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Service and Justice Ministries

The Catholic Community of St. Charles Borromeo is committed to parish social ministry as an expression of our faith.  Our outreach and charity efforts speak to the message of Christ to serve the least among us.  Further, in recognizing the solidarity of the human family, we commit ourselves to advocacy work and justice education.

Current Events/News Updated 1/31/12    GUATEMALA SOLIDARITY PARTNERSHIP     On Friday, January 27, Fr. David Donis Barrera, pastor of Oratorio Parish in the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Guatemala was brutally shot and killed in a roadside incident.      Fr. David has been part of our solidarity partnership since the beginning.  Oratorio is our partner parish and so our delegations have spent much time with Fr. David and his community.   Fr. David was a humble and simple man, devoted to his people and the message of love and compassion as revealed in the Gospel.  May be rest in peace.         RETREAT FOR THE SERVICE AND JUSTICE MINISTRIES Sunday, February 12 – 5:30 – 9:00 pm Have you helped build a home with Habitat for Humanity?  Have you tutored at TASK?   Have you fed a neighbor?  Donated?  Served?  Advocated for those in need?  If so, consider joining us on Sunday, February 12th from 5:30 - 9:00 pm for a special retreat for the Service & Justice Ministries.  For more information, email Katie Onka at konka@borromeo.org.         JOIN THE FIRST YOUNG ADULT SERVICE DAY AT HABITAT!!! Are you a St. Charles parishioner in your 20s or 30s?  Are you interested in meeting new people, having fun, learning new skills, and working to provide shelter for our brothers and sisters in Trenton?  Please join us on Saturday, February 11th as we work with Habitat for Humanity to build homes.  For more information, contact Maureen and Bill Schreiber at missmo@bschreib.com.     FAT TUESDAY PANCAKE PARTY WITH PURPOSE Join parishioners and friends of all ages on Tuesday, February 21st from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm for an evening of fun as we share prayer, fellowship, music, pancakes and more to kick off the season of Lent with an act of charity towards our neighbors in need in Guatemala.  Tickets are now on sale. The cost per person will be five dollars or twenty dollars maximum per family.  A collection to benefit the Guatemala Scholarship Fund will also be taken up at the party.   If you have any questions or would just like to learn more about how you can be involved, please contact Erin Dolan at spsmon@aol.com, Colleen Sozio at soz@msn.com, or Cara Ipeker at cenicar@yahoo.com.  We hope you will join us!

 

Our work is guided and shaped by our Catholic social teaching--a body of principles and values that draw upon the Gospel and biblical traditions.  The U.S. Bishops have arranged these principles under seven main themes:

The Life and Dignity of the Human Person

The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching.  We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

Call to Family, Community, and Participation

The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society—in economics and politics, in law and policy—directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community.  Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined.  We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

Rights and Responsibilities

The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities--to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.

The Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers

The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected--the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.

Solidarity

We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace.  The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers. Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.

Care for God’s Creation

We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.

For more information on these principles, please visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' website, or participate in one of our justice education ministries.