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St. Margaret Mary Parish Peace & Justice Advisory Working Group
This group provides advice and support to the parish Justice & Outreach Minister in planning educational events, advocacy campaigns, liturgical resources and other activities that enable the parish to fulfill its social mission to provide charity and justice in our community, our nation and our world. “The Church teaches that social justice is an integral part of evangelization, a constitutive dimension of preaching the gospel, and an essential part of the Church’s mission. … We need to build local communities of faith where our social teaching is central, not fringe; where social ministry is integral, not optional; where it is the work of every believer, not just the mission of a few committed people and committees.” 
Please select for more information on:
Future Programs, Campaigns, and Events
“We need to build local communities of faith where our social teaching is central, not fringe; where social ministry is integral, not optional; where it is the work of every believer, not just the mission of the few committed people and committees. . We need to share and celebrate our common social heritage as Catholics, developing materials and training tools that ensure that we are sharing our social teaching in every educational ministry of our parishes.” 
Called to Be Bread for the World The Eucharistic Call to Charity and Justice Package ready-made meals to feed starving children around the world. Saturday, April 12 9-11 AM or 11:30 AM-1:30 PM Sign up to participate in our Parish Social Project for ages 6 to 96. (Children must be accompanied by parents) Call Loretta at the Parish Office, 630-369-0833, or sign up after Sunday Masses on April 6 Deadline for registration is Monday, April 7. This event is being organized through Feed My Starving Children, www.fmsc.org. Parish Social Mission Weeks
“The most important setting for the Church's social teaching is not in a food pantry or in a legislative committee room, but in prayer and worship, especially gathered around the altar for the Eucharist. It is in the liturgy that we find the fundamental direction, motivation and strength for social ministry.” Periodically our parish focuses on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching in a more intentional way. During our parish social mission weeks our liturgies, homilies educational programs and other parish activities raise up one or more important aspect of Catholic teaching as it relates to human dignity, human rights and our special concern for the poor. Here are the themes and dates of our coming Social Mission Weeks: April 6, 2008, Third Sunday of Easter Theme: The Eucharistic Call to Charity & Justice Luke 24: 13-35: “They told what had happened on the road and how he had been known to them in the breaking of the bread.” “Our sharing in the Eucharist inspires us to such solidarity, as well as to actions which express it; for sincere celebration of the Eucharist “must lead to various works of charity and mutual help”. . In the Eucharist we find the source of our deepest commitment to the loving service of our brothers and sisters.” - The Eucharist and the Hungers of the Human Family, U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1975 “The problem of hunger has a special significance for those who read the Scriptures and profess the Christian faith. From the Lord's command to feed the hungry, to the Eucharist we celebrate as the Bread of Life, the fabric of our faith demands that we be creatively engaged in sharing the food that sustains life. .. For the Eucharist to be a living promise of the fullness of God's kingdom, the faithful must commit themselves to living as redeemed people with the same care and love for all people that Jesus showed. The Body of Christ which worshipers receive in Communion is also a reminder of the reconciling power of his death on the cross. It empowers them to work to heal the brokenness of society and human relationships and to grow in a spirit of self-giving for others.” - Economic Justice for All, U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1986 “As the parish gathers for the celebration of the Eucharist, the needs and rights of the poor and disenfranchised must be placed on the table. The Word proclaimed in the Eucharist must affirm and celebrate the parish's work for charity, justice, and peace. The Word must inspire social analysis and concerted action, leading the people of God to a renewed commitment to the poor.” - In All Things Charity: A Pastoral Challenge for the New Millennium, U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1999
”We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they live. We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic and ideological differences. Learning to practice the virtue of solidarity means learning that ”loving our neighbor“ has global dimensions in an interdependent world.“ E-Mail Legislative Alert Network
