National Migration Week Toolkit

National Migration Week 2021 takes place September 20-26 and will climax with the Vatican's celebration of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees on Sunday, September 26. This year's theme is Towards an ever wider “we." Pope Francis emphasizes that "this focus calls on us to ensure that after all this, we will think no longer in terms of 'them' and 'those,' but only 'us'' (Fratelli Tutti, 35). 

The National Migration Week Toolkit is full of educational and prayer resources and ideas to take action during this week of awareness about our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters. Read more and share with your friends, family, and local parish by clicking:

https://justiceforimmigrants.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/FInal-NMW-Toolkit-2021-Temp-2.pdf?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=a6b040e2-3979-43d1-91a6-d1728b26bfb9

Join the STU, Jhon J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy, for a live webinar to learn about this year’s theme for the 107th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, An Ever Wider “WE,” as it relates to people on the move and survivors of human trafficking.  Distinguished panelists will contextualize the discussion through the present situation of Afghan migrants and refugees
https://www.humantraffickingacademy.org/event/an-ever-wider-we-case-study-afghanistan/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=a6b040e2-3979-43d1-91a6-d1728b26bfb9

Plataforma de Acción Laudato Si - Esfuerzos conjuntos Tiempo de la Creación

REPAM cumple 7 años de intenso trabajo eclesial y de incidencia en diversos espacios.  Este 12 de septiembre la Red Eclesial Panamazónica (REPAM) celebró siete años de sustentarse en una perspectiva territorial donde se generan conexiones entre las presencias históricas de la Iglesia en la Panamazonía y la diversidad institucional eclesial.

Aquí algunos artículos:

https://redamazonica.org/2021/09/repam-cumple-siete-anos-de-intenso-trabajo-eclesial-y-de-incidencia-en-diversos-espacios/

https://redamazonica.org/2021/09/la-repam-nos-ensena-a-reaprender-del-pasado-para-construir-el-presente-pensando-en-el-futuro/

La Laudato Si’ del Papa Francisco es la temática del nuevo documental. Escucha la noticia en este podcast: 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6u3Go1xUOufj8BeotavWtl?si=KkoFZ3HxRE-UQoquIeakBg&dl_branch=1

El Papa Francisco, el Patriarca Ecuménico Bartolomé y el Arzobispo de Canterbury se unen por primera vez en un llamamiento urgente por el futuro del planeta.

https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/es/bollettino/pubblico/2021/09/07/comun.html 

Tiempo de la creación: https://seasonofcreation.org/es/home-es/ 

Una Vision por Paz

"En nuestra misión de encarnar el amor compasivo de Dios, cuidando el Cuerpo de Cristo que sufre en el mundo de hoy, nos sentimos llamadas a transformar nuestras propias vidas, nuestras comunidades, nuestros países y a nuestra Congregación con acciones que nos lleve a contribuir hacia una cultura de paz y no violencia".

Compromiso Congregacional, 21 de setiembre, 2017

La cultura de paz es clave en el Evangelio, por ello firmamos el compromiso con la No Violencia en el Día Internacional de la Paz y Día de nuestra Carta Fundacional.

Este 2021, renovamos nuestro Compromiso Congregacional por la paz con el objetivo de seguir promoviendo prácticas de la no violencia activa de Jesús en el camino hacia la paz justa. Que el deseo de ser auténticas(os) discípulas(os) de Jesús, desafiadas(os) e inspiradas(os) por las historias de esperanza y coraje, siga renovando nuestros esfuerzos por la paz. 

 

Aquí dos invitaciones que pueden acompañar nuestra oración personal y/o comunitaria:

 

“Las y los nadie…

Que no son, aunque sean.

Que no hablan idiomas, sino dialectos.

Que no profesan religiones, sino supersticiones.

Que no hacen arte, sino artesanía.

Que no practican cultura, sino folklore.

Que no son seres humanos, sino recursos humanos.

Que no tienen cara, sino brazos.

Que no tienen nombre, sino número.

Que no figuran en la historia universal, sino en la crónica

Roja de la prensa local.

Los nadies, que cuestan menos que la bala que los mata”.

