Faith Doing Justice

Welcome to Spring!

2008-03-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

Greetings of the Easter Season! I thought I would send you these flowers - as least in a picture. They are in front of my house and I'm amazed that they grow in spite of my "yellow thumb!"

As usual, there are a lot of things happening in our diocese and our community. I hope you will take a few moments to review some of the articles below and plan to participate.

Blessings,

Linda

In this issue...

"Faithful Citizenship" - New Document on Catholics and Voting

2008-03-31T10:19:00.000-07:00

"In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, participation in the political process is a moral obligation." No. 13

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has approved a document, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States. This document is intended to help Catholic voters form their consciences on a variety of issues before the 2008 elections.

Workshops on this document for clergy and laity have been scheduled for Thursday, April 3 at Our Lady of Peace Parish. Contact Linda Batton at batton@dsj.org or (408) 983-0158 for more information. Online registration is still available at www.dsj.org/register/fc.

The website, http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org/ has an extensive list of resources including ideas for Catholic schools, religious educators, youth leaders, and social concerns and respect life committees in Spanish and English. Included also are prayers and reflections, a family guide and podcasts highlighting principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

Catholic Lobby Day - April 22, 2008

2008-03-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

The tenth annual Catholic Lobby Day will be held this year on Tuesday, April 22 at the State Capitol in Sacramento.

Catholic Lobby Day is a gathering of Catholics across California who come together at the Capitol to raise their voices on behalf of those who are poor, vulnerable, or voiceless. The day includes a Mass at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, a March to the Capitol, Rally, and visits to legislators.

Bus transportation from the Diocese will be offered. Lunch will be provided along will all materials as well as an extensive pre-briefing and advocacy training on either Wednesday, April 16 at the Diocese or Thursday, April 17 at St. Clare Lower Church. Both sessions will be from 7-9 pm. Cost including lunch and transportation is $30. A limited number of scholarships will be offered.

This year, we will be joined by high school students and teachers from Archbishop Mitty High School.

Online registration is available at www.dsj.org/register/lobbyday. Deadline for registration is April 15.

Diocese of San Jose Joins with CCC on New Legislative Network

2008-03-31T09:39:00.000-07:00

The Diocese of San Jose is partnering with the the Califo rnia Catholic Conference (CCC) and dioceses across the state in the new Catholic Legislative Network. We are encouraging Catholics in the Diocese to sign-up and participate.

By becoming a member, you will learn how Catholic social teaching applies to the issues of the day, and join your voice with thousands of others across the state.

The Network will issue special alerts asking you to contact your representatives about a particularly important topic. You can add your own information to these important messages, or just use the email provided. You will also receive, Public Policy Insights. Published every week the California Legislature is in session, this brief email will give you a Catholic social teaching view at current public policy issues. It will also give you many links should you want to learn more about a particular topic.

We are excited about this new opportunity and encourage you to sign-up and be part of this new effort to bring our values to the public forum!

To register, visit the website at http://www.cacatholic.org/.

Just Faith - New Opportunties

2008-03-31T09:14:00.000-07:00

JustFaith has been active in the Diocese of San Jose for over six years. During this time, hundreds of people have participated and are now active, passionate advocates for justice in parishes and in the community.

Elizabeth Lilly of Catholic Charities is coordinating the program and would love to speak to any parish group about starting or maintaining a group and about several new opportunities offered this year. Contact Liz at elilly@ccsj.org or at (408) 325-5262.

JustFaith Ministries currently offers five programs:
JustFaith (Catholic) – The flagship program, used in over seven hundred Catholic parishes involving 12,000 people, is a thirty week process that empowers participants to develop a passion and thirst for justice, and prepares them for the work of social ministry.
JustFaith (Ecumenical) – This program is an adapted version of JustFaith (Catholic) for the larger Christian family. It is also a thirty week process focused on the call to be about God’s compassion and justice (see above).
JustSkills – This twenty session program is primarily focused on the practical skills involved in organizing, strategizing and effectively doing social ministry in the parish or church.
JusticeWalking – Crafted for older high school students and their mentors, this twelve session process engages participants in a spiritual journey and exploration of the radical call of the Gospel.
JustMatters – Patterned after the JustFaith process, these shorter 6-8 session programs focus on a very specific topic and allow participants to give increased attention to one issue, culminating in a call to engaged action. Currently, modules are offered on Climate Change and Prison Reform.

These programs are tools that have proven over and over again to be effective strategies for training and forming individuals to be agents of social transformation. They are exciting opportunities for parishes, churches, dioceses and small faith communities interested in expanding and promoting social ministry.

World Refugee Day - June 20, 2008

2008-03-31T08:42:00.000-07:00

The 16th Annual World Refugee Day will be on Friday, June 20th from 4:30 - 8:00 pm at the Auditorium, 1555 Berger Drive, Building 2, San Jose.

This annual event co-sponsored by the Refugee & Immigrant Forum of Santa Clara County and Santa Clara County Social Services Agency includes presentations, food, entertainment, free health screenings, a wearable art show, children's activities, and community resources.

Traditional attire is encouraged.

For more information, call (408) 453-3536 or (408) 325-5150.

Earth Day 2008 - April 22

2008-03-30T22:57:00.000-07:00

This year, Earth Day is April 22. For resources to celebrate the day, see http://www.earthday.net/. The new website, Catholics and Climate Change also has interesting information including Catholic Social Teaching and the environment.

"Ripe for Change" - Sunnyvale Presbyterian, April 12, 2008

2008-03-30T22:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 12, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church, Fellowship Hall (300 Bldg.) , 728 W. Fremont Ave., Sunnyvale

This evening of film and discussion will include a screening of the made-for PBS film "Ripe for Change" praising local, California agriculture, farmers markets and eating locally grown food, organic produce. The film will be shown in combination with a slow food* vegetarian dinner freshly prepared by expert cooks from produce purchased that morning from the Sunnyvale Farmers Market.

Cost $15. RSVP to Pat Plant, Hunger Action Advocate at pat@sanjosepby.org or (408) 279-0220.

*Slow Food: Good: Naturally delicious food created with care from healthy plants and animals. Clean: Grown and harvested with methods that have a positive impact on ecosystems and biodiversity. Fair: Produced by people who are treated with dignity and justly compensated for their labor.

Islam 101 - St. Lawrence Parish, May 5, 2008

2008-03-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

Islam 101, a workshop to bring greater understanding of the Muslim faith will be presented by Father Jose Rubio, Director of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Diocese of San Jose and Don Jones of the Diocesan Interfaith Commission on Monday, May 5 at 7:30 pm at St. Lawrence Parish, 1971 St. Lawrence Drive, Santa Clara. All are welcome.