“The voices of parishioners need to be heard on behalf of vulnerable children— born and unborn —on behalf of those who suffer discrimination and injustice, on behalf of those without health care or housing, on behalf of our land and water, our communities and neighborhoods. Parishioners need to bring our values and vision into the debates about a changing world and shifting national priorities.” What is the E-Mail Legislative Action Alert Network? In order to bring our Catholic values and visions into the political arena, our parish E-Mail Legislative Action Alert provides parishioners with an opportunity to become involved in the political process on issues that affect the human dignity and rights of all people in accordance with Catholic Social Teaching. Participants will receive timely legislative action alerts on the issues of their choosing. This action alert network is only available to those with access to e-mail. How you can participate in the E-mail Legislative Action Alert Network 1. Study the issues described below and determine which ones you would like to address as a member of the action alert network. 2. Complete the response form and return it in person to the parish office or retun it by mail to: Legislative Action Alert Network, St. Margaret Mary Parish, 1450 Green Trails Dr., Naperville, IL 60540. Your information will be added to the network and you will begin receiving background materials on pending legislation, official Church position statements and action alerts on the issues you have chosen. The following are the issues that the Legislative Action Alert Network addresses:
Abortion/Euthanasia/Cloning & Stem Cell Research "Human life is a gift from God, sacred and inviolable. This is the teaching that calls us to protect and respect every human life from conception until natural death. Because every human person is created in the image and likeness of God, we have a duty to defend human life in all its stages and in every condition. … Abortion and euthanasia have become preeminent threats to human life and dignity because they directly attack life itself, the most fundamental good and the condition for all others." (Faithful Citizenship, U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1999) Anti-Poverty (TANF/Welfare/WIC) For the Catholic community, the measure of welfare reform is whether it will enhance the lives and dignity of poor children and their families. The target of reform ought to be poverty, not poor families. The goal of reform is reducing poverty and dependency, not cutting resources and programs. Church teaching on economic justice insists that economic decisions and institutions be judged on whether they protect or undermine the dignity of the human person. We support policies that create jobs with adequate pay and decent working conditions, increase the minimum wage so it becomes a living wage, and overcome barriers to equal pay and employment for women and minorities. Death Penalty Our nation’s increasing reliance on the death penalty is extremely troubling. Respect for human life must even include respect for the lives of those who have taken the lives of others. It has become clear, as Pope John Paul II has taught that inflicting the death penalty is cruel and unnecessary. The antidote to violence is not more violence. As part of our prolife commitment, we encourage solutions to violent crime that reflect the dignity of the human person, urging our nation to abandon the use of capital punishment. Education/Childcare All persons of whatever race, sex condition or age, by virtue of their dignity as human beings, have an inalienable right to a quality education. The provision of a quality education, which helps prepare each person to address the complex challenges of our society and world, is a lifelong process and is the responsibility of all members of our civic society. All parents—the first, most important educators –should have the opportunity to exercise their fundamental right to choose the education best suited to the needs of their children, including private and religious schools. Families of modest means especially should not be denied this choice because of their economic status. Environment Our call to environmental justice includes supporting policies that promote sustainable economic practices that reduce the current stress on natural systems, remain consistent with sound environmental practices, and establish common ground between the needs of workers and the environment. We support policies that place the needs of the poor as a priority through a more just and equitable sharing of the earth’s resources and foster environmental justice through the elimination of discriminatory practices which place a disproportionate burden on poor people and communities of color. We support efforts to promote policies which ensure a fair balance between public and private costs of environmental protection and seek alternative agricultural and energy sources that rely less on chemical intensive agricultural practices and non-renewable energy sources. Health Care Our nation’s health care system still serves too few and costs too much. Decent health care is an essential safeguard of human life. We believe reform of the health care system must be rooted in values that respect the essential dignity of each person, ensure that human life is protected, and recognizes the unique needs of the poor. Our criteria for reform include respect for life; priority concern for the poor, universal coverage, pluralism, cost containment and controls, and equitable financing. As part of our efforts to achieve fundamental health care reform, we will support measures to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid and work for incremental measures that extend health care coverage to children, pregnant women, workers, immigrants and other vulnerable populations. Housing/Homelessness The lack of safe, affordable housing is a national crisis. We support a recommitment to the national pledge of “safe and affordable housing” for all and effective policies that will increase the supply of quality housing and preserve, maintain and improve existing housing. We promote public/private partnerships, especially those that involve religious communities. Hunger Food is not like any other commodity: it is necessary for life itself. Our support for Food Stamps, the Women, Infants and Children program (WIC) and other programs that directly benefit poor and low-income