Eduardo Galeano

 

“Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, sufriendo en una multitud de enfermos y desvalidos de todas clases, espera el alivio de tus manos”

Claudio M. Dubuis

A Vision of Peace

"In our mission to incarnate the compassionate love of God, caring for the Body of Christ that suffers in the world today, we feel called to transform our own lives, our communities, our countries and our Congregation with actions that lead us to create and support a culture of peace and non-violence".

Congregational Commitment for Peace - September 21, 2017

A culture of peace is key to the Gospel, which is why we signed on to the global Appeal to the Catholic Church to re-commit to the Centrality of Gospel Nonviolence on the International Day of Peace and the Day of our Foundational Letter.  

This 2021, we renew our Our Congregational Commitment for Peace with the goal of continuing to promote the understanding and practices of active nonviolence on the road to just peace. May the desire to be authentic disciples of Jesus, challenged and inspired by the stories of hope and courage, continue to renew our efforts for peace. 

Here are two invitations that may accompany a personal or community prayer:

"Who are not, but could be.

Who don't speak languages, but dialects.

Who don't have religions, but supertitions.

Who don't create art, but handicrafts.

Who don't have culture, but folklore.

Who are not human beings, but human resources.

Who do not have faces, but arms.

Who do not have names, but numbers.

Who do not appear in the history of the world, 

but in the police blotter of the local paper.

The nobodies, who are not worth the bullet that kills them"

Eduardo Galeano

Our Lord Jesus Christ, suffering in the persons of a multitud of the sick and vulnerable of every kind, seek relief at your hands.

Claude M. Dubuis, September 21. 

Laudato Si Action Plataform - Season of Creation efforts

 Advocacy opportunity and resources 

As you know well, human activity is warming our planet at an unprecedented rate. The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that humanity only has a few years to avoid catastrophic climate change. Solutions exist now that can help slow and even reverse this climate warming. However, we need faith-filled voices to strengthen our nation’s moral and political will to enact bold policies that dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and care for the common good. 

Take action 

The Catholic Climate Covenant is offering us the opportunity to take action NOW! Here are three simple and impactful actions you can take TODAY! 

1. Sign and share The Catholic Climate Action Petition for Individuals, 

2. Ask authorized leaders or representatives of Catholic institutions to sign the Climate Action Letter is for Catholic Institutions.

Utilize new EPA report on inequitable impact of climate change 

Compelling advocacy narratives combine stories of impacted persons with concrete data. The new report from the Environmental Protection Agency on social vulnerability and climate change could be a useful tool as you shape messaging for your congregation, leadership, and elected officials. This report improves our understanding of the degree to which four socially vulnerable populations— defined based on income, educational attainment, race and ethnicity, and age—may be more exposed to the highest impacts of climate change. The data tracks with the Preferential Option for the Poor and helps us see how to advocate for those most vulnerable. You can access the full report HERE. 

The Season of Creation continues! Webinars and resources 

● Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor: Reducing our Carbon Footprint - In this webinar hosted by the Catholic Health Association on Sept. 23 from 1-2PM ET, Gary Cohen, president and founder of Health Care Without Harm, along with representatives from Ascension and Providence St. Joseph Health, will share how they are working to eliminate the carbon emissions of their organizations as well as concrete actions health care organizations can take to adopt renewable energy and achieve carbon neutrality. Learn more and register here. See all of CHA's 2021 Feast of St Francis resources. 

● Season of Creation Liturgy Guide authored by Jim Hug, SJ and a talented creative team and with the partnership of the Ecology Desk of Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development: Laudato Si’ Action Platform and LISTEN: Laudato Si’ International Scholars of Tertiary Education Network. Click HERE to download in English and HERE for Spanish. 

● Information and the guide for the Season of Creation 2021 can be found at https://seasonofcreation.org/ 

● Vatican News coverage highlighting ecumenical nature of the season. 

Examples of impactful action as you prepare your LS plan 

Thank you to everyone who continues to share their community and congregation efforts to prepare for the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. In the last update, we highlighted an example of a diocesan action plan that contained practical examples that could be applied to religious orders. If you are looking for more examples of impactful action, check out the LSAP resource HERE with specific activities by LS goal.