Deanery 2 - Annual Peace Mass on May 7

2008-03-30T21:37:00.001-07:00

Deanery 2 will be celebrating their annual Peace Mass on Wednesday, May 7 at 7:30 pm at St. Nicholas Church, 473 Lincoln Avenue, Los Altos. The Mass has become a tradition in the Northern part of the Diocese. The Mass alternates among the seven parishes in the deanery. All are welcome.

Deanery 5 - Social Justice Speaker Series Begins on May 5

2008-03-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

Deanery 5 is restarting their Social Justice Speaker series. The new series will select a key theme of Catholic Social Teaching and provide a variety of speakers whose social action focuses on that theme.

For 2008, the selected theme is Solidarity and the focus is “Immigration and Refugees”. The first speaker for 2008 will be Mark McGregor, SJ, who will present his award winning documentary Posada which chronicles the lives of three unaccompanied minor immigrants and their trials and tribulations of finding a home in the U.S.

This talk and showing of Posada is scheduled for May 5, 2008 at 7:15 PM at Church of the Ascension, corner of Prospect Rd and Miller Ave in Saratoga. The showing and subsequent question and answer period with Fr Mark McGregor is scheduled for two hours. There is no charge for this event but a goodwill offering is requested.

"A Catholic Guide to Critical End of Life Decisions" Available in Parishes

2008-03-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Bishop McGrath has made available to all parishes several copies of a recent publication, A Catholic Guide to Critical End of Life Decisions: Advance Directives in both English and Spanish. This pamphlet was authored by Father Gerald Coleman, SS. For copies or more information, contact your parish. This brief, easily read document provides guidelines and a synopsis of the teaching of the Church on end of life issues.

Father Gerald Coleman, SS is Vice President for Corporate Ethics for the Daughters of Charity Health System and lecturer at Santa Clara University.

Faith Formation Conference 2008 Scheduled for November 21-22

2008-03-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

Mark your Calendars!

The Faith Formation Conference, Witnessing Hope to a Suffering World/Testigos de Esperanza para un Mundo Sufriente will be held on November 21-22, 2008 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. This conference is co-sponsored with the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Diocese of Monterey and will draw top presenters from the local area and across the nation. Last year, over 1500 attended. Several workshops of particular interest to those in justice ministry will be offered.

Immigration Course to be Offered at ILM in the Fall

2008-03-30T19:57:00.001-07:00

An 8-session course, Strangers No Longer: A Catholic Theology on Immigration will be offered this fall at the Institute for Leadership in Ministry (ILM). This course is open to both ILM students and parish leaders.

Proposed Course Outline:
I. Historical Perspectives – Immigrant Country/Immigrant Church
II. Scripture & Catholic Social Teaching
III. Migratory Trends
IV. Root Causes – Aid/Trade/Debt
V. Economics
VI. Legal Review – What is the Process? Definitions of Refugee/Asylee/Permanent Resident
VII. Public Policy Challenges and Responses
VIII. Pastoral Challenges and Responses

Faculty will be drawn from the Diocese of San Jose, Catholic Charities, Catholic Relief Services, and Santa Clara University

Dates: Wednesday evenings from 7:30 – 9:30 pm
September 17 and 24; October 8, 15, 22 and 29; November 5 and 1

For more information or to register, contact Anne Grycz at grycz@dsj.org.

"Beatitude Mass" Choral Presentation at Santa Clara University to Benefit Homeless Organizations

2008-03-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 19, 2008
Mission Church, 8pm
Suggested donation, $25
Box Office: 408-554-4015

Bay Area composer and Just Faith alum, Henry Mollicone wrote his inspiring “Beatitude Mass” with a vision: to raise money for the homeless. On April 19, Santa Clara University’s Center of Performing Arts, in collaboration with several SCU departments, will present a special performance of this poignant choral and orchestral work. All ticket proceeds from this event will be donated to local homeless advocacy organizations Casa de Clara, EHC LifeBuilders, and Sacred Heart Community Service.

Conducted by Leroy Kromm, professor of voice at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the performance will take place at 8 p.m. in the Mission Church on the Santa Clara University campus, and will feature Chair of the SCU Department of Music Nancy Wait-Kromm, soprano, and Paul Murray, baritone. They will be joined by members of the SCU choral ensembles, special guests San Jose Symphonic Choir and Monterey Symphony Chorus, and full orchestra accompaniment by an array of professional community musicians—all donating their time to the project.

Mollicone’s recently composed “Beatitude Mass” combines Latin text with English words by librettist William Luce to create a soulful illumination on the plight of the homeless. Inspired by a conversation with Father Jon Pedigo regarding using the arts to raise funds for the homeless, Mollicone developed the idea of writing a piece of music based upon first-hand interviews with homeless individuals. Pedigo connected Mollicone with a mission for homeless women, and the composer interviewed residents about their lives while Luce conducted additional interviews in Oregon. Combining the stories they had gathered, Luce created the mass’s two homeless leads: Adam and Evelyn. These symbolically named characters underline a major theme that surfaced from the interviews, which Mollicone describes as "the similarities—the universality—between all people."

Misson Groups Assigned to Parishes for Summer Appeal

2008-03-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

Did you know?....Every summer missionaries come from throughout the world to visit our parishes as part of the annual Mission Co-Op program. The purpose of the Co-Op plan is two-fold: to raise awareness about the missionary work of the Church and the needs of our brothers and sisters across the globe and also to provide financial assistance through a weekend parish appeal to benefit mission groups and dioceses.

This year mission groups from the Congo, Ghana, Uganda, Sudan, the Philippines, Haiti, India, Ecuador, Peru and missionary-sending groups and dioceses will be coming to our parishes during the months of July through September. Assignment letters have just been sent out to all parishes.

These missionaries would love to personally meet you and tell their story. In addition to their appeal during weekend masses, they may also be available to meet with parish groups and schools during the time they are here. They also would appreciate your hospitality...you can provide them a cup of tea or coffee and a welcoming presence.

To find out the group assigned to your parish, click here.

Your parish office will have their contact information and the date that they will be at your parish. Please note that the only fund-raising activity approved by diocese will be the appeal during the masses.

Martyr of the Amazon: The Life of Sr. Dorothy Stang

2008-03-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Author and Biographer Sr. Roseanne Murphy of Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, will be speaking about the inspiring life and work of Sr. Dorothy Stang on Sunday, April 27th at 7:00 pm at St. Athanasius Parish, 160 N. Rengstorff Ave., Mountain View.

For 31 years, Sister Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN, was a missionary, living with and working for the poor in the Amazon Forest of Brazil. Because of her work for justice and for the preservation of the Amazon Forest, on February 12, 2005, she was assassinated on a lonely country road in the small village of Boa Esparança in Para, Brazil.