people is based on our belief that no one should face hunger in a land of plenty. Those who grow our food should be able to make a decent living and maintain their way of life. … Our priority concern for the poor calls us to advocate especially for the needs of farm workers whose pay is often inadequate and whose housing and working conditions are often deplorable. In a world where 800 million people, half of them children, are starving or malnourished, we support food and agriculture policies that makes food security for all people its first priority. International Peace & Human Rights Building peace, combating poverty and despair, and protecting freedom and human rights are not only moral imperatives, but also wise national priorities. … We urge the reshaping of foreign aid programs designed to combat poverty, with sustainable development and economic opportunities for the poor. We urge accelerated progress toward preventing nuclear proliferation, eliminating nuclear weapons, and restraining conventional arms trade. … Respect for fundamental human rights is necessary if nations are to serve human dignity and the common good, including civil, political, social and economic rights. … With respect to international human rights, there is a pressing need for the United States to pursue a double task: 1) to strengthen and expand international mechanisms by which human rights can be protected and promoted; and 2) to give greater weight to the human rights dimensions of U.S. foreign policy. Resources
“As bishops and pastors, we believe the Church' social teaching is integral to our identity and mission as Catholics. This is why we seek a renewed commitment to integrate and to share the riches of the Church's social teaching in Catholic education and formation at every level. . The test of our Church is not simply have we 'kept the faith,' but have we shared the faith.”
Links to other Catholic Organizations
“No parish functions totally by itself. . Almost all dioceses have social justice structures that offer resources and training for parishes. These structures are diverse including justice and peace commissions, social action offices, CHD funding and education efforts, rural life offices, and parish social ministry programs of Catholic Charities. For the most part, parishes cannot go it alone in this area.”
The Peace and Social Justice Ministry seeks to promote the gospel of peace and social justice through its programs and ministries, locally, nationally, and globally. With the information and resources provided on this website, we hope you will be challenged to discover creative ways to engage in the struggle for justice. Catholic Charities USA is the membership association of one of the nation's largest social service networks. Catholic Charities agencies and institutions nationwide provide vital social services to people in need, regardless of their religious, social, or economic backgrounds. Catholic Charities USA supports and enhances the work of its membership by providing networking opportunities, national advocacy and media efforts, program development, training and technical assistance, and financial support. Catholic Relief Services was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States. Our mission is to assist the poor and disadvantaged, leveraging the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to alleviate human suffering, promote development of all people and to foster charity and justice throughout the world. As the official international relief and development agency of the US Catholic community, CRS is also committed to educating the people of the United States to fulfill their moral responsibilities toward our global brothers and sisters by helping the poor, working to remove the causes of poverty, and promoting social justice. CRS has an action alert network you can join to lobby Congress on issues related to international poverty and justice.
The Department of Social Development and World Peace (SDWP) helps the U.S. Catholic Bishops share Catholic Social Teaching and apply it to major domestic and international issues. SDWP helps the bishops apply Catholic Social Teaching to major contemporary domestic and international issues which have signifcant moral and religious dimensions; advocate effectively for the poor and vulnerable and for justice and peace in the public policy arena; and helps build the capacity of the Church (nationally and locally) to act effectively in defense of human life, human dignity and human rights and in pursuit of justice and peace.
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development was established by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) as the Church's domestic anti-poverty program, in 1969 with two purposes. The first purpose was to raise funds to support “organized groups of white and minority poor to develop economic strength and political power.” The second purpose was to “educate the People of God to a new knowledge of today's problems . . . that can lead to some new approaches that promote a greater sense of solidarity.” Pax Christi USA strives to create a world that reflects the Peace of Christ by exploring, articulating, and witnessing to the call of Christian nonviolence. This work begins in personal life and extends to communities of reflection and action to transform structures of society. Pax Christi USA rejects war, preparations for war, and every form of violence and domination. It advocates primacy of conscience, economic and social justice, and respect for creation. Pax Christi USA commits itself to peace education and, with the help of its bishop members, promotes the gospel imperative of peacemaking as a priority in the Catholic Church in the United States. |