke, CRS Marketing and Communications

Spanish Media

* Root causes of Migration: CRS´ Rick Jones was interviewed on EWTN Espanol/Cara a Cara

show