This event is sponsored by the St. Athanasius Justice and Peace Group. There is no charge but donations for the continuing work of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Brazil would be appreciated. For more information call Mike Cavera (650) 967-7939.

Social Encyclical Anticipated this Summer

2008-03-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

Benedict XVI's third encyclical on issues related to Catholic social teaching and globalization probably won't be ready before summer, according to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. The Pope's secretary of state told the ANSA news service Sunday during his visit to Azerbaijan that he doesn't think it will be published before the summer holidays as the Holy Father continues to work on it. He is "reflecting and revising," added the cardinal.

The Holy Father dedicated his first two encyclicals to the virtues of love and hope. His first encyclical "Deus Caritas Est" (God is Love) was released in 2005, and "Spe Salvi" (Save in Hope) was released last November. "It needs to be written well. The Pope is making his reflections and annotations and is checking things rigorously," said Cardinal Bertone. "I'm not saying the pope is a true perfectionist, but in a certain sense he is. "The cardinal added that the encyclical will also have to be translated into various languages before its release, and that the Vatican is hoping to publish a Chinese version along with the other main languages. "Spe Salvi" was originally published in eight languages.

Irish Summer Institute 2008 - August 18-31

2007-12-04T13:58:00.001-08:00

This summer, Father Bob Hayes of the Diocese of San Jose will participate in the 12th

Bi-Annual Irish Summer Institute, a unique travel and study experience conducted by the Presbyterian Committee for Northern Ireland and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The experience will begin in Dublin with a study of the religious and political background of "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland and will then continue north to Belfast. The trip involves meetings with local leaders involved in the peace process to gain a greater understanding of the Irish situation. Participants are asked to utilize knowledge and insights gained from their experiences in Northern Ireland in order to commit themselves to becoming post-trip peacemakers in their own churches and communities.

Click here for a Brochure and to learn more.

Welcome to Fall Edition

2007-11-18T15:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Fall Edition of Faith Doing Justice the online newsletter from the Office of Evangelization, Justice, & Peace.

As usual, there is a lot to see including information on how to sign-on to a new legislative network formed in partnership with the California Catholic Conference.

I hope you will find this newsletter useful and informative. Feel free to share it with others.

Enjoy!

Linda

In this issue...

Join the Legislative Network! - Diocese of San Jose Joins with California Catholic Conference on Legislative Network

2007-11-18T08:03:00.000-08:00

The Diocese of San Jose has joined with the California Catholic Conference and other dioceses across California to form a new legislative action network.

Click here to sign-on.

You can make a big difference in just five minutes. Join our network and we'll send you important updates regarding on critical legislation and how you can speak out on important issues. This is our opportunity to bring our values to the political process and to speak up for those without a voice!

In addition to statewide issues, we will be adding local issues important to our valley as well as national and international alerts.

Join with others throughout the state and Diocese to make a difference!

U.S. Catholic Bishops Approve Faithful Citizenship Document

2007-11-15T09:57:00.004-08:00

"In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. This obligation is rooted in our baptismal commitment to follow Jesus Christ and to bear witness in all that we do." No. 13

On November 14, 2007, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved a new statement on Faithful Citizenship entitled: "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States."

The statement urges Catholics to be involved in public life and to use the values of their faith to shape their political choice.

A preliminary website for the 2007 statement can be found at http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org/. The full site with a range of resources including material in Spanish and for youth will be available in early January 2008.

Bishops Issue Statement on the War in Iraq

2007-11-15T09:57:00.003-08:00

On November 13, 2007, Bishop William S. Skylstad, as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement on Iraq entitled: "A Call for Bipartisan Cooperation on Responsible Transition in Iraq." In this statement the bishops seek to draw on Catholic moral teaching to continue to raise ethical questions regarding the War in Iraq and the involvement of our nation.

To share the moral guidance of the Conference more widely, a summary of USCCB perspectives on Iraq and Question-and-Answer format was released with the Presidential Statement. The Q&A can be useful in discussion groups and educational settings in parishes and schools.

Copies of both documents can be found on the web page. Click here.

Conscientious Objection to War - New Resource Available

2007-11-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has recently created a new web page to help those making decisions of conscience regarding war: www.usccb.org/sdwp/peace/consciencewar.shtml.

In a letter dated August 21, 2007 from Bishop Wenski of Orlando and Chairman of the Committee on International Policy, Bishop Wenski states that this resource was created, "in view of the fact that some Catholics, especially younger people are raising questions regarding the Church's position on conscientious objection to participation in warfare." The need for this guidance was anticipated earlier in the months immediately preceding the Iraq War when the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops stated:

We pray for all those most likely to be affected by this potential conflict, especially the suffering people of Iraq and the men and women who serve in our armed forces. We support those who risk their lives in the service of our nation. We also support those who seek to exercise their right to conscientious objection and selective conscientious objection, as we have stated in the past. (November 12, 2002)

The website contains a short document, Guidance on Questions of Conscience and Military Service. This document and the web page contain relevant excerpts from documents of the Church to help in responding to the pastoral needs of people struggling with decisions of conscience regarding war.

This is a very useful document. Take a look!

The Human Concerns Commission Publishes New Compendium of Social Justice Articles

2007-11-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

A New Social Justice Resource has been published in our Diocese...

The Human Concerns Commission of the Diocese of San Jose has just released a new resource that is now available for use in parishes and schools.

For the past year and a half, the Valley Catholic has printed a monthly Social Justice Teaching Column. Local community and faith leaders have contributed articles on topics critical to our community such as access to health care, affordable housing, immigration, care of the elderly, mental health, the death penalty, poverty, the war in Iraq, and others.

These articles have been compiled in a 30 page booklet that is available from the Office of Evangelization, Justice, & Peace. This booklet can be used as a resource to social justice committees, Just Faith groups, youth and young adult groups, catechetical programs, RCIA, and others.

We are very grateful to the Valley Catholic for printing these articles and to Michael Hawkins for compiling them!

To order, contact Sylvia at 408-983-0128 or by email at blanch@dsj.org.
$3/copy.

World AIDS Day - December 1, 2007

2007-11-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

December 1st is World AIDS Day. Established by the World Health Organization in 1988, World AIDS Day serves to focus global attention on the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Observance of this day provides an opportunity for governments, national AIDS programs, faith organizations, community organizations and individuals to demonstrate the importance of the fight against HIV/AIDS.

