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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 8/24/10) CALLING ALL GARDENERS! If you are in the fortunate position of having more than enough vegetables to feed your family, St. Charles is collecting homegrown vegetables to give to Elijah’s Promise.  It is an easy way to help people who could benefit from your bounty.  On Tuesdays, August 17, 24, and 31 we will be collecting your fresh vegetables from 8:00 to 10:00 am at St. Charles.  The produce will be delivered to Elijah’s Promise that day where it will go to needy families.  Please bring in your extra firm, ripe vegetables and fruit, if you have it.  Questions?  Contact Joanne Hughes at lilredhen2@comcast.net.     JustFaith begins again this September! The JustFaith program allows individuals the opportunity to study, explore, and experience Christ’s call to care for the poor and vulnerable as a small faith community.  The 30-week program meets weekly to discuss books, watch videos, and hear from engaging speakers.  Interested in learning more?  Contact Ray Makwinski at loft6@comcast.net or visit www.justfaith.org or stop by the Elizabeth Ann Seton room on Sunday, August 29th.  After all Masses on that day, JustFaith alumni will be there to answer questions about the program.  Feel free to stop by for some Fair Trade Coffee!   Service at TASK & Elijah’s Promise Interested in serving at TASK or Elijah’s Promise in the month of September?  Sign up to serve after Masses during the August 28th & 29th weekend.  Also, please plan to attend our Annual Feed Thy Neighbor Gathering on Saturday, October 2nd at 3 p.m. in Arona Hall.  This is a great chance to meet other parishioners involved in the ministries, share experiences, and reflect on why we as Catholics participate in this work.   Urge your representative to support a peaceful and stable Sudan! Contact your representative now and urge him/her to co-sponsor the bipartisan House Resolution 1588 that supports full implementation of the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement and efforts to promote peace and stability in Sudan.  Sudan is at a crossroads right now, and the country is bracing for a referendum early next year when southern Sudan will decide if it will secede from the north.  The potential for increased violence, death, and displacement as a result of renewed war is real and serious steps must be taken to avert this danger.  Visit http://actioncenter.crs.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ac_homepage for more information.   St. Charles Borromeo headed to Guatemala this September! A delegation of five will travel to the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Guatemala from September 18 – 24.  Be on the lookout for more information in the Gathering Space after Masses throughout September.

 

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 the 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.