Peace and Justice Commission

Our Mission Statement: 

To educate, inspire, and invite the Sacred Heart parish community to respond to the needs of our neighbors and carry forth the Mission of Christ. We will facilitate opportunities to:
- Recognize and respond to our call to live the Gospel and
- Walk in kinship with the vulnerable people as we work together to create systemic change.

In the words of Pope Francis:

"Jesus tells us what the ‘protocol’ is, on which we will be judged. It can be found in Matthew’s Gospel:

‘I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was in prison, I was sick, I was naked and you helped me, clothed me, visited me, took care of me.’ (Matthew 25:42)

Whenever we do this to one of our brothers, we do this to Jesus. Caring for our neighbor; for those who are poor, who suffer in body and in soul, for those who are in need. This is the touchstone."

We are called by our faith and by our church to help our neighbors in two ways, characterized by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop as the Two Feet of Love in Action:

· Social Justice "concerns the social, political, and economic aspects and, above all, the structural dimension of problems and their respective solutions" (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 201)

· Charitable Works are our "response to immediate needs and specific situations: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for and healing the sick, visiting those in prison, etc." (Deus Caritas Est, no. 31)

We invite you to learn more, find ways to get involved and news about upcoming events by clicking on the Links on the left.

Current and Recent Peace & Justice Commission Activities Include:

· Bridge Bread sales after Masses the 3rd weekend each month support this program designed to help the disadvantaged engage in a financially rewarding effort that enhances self-worth, promotes dignity and enables them to help themselves.

· Just Faith courses are available periodically to educate, inspire and engage parishioners regarding various aspects of Catholic social justice teaching.

· The Lenten Speaker Series brings speaking events to our parish to educate and provide new perspectives on issues affecting vulnerable and marginalized members of our society and local area. This is guided by Matthew 25:31-46, “Judgment of the Nations” (Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison…)

· Going Green is an initiative to begin transitioning SHVP to an environmentally friendly campus. This wide-ranging effort might start at the event level, ex. using recyclable supplies for our fish fries. This could eventually include composting (events, school cafeteria scraps), raised bed vegetable growing, ties to the school science curriculum, etc.

· For more details on events, activities, and information, click the links to the left.

Current Commission Members Karen DuBrucq Karen Dunne

Paula Godar
Dave Jackson
Michele Jackson
Connie McGuire
Nancy McKee
Karen Rothery
Gene Schmittgens
Jane Schmittgens
Jeff Schulenberg
Terri Schulenberg
Pat Woodward

Alumni Members

Betty Coonan
Carolyn Wirth
 

Contact: peaceandjustice@sacredheart-vp.com