With an estimated 38.6 million people worldwide living with HIV at the end of 2005, and more than 25 million people having died of AIDS since 1981, December 1st serves to remind everyone that action makes a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

For information and materials, you can visit the AIDS awareness Web site and download materials, such as fact sheets that provide HIV/AIDS statistics and the new World AIDS Day poster, to assist in your efforts to educate, motivate and mobilize your local community in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Useful information is also available on the CRS website: see http://crs.org/worldaidsday/

To view the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), please visit http://www.pepfar.gov/.
For international events, go to http://www.worldaidscampaign.info/ .

Diocesan Posada - December 15, 2007

2007-11-10T10:02:00.000-08:00

Las Posadas is a Mexican tradition that retells the Christmas story of Joseph and Mary's search for shelter.

From December 16 through Christmas eve, participants reenact the story by going to three designated locations or homes. They face continual rejection until at the last home they are welcomed. For many of those in our community who may be undocumented, this is symbolic of the rejection and fear in which they live.

On December 15, we will celebrate a diocesan-wide Posada focusing on the need for reform in our immigration system and safety in our communities. All are invited. We will gather at 6:30 pm at the Eastside Community Center, 2150 Alum Rock Avenue, San Jose. At the conclusion, we will celebrate with food and music.

Join us!

Contact Liz Lilly at elilly@ccsj.org for more information or to volunteer to help.

Josefina's Story - Day Worker Center of Mountain View

2007-11-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

Note: This article was printed with the permission of Nueva Fronteras, the newsletter of the Day Worker Center of Mountain View and Josefina Vailon a worker in the Center who has generously shared her success story. The Day Worker Center works to empower low-income, recent immigrants through fair employment, education, and job skills training with the goal of obtaining full self-sufficiency. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) of the Diocese of San Jose has provided grant funding to this help support this program.

Josefina Vailon, 39, Puebla, Mexico
March 20, 2007

I thought that once I stepped onto American soil, I would be a free person. I thought that here was a nation made by immigrants, full of opportunity, full of jobs, that is the dream. People who are born here, even our own kids at times, don’t understand the struggle to make life better for yourself and your family. They don’t understand what extreme poverty is, not to have shoes to wear, not to be able to go to school, not to even have food to eat. They don’t see the desperation people feel who have absolutely nothing.

Before we crossed the border, I spent a month in Tijuana with my children, living out of trashcans. People are hard there; there’s no work. Many day workers are women. We have children to raise, we have families to support, we can’t be in the street, at anyone’s mercy.

There are people who say that we’re thieves, coming here to live on welfare, but it’s not true. We are not criminals. We are here to work. We just want to be recognized for the work we do. I used to work for different companies where the pay was extremely low, and sometimes we had to wait five or six weeks to get paid. Thanks to the Center, we have the opportunity to find work that pays a better salary.

I’ve been in this country for 14 years and I’ve never had the opportunity to take English classes until I came to the Center. All of us want to learn. At the Center, when we’re not working, we’re studying and learning. Now, one of my children is graduating from high school and one is attending university. They are living the opportunity that coming here has given to them. I’m very grateful for that. All we want is an opportunity.

Project Homeless Connect - December 5, 2007

2007-11-09T07:55:00.000-08:00

Join the City of San Jose and the County of Santa Clara for the fifth annual Project Homeless Connect (PHC) on Wednesday, December 5th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, 150 West San Carlos Street, San Jose.

PHC is a one-day concentrated effort to assist the City's chronically unhoused residents on the road to permanent housing and self-sufficiency. It will connect them to a range of medical, housing, and legal information and other services. About 500 people are helped at each PHC.

Volunteers are needed to help. A training will be offered on Tuesday, December 4 from 3:00 – 5:00 pm. For information and registration, call 408-451-4001.

Click here for more information.

"Homelessness is a Condition - Not a Crime" - Position Statement from St. Vincent de Paul

2007-11-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

The Voice of the Poor Committee of the St. Vincent de Paul Council of the United States has recently published a Position Statement on Homelessness.

In this Statement they call on the Society to "look out for and act on issues from the perspective of the homeless. As advocates, voters, tax payers, and constituents of politicians we have a voice and we must insure that the poor are listened too...the needs of those suffering from homelessness must not be ignored."

Their position states:

No person should be forced to live in bodily fear or in substandard conditions Every person needs access to minimum living conditions – safety, access to sanitation, food, clothing, shelter, medical assistance.

Particular attention must be given to those who are unable to care for themselves – children and youth, the elderly, sick, addicted, mentally ill.
There is no substitute for an involved, effective and committed government. We believe local, state and federal governments must make poverty a priority and become involved in addressing solutions, including fully funding programs that tackle homelessness.

Every person deserves an education. Practical, hands-on training that teaches a job proficiency and provides those with limited skills the opportunity to earn a decent income can go a long way to building self-esteem and dignity.
Workers must earn enough to be able to provide shelter and a decent life for their families. Communities cannot be satisfied with a minimum wage that is lower than the cost of living.

Safe, reliable, affordable child care is critical. Welfare to work programs must include funding for quality child care.

It is shameful that any veteran need resort to homelessness.

The entire Position Statement which also includes many resources, statistics and policy recommendations is located at www.voiceofthepoor.org/position/position_papers.htm.

National Conference on the Death Penalty in San Jose - January 17-20, 2008

2007-11-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

A national conference sponsored by the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and Death Penalty Focus will be held in San Jose, CA at the San Jose Holiday Inn from January 17-20, 2008.

The 2008 NCADP Conference will bring together committed volunteers, grassroots organizers, staff professionals from state and national organizations, and legal advocates, all of whom are working to abolish the death penalty in the United States.

The Conference is themed: "Reaching for the Dream." Conference sessions will provide opportunities for networking and interaction, as well as opportunities to enhance skills in strategizing, organizing, fundraising and communicating.

Specialized legal training will be held on Friday and Saturday for capital defense attorneys. Earn up to 14 MCLE credits.

See the website for more details: http://www.ncadp.org/events.cfm?event=1001 or call (202) 331-4090.

Diocese of San Jose and Maryknoll Partnership in Montego Bay, Jamaica

2007-10-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

"A diocesan priest from the San Jose Diocese in California is igniting mission sparks in Jamaica, hoping to fan missionary fires in his home diocese 3,000 miles away." Maryknoll Magazine, November 2007

Last year the Diocese of San Jose and Maryknoll embarked on a historic mission endeavor by partnering to send missionaries to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Father Tim Kidney was sent from the San Jose Diocese and Father Leo Shea from the Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers to work with the Montego Bay Diocese to develop formation programs for lay leaders. It is hoped that the groundwork they lay will develop into a long-term relationship between the Montego Bay and San Jose dioceses, including opportunities for groups and individuals to participate directly in this exciting mission opportunity that will greatly enrich both churches.

The work of Fathers Kidney and Shea was featured in the November issue of the Maryknoll magazine. Click here to view the article.

A box of 200 magazines has been sent directly to all parishes in the Diocese including the Spanish bilingual magazine, Revista. These magazines are available for use in the parish.

In addition, the Mission Office of the Diocese of San Jose and Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers are teaming to provide an array of mission education resources including posters, videos and DVD's, and speakers who are available to come to the parish.

Contact us for more information:
Linda Batton, batton@dsj.org or 408-983-0158
Deacon Matt Dulka, mdulka@maryknoll.org or 510-276-5021

Holy Childhood Association Christmas Cards Feature Childrens' Artwork

2007-10-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

For the third consecutive year, the Hol y Childhood Assoc i ation (HCA), a Pontifical Mission Society, is featuring the artwork of young Catholics on its Christmas cards. Proceeds from the sale of these cards supports the Church's outreach to children in the Missions.

“The artwork of these young missionaries is a great testament to their faith — and to their commitment to sharing the 'Good News' of Jesus’ birth with all the world," said Monsignor Kozar, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States.

This year’s 24 winning designs were selected from among some 10,000 entries submitted by elementary school age children in Catholic schools, religious education and home school programs throughout the United States. Ten children received honorable mention.

The original artwork, featuring various representations of the Nativity story, will be displayed at the National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., during Advent and Christmas 2007.

Each box of 24 cards is $10. The cards can be ordered online with a major credit card: click here or by calling the national office of the Pontifical Mission Societies at 1-800-431-2222. Also in November, winning designs will be featured as e-greetings at the HCA web site for kids – http://www.hcakids.org/. Also available online is an entry form for next year's contest.

JustMatters - New Program from Just Faith Ministries

2007-09-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

JustFaith Ministries recently introduced a new program, JustMatters.

JustMatters is a series of in-depth formation materials that invites participants to focus on a particular social reality or justice theme for the duration of six to eight weeks. The general format for these thematic modules involve 2 ½ hour interactive sessions that include prayer, reading, videos and dialogue.

The JustMatters library will cover contemporary and critical social and justice issues. Subscribing churches will have access to all thematic modules. The first module, released in October 2007, God’s Creation Cries for Justice - Climate Change: Impact and Response, represents a collaboration with the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change. The modules currently projected for the spring of 2008 will focus on Prison Reform, Immigration, and the UN Millennium Development Goals.

The 2007-08 registration fee for modules is $250, which gives a parish access to all other programs offered by JustFaith Ministries. This annual registration fee provides parishes with up to four JustMatters modules. If the parish is registered for another JustFaith Ministry program, there is no additional cost to access the modules.

For information:

Contact Elizabeth Lilly at elilly@ccsj.org. See also the website, http://www.justfaith.org/.

Catholic Coalition on Climate Change - New Program & Website

2007-09-09T11:17:00.001-07:00

In June of 2006 the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change (CCCC) was formed with the support of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the generous funding of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment.

They are now launching year two with a much more ambitious outreach effort. This includes a new website which highlights the Holy Father’s appeal to world leaders and the Catholic community to address climate change.

The CCCC’s website address is: http://www.catholicsandclimatechange.org/. This is a complement to the USCCB’s excellent climate change website: www.usccb.org/sdwp/ejp/climate.

On the CCCC website, you will find valuable resources on the environment and Catholic Social Teaching as well as prayers, bulletin announcements, reflection sessions, and homily suggestions. Take a look and sign up to receive regular updates.

Walk for Life West Coast - January 19, 2008

2007-09-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

Join thousands at the 4th Annual Walk for Life West Coast on January 19, 2008. The walk begins at 11 am at Justin Herman Plaza and ends at the Marina Green.

For detailed information, visit the website: http://www.walkforlifewc.com/. Click to download flyers: color or black & white. Check out schedule and speakers here.

Guest speakers include Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Gianna Jessen, abortion survivor, Jesse Romero, Radio host, Rev Clenard Childress, Father Frank Pavone, and invited guest Eduardo Verástegui, producer and star of Bella

Amnesty International - Policy on Access to Abortions

2007-09-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

Recently, the U.S. Catholic Bishops joined with others to call for Amnesty International to rescind its recent policy to support access to abortions. In this statement, Bishop Skylstad, Bishop of Spokane, Washington, and President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urged Amnesty International to "reconsider and rescind this new policy," stating that it "undermines Amnesty's long-standing moral credibility, diverts its mission, divides its own members..."

Click here for a copy of the most recent Statement dated August 23, 2007.
Click here for the Action Alert.

Juan Diego Center Helps Women in Crisis Pregnancies

2007-09-02T02:42:00.000-07:00

The Juan Diego Women's Center off Alum Rock Road in East San Jose has been operating quietly for 21 years providing services to women in crisis pregnancies. The only Catholic Center in San Jose, the Center offers free pregnancy tests, charitable items, referrals, and emotional support to needy mothers.

Through their compassionate and supportive environment, the Center estimates that they have saved hundreds of babies. In additional to practical support, they offer moral support and encourage a spiritual life in keeping with Church teaching. Although they are a Catholic Center, their door is open to anyone in need of help.

Operating on a limited budget and staffed by volunteers, they have weathered many difficult economic times but feel they have continued to operate through the support of the community.

To find out how you can support the Center or for more information, contact Willie Lapus or Patricia Rodriquez at 408-251-0900 or view the website at http://juandiego.trulyloved.com/. The Center is located at 12 North White Street, San Jose.

Welcome - End of Summer Edition

2007-08-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the latest edition of "Faith Doing Justice." Summer is almost gone in spite of the wonderful weather. Children are off to to school and, for all of us, the always unfinished work of justice continues...

There have been some major disappointments over the past few months. Congress has failed to act on immigration reform legislation and, recently, the State budget has finally passed after a delay of 55 days with $703 million in cuts, many impacting social services to the poor.

In spite of the setbacks, we move forward.

The work in the diocese on immigration reform continues in collaboration with other groups in the county including our partnership with Catholic Charities and PACT.

We are also working with the California Catholic Conference and other dioceses in the state to develop new tools for advocacy and to increase the civic involvement of Catholics in the state. This will include the development of a statewide legislative network and educational outreach. Watch for announcements on this in the future.

I think you will see in the information below much to celebrate and many opportunities for involvement. As usual, let me know if I can be of help to you.

Many Blessings, Linda

In This Issue...

Parish Social Ministry Formation Opportunities - Fall 2007

2007-08-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Renewing the Church

This fall, there will be several new opportunities for learning and formation in Parish Social Ministry. We are still taking sign-ups, but time is limited. Let us hear from you!

JustFaith – a school year curriculum on the connection of Christian faith and practicing our faith for small groups of adults to follow with guides for prayer, reading, videos, guest speakers, and meetings with the poor. Similar to the RENEW or Faith Sharing group experience, participants grow in knowledge and community. Catholic and ecumenical versions available. Host this in your parish or join with others in your neighborhood or deanery.

Charity and Justice: Catholic Social Teaching, ILM class (open enrollment) – an eight week class on current issues such as affordable housing, environment, access to health care and their relationship to our faith tradition of valuing human dignity, being stewards of creation, sharing rights and responsibilities, and working for the common good. Each class will have a guest speaker and time for making the connections with our gospel values. Wednesday evenings, 7:30-9:30 PM, at St. Lawrence Academy, Santa Clara.

JustFaith II, Skills for Parish Social Ministry - Support the Diocesan Pastoral Plan with this skill building training. There are twenty weekly sessions with practical applications for promoting justice education, dialogue, social analysis, conflict resolution, legislative advocacy and more. Learn how to put your parish mission of outreach to the poor into action in a more organized, communal and sustainable social ministry.

For more information contact Elizabeth Lilly, 408 325-5262 or elilly@ccsj.org. For the 8 week class, contact either Elizabeth or Linda Batton, 408 983- 0158, batton@dsj.org.

Click here for flyers and registration forms for Charity and Justice: Catholic Social Teaching and Just Faith II: Skills for Social Ministry.

2007-2008 State Budget Signed

2007-08-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

On Friday, August 24, 2007, Governor Schwarzenegger signed the 2007-2008 State Budget with $703 million in vetoes to spending. Throughout his veto message, the Governor said repeatedly, "These reductions are necessary in order to further build a prudent reserve in light of the various uncertainties in revenues and spending that we face this year."

Most of these cuts, a total of $527 million, will affect health and human services including $55 million from a program that provides mental health services for the homeless. In response, Ned Dolejsi, Executive Director of the California Catholic Conference stated, "While fiscal responsibility is to be applauded, many of the actual decisions made by the Governor...will directly impact those who are the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. In our opinion, this budget has no 'moral center' to it. It is a statement of political expediency and legislative dysfunction. There is little to celebrate...after nearly eight months of work by our elected officials and a 55 day delay in passing it."

Click here for a brief summary by the California Catholic Conference of the Governor's actions on the key issues.

Note:
The Diocese of San Jose will be joining with other dioceses across California on a statewide legislative network. Information will be forthcoming. We anticipate that this network will be important in our future advocacy work on behalf of the poor and marginalized. To sign on, contact Linda Batton at batton@dsj.org.

Labor Day Statement 2007: A Time to Remember, A Time to Recommit

2007-08-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

The Labor Day Statement for 2007, "A Time to Remember, A Time to Recommit" by Bishop Nicholas DeMarzio of Brooklyn and Chairman of the Domestic Policy Committee of the USCCB has just been released.

In his reflections, Bishop DiMarzio reminds us that the moral dimensions of work and workers' rights are at the center of our tradition and that many people in our midst lack decent work or fair wages, toil in terrible conditions and have no real voice in economic life.

In his "look back," he revisits the national debate over immigration reform which he says was at its core about workers who try to come to our land to secure better lives for themselves and their families by their labor. His analysis provides an excellent summary of the recent failure in Congress to enact immigration reform legislation.

In conclusion, he says, "Labor Day 2007...is a time to recall the powerful and consistent teaching of our Church on the dignity of work and the rights of workers...For Catholics, Labor Day 2007 is a time to recommit in our own small ways - to our own work, to treat others justly, and to defend the lives, dignity, and rights of workers, especially the most vulnerable. This is a requirement of our faith and a way to advance the promise of our nation."

Click here for a copy of the full statement.

Labor Day Speak Out - 20 Parishes to Participate

2007-08-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

It has become a tradition in our diocese that each Labor Day weekend, to remember and honor workers, many of our parishes participate in Labor Day Speak-Out. In this way, we again have the opportunity to remember that as Catholics, the dignity of work and the rights of workers are central elements to Catholic Social Teaching.

Organized by the Interfaith Council, this activity each year highlights a particular concern affecting area workers. Last year, the theme was the exploitation of hotel workers. As a result of presentations at Catholic parishes and other congregations throughout the valley, over 15,000 cards were signed in support of humane working conditions for hotel workers.

This year, the focus will be contract workers - those who often work in temporary or part-time positions and who do qualify for even minimal benefits.

During Labor Day Speak-Out, at the invitation of the parish, workers will give their testimony during mass and congregants will have the opportunity to add their names to statement supporting workers.

This year, 20 of our Catholic parishes in the Diocese of San Jose will be participating in this annual event.

St. Catherine's Hosts Dinner for Darfur

2007-08-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

On July 15, 2007, St. Catherine Parish in Morgan Hill hosted a Dinner for Darfur coordinated by their Social Justice team. Silvestro Akara Bakhiet from the Sudan was the guest speaker.

The Dinner was a tremendous success with over 200 attending and a total of $13,000 raised. Mario Banuelos, Social Justice Liaison for St. Catherine's said they expected about 60 and when more and more came, they just kept putting up chairs!

The funds at the Dinner will be donated to the work of Catholic Relief Services in Darfur. Estimates are that it will reach 150,000 people across Western Sudan and will help to provide food, shelter, clean water, sanitation, education, and agricultural support for those in desparate need in this humanitian crisis. The Social Justice team also put together additional information to the community on how to get involved such as fair trade, volunteer opportunities, and access to email alerts.

Congratulations to St. Catherine's and the Social Justice team as well as all involved including the Lifeteen group who provided the necessary chairs and much needed help!!

For further information on Darfur:

CRS - Catholic Relief Services webpage on Darfur has educational and background material and ideas for further involvement.

Save Dafur - Coalition of faith-based groups

Blue Bag Project at Holy Spirit - BE THE CHANGE!

2007-08-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

Holy Spirit Parish has recently embarked on a very successful Blue Bag Project as part of their parish-wide committment to care for God's Creation. Once a month, after all weekend masses, colorful blue bags are made available for $1 each. These bags are to be used in place of plastic grocery bags and are re-usable, lightweight, and washable. By using these bags, the families at Holy Spirit will reduce the number of paper and plastic bags entering the local garbage landfill by as many as one million per year!

With the purchase of these "Be The Change" bags, the parish and its families make a tangible commitment to action on behalf of the environment by:

Purchasing a sufficient supply of bags

Making every effort to use the bags in place of plastic or paper bags

Looking for additional opportunities to care for God's creation recycling and encouraging others to use the bags

These bags serve as their commitment to stewardship for God's planet and as a visible symbol for change. In fact, Pastoral Associate, Penny Warne says, "We're seeing these bags everywhere. Some have even been spotted walking across the famous Abbey Road in London. We have noticed that our local grocery stores are now selling similar bags with their store logos!"

Congratulations to Holy Spirit!

Are you interested? See www.greenbag.info or contact Penny at Holy Spirit to see how to get started

Global Climate Change

2007-08-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has joined with other faith groups in contacting members of Congress and urging them to make sure that the needs of people in poverty are top priorities in any legislation to address climate change. In addition to USCCB, these groups include the National Association for Evangelicals, the National Council of Churches, the Union for Reform Judaism, and the Orthodox Church in America.

Specifically, they have agreed on a core set of moral principles that should shape our nation's response to climate change:

There is sufficient scientific consensus about the dangers of global climate change and the moral principle of prudence requires us to act now to protect the common good.
There is persuasive evidence that the consequences of climate change will fall disproportionately on the world's most vulnerable people and inaction will only worsen their suffering.

Policies aimed at addressing global climate change should seek to enhance rather than diminish the economic situation of people in poverty.

Policies should seek to help vulnerable populations here and abroad adapt to adverse climate impacts and actively participate in efforts to address climate change

More information:
For a copy of the full letter, click here. For a resource sheet on global warming including useful website and ideas on preserving the environment, click here.

Immigrant Leadership Training

2007-08-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

Learn to develop the vision, skills and leadership for our immigrant community. Participants discuss the commonality of human needs, and analyze the historic context of immigration laws. Explores diverse leadership styles, develop skills in public speaking, team building, networking, and community organizing techniques. Become more effective in working with media and government. Discuss current levels of immigrant involvement and develop strategies for overcoming barriers to civic engagement.

Classes are held at the County Office of Human Relations at 2310 N. First Street Suite 104 in San Jose and are offered on Wednesdays at 5:30 - 8:35 from September 4 through December 21 from 5:30 - 8:35. Three college units are awarded.

For information, contact Teresa Castellanos at teresa.castellanos@ohr.sccgov.org or by phone at 408-792-2306.

Increase Affordable Housing in Silicon Valley - Catholic Charities

2007-08-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

Shelter is a basic human need. Housing assistance is one of the greatest emergency needs in our county. Join with others in asking Congress to take three steps:

Increase HUD funding to provide 59,000 Section 8 vouchers for Santa Clara County. This is the number of families on the waiting list.

Pass the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund legislation for the construction of 1.5 million low-income housing units over 10 years.
Create legislation for the right to decent, affordable housing.

Send this message to your Congress person this month.

For more information contact Margherita Pagni, Social Policy Specialist, Catholic Charities, or (408) 325-5258.

Faith Formation Conference - September 21-22

2007-08-08T23:13:00.000-07:00

Prophetic People Speak Truth/Los Profetas Hablan La Verdad -

Faith Formation Conference 2007

On September 21-22, 2007 the Diocese of San Jose will be joining with the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and the dioceses of Monterey, Oakland, and Stockton for the annual Faith Formation Conference at the Santa Clara Convention Center. Over 2,000 attendees will be coming from all over Northern California. A variety of workshops will be offered in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Information and registration is available online at http://sitekreator.com/faithformation/main_page.html or your parish office. Those who register in time for earlybird registration by August 31st will pay just $25 per day.

There are many workshops that will be of interest to justice advocates and ministers.

For a complete, downloadable list of suggested workshops for Social Justice Ministers, click here.

Respect Life Sunday - October 7

2007-08-08T23:03:00.000-07:00

The Respect Life Program begins anew each year on Respect Life Sunday, the first Sunday in October. The program is highlighted in liturgies and marked by special events. The USCCB Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities publishes a program packet each year to call attention to numerous human life issues. Each contains information on current issues, program suggestions, liturgy resources and clip art.

Materials for the 2007-2008 program are now available. These program packets have been mailed to parishes. To download or view them online, click here.

World Mission Sunday - October 21

2007-08-08T22:36:00.000-07:00

World Mission Sunday, organized by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, is a day set aside for Catholics worldwide to recommit themselves to the Church's missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice.

Annually, World Mission Sunday is celebrated on the next-to-last Sunday in October. As described by Pope John Paul II, World Mission Sunday is "an important day in the life of the Church because it teaches how to give: as an offering made to God, in the Eucharistic celebration and for all the missions of the world" (see Redemptoris Missio 81).

This year, World Mission Sunday will be celebrated on October 21. For information and materials, click here.

Global Poverty Conference - October 27

2007-08-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

The Archdiocese of San Francisco will be hosting a conference on global poverty on Saturday, October 27. This is intended to be an action step follow-up to the historic conference last year.

Parish kits and advocacy tools will be available. To register, see the website, http://www.sflifeandjustice.org/. For information, call 415-614-5567 or contact them by email at publicpolicy@sfarchdiocese.org. Cost $20. Scholarships are available.

CCHD Collection - November 18

2007-08-08T13:38:00.001-07:00

The work of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development is made possible by the generous donations of Catholic parishioners whose financial gifts in the annual CCHD collection, and at other times of the year, become the tools of self-reliance, self-sufficiency and self-determination for people who are motivated to break out of the cycle of poverty. This year, the annual collection will be on November 18.

Through grants, our diocese has the opportunity to provide assistance to many local self-help, community organizations working to empower the poor to fight against the root causes of poverty. The amount we have to give depends on the generosity of Catholics during the annual collection.

If you would like to have a speaker come to your parish from one of our committee members or a local CCHD-funded group, please contact Linda Batton at batton@dsj.org.

Packets containing posters, flyers, and envelopes will be mailed to parishes within six weeks prior to the collection on November 18. A parish guide contains bulletin announcements, prayers, and program suggestions. For downloadable parish materials and more information about CCHD, click here.

Poverty USA - Make a Difference!

2007-08-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

Did you know - today 37 million Americans - 1 in 6 children - are struggling in poverty, making hard choices between food, health care, heat, and rent?

To bring attention to this national crisis, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has launched a new set of public service announcements (PSAs) for television, radio and print markets. The 2007 PSAs have been distributed to media outlets and can be viewed online. You may see these ads running on television and in the print media.

January is Poverty Awareness month. The website for Poverty USA contains wonderful resources in English and Spanish such as poverty facts, a poverty quiz and other material useful to raise awareness on poverty in the United States in your parish and community.

For information on Poverty USA and CCHD, contact Linda Batton at batton@dsj.org or by phone at 408-983-0158.

Safely Surrendered Baby Law

2007-08-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

The Safely Surrendered Baby Law (also known as the Safe Haven Law) allows a parent or person with lawful custody to surrender a baby confidentially to a Safe Haven site, without fear of arrest or prosecution for child abandonment.

A parent who is unable or unwilling to care for an infant can legally and confidentially surrender their baby within 3 days of birth to any public or private hospital emergency room in California. A bracelet will be placed on the baby for identification and a matching bracelet will be given to the parent. The bracelet will help identify the child if the parent changes their mind during the 14-day cooling off period. During this period, the person who surrendered the child can return to the hospital or Safe Haven site to reclaim the child. A baby can be safely surrendered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This information has been sent to our parishes by Elizabeth Lilly of Catholic Charities. For additional information including authorized Safe Haven sites, posters and other materials, click here: Safely Surrendered Baby Law.

Santa Clara County 2-1-1

2007-08-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

Santa Clara County (2-1-1 SCC) is a free, non-emergency, confidential service that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Mandarin, and 140 other languages. For everyday needs and in times of crisis, 2-1-1 provides streamlined access to local community services such as food, shelter, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention, employment assistance, and so much more. It also serves as a link for individuals seeking to volunteer, provide resources, or assist during a crisis in Santa Clara County.

Parish & Community Relations Manager, Rubén Solorio, will be delivering 2-1-1 SCC brochures and posters to each of the parishes and schools in the Diocese of San Jose. He will also be of service to parishes that provide social services and ministries; assisting them in registering with 2-1-1 SCC. Filling out 2-1-1 SCC profiles will give the Diocese the ability to be included in the 2-1-1 SCC database and inform our parish communities of the services we are providing through our local parishes.

For more information, please contact Rubén Solorio 408-325-5129 rsolorio@ccsj.org.

"Our Journey to Native Lands" - Immersion Experience to Fort Apache

2007-08-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

By Deacon Steve Herrera

Note: Steve Herrera is the Director of the Immersion Program for the Diocese of San Jose. See the website for pictures, you will be inspired!

During the summer of 2007, six Catholics from the Diocese of San Jose and two Buddhists from the Shinnyo-en sect of Buddhism, travelled to Arizona and New Mexico to encounter Native American culture and experience Native American Spirituality.

We started our journey by going to the Heard Museum in Phoenix. The Heard provided us with an overview of the history of Native American peoples in the Southwest and exposed us to numerous artifacts of various tribes.

Our journey then took us to Canyon de Chelly, where we toured and viewed ancient cliff dwellings in Navajo country. Subsequent to that visit we ventured to Chaco Canyon in New Mexico and toured ancient ruins of the Anasazi people. We also had the privilege to go to Mass and get a tour of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, in Chinle on the Navajo reservation.

Our final stop led us to the Hopi reservation where we toured Walpi Mesa, the oldest continuously occupied dwellings in North America.

We returned to Fort Apache, in Whiteriver, Arizona, located on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. We had the privilege of participating in the Sweat Lodge ceremony and various phases of the Sunrise Ceremony, which is the coming of age ceremony for young Apache women.

For more information regarding this unique experience please contact Deacon Steve Herrera at ImmersionDSJ@aol.com. this trip is open to any adult Catholics in the Diocese of San Jose, ages 21 and up.

Covenant House - Volunteer Opportunities

2007-07-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

Covenant House provides comprehensive services to homeless and runaway youth under the age of 21. Through Covenant House Faith Community, individuals have the opportunity to serve as full time volunteers in direct care at a Covenant House Crisis Center; live in a diverse volunteer community house with a focus on simple, healthy, and respectful living; and share in daily communal prayer/reflection.

Volunteers can serve for 3, 6, or 12 months. Faith Community houses are located in New York, NY; Atlantic City, NJ; and Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Benefits include room and board, weekly stipend, health insurance, vacation time and vacation stipend, severance stipend at end of service commitment, community retreats, deferral of most student loans, and opportunity to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award.

For more information, contact Paula Rote by email at faithmail@covenanthouse.org or by phone at 212-727-4081.

Visit the website at www.covenanthouse.org/faithcommunity to find out how you can make a difference in the life of a homeless youth!

New Website from USCCB on Catholic Social Teaching

2007-07-11T14:30:00.001-07:00

The USCCB Department of Social Development and World Peace has a new and improved website which has been redesigned to make it more accessible and "user-friendly."

On this website, you’ll find information on Catholic social teaching and on the church’s positions on issues of justice and peace. Key resources are available for diocesan social action leaders, parish social ministry leaders, priests and deacons, Catholic educators, and others. The document "Faithful Citizenship" is available here as well as "Communities of Salt and Light."

You can also sign-up here for regular action alerts on crucial federal and international issues and important pending legislation. You will also receive periodic issue mailings. This is a great way to stay informed and take action!

Take a look at www.usccb.org/sdwp. This is the place to go to for the most current information on justice issues from the U.S. Catholic Bishops!

A Reflection on Corpus Christi - Legalism and the Immigration Debate

2007-06-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

June 14, 2007

By: Rev. Robert Brocato

Reprinted with Permission by the Valley Catholic

Note: Father Robert Brocato is the pastor of Christ the King Church and a member of the Human Concerns Commission and Council of Priests for the Diocese of San Jose. He is active in the struggle for immigrant justice and with the Diocesan Campaign for Immigration Reform. This article was included in the Social Justice Column in the August edition of the Valley Catholic. It was written after the Corpus Christi celebration on June 10, 2007 at City Hall and the Cathedral.

She begins labor contractions, and her husband rushes her to the hospital. It’s late at night, so he only slows at red lights before carefully crossing those intersections. Or, a woman whose purse has been stolen boards the light-rail train to get home, hoping she will not be asked for a ticket. Or, he could not afford the car registration renewal, so he put it off. Although he realizes it expired yesterday, he nonetheless today drives to a job that, for the sake of his family, he cannot afford to lose.

What do all these scenarios have in common? They are all examples of law-breaking. Moreover, they are cases that, were any of us in those moral dilemmas, we would do the same. And in each case we would break the law thinking it the right thing to do. It would be very odd were anyone to complain afterward that we undermining the rule of law. Odder still if we were labeled “illegals.”

These common sense examples point to the fact that that any particular law, while assumed to be good in itself, is not the ultimate measure of morality. All laws serve a greater good, namely, our common human dignity. Good laws are sufficiently humane, reasonable, and enforceable that instances of their needing to be broken are rare.

Millions of foreign-born people have decided that the only way to care for, or stay with, their families is to cross an international border into the U.S., without legal authorization. Many risk their lives in the process because they know a job awaits them. The debate over immigration reform has made it clear that many American citizens have no sympathy for those immigrants’ dilemma. Their response to arguments for respecting their courage, sacrifices and contributions with a pathway to citizenship is typically something like, “we are a nation of laws, and lawbreakers must not be rewarded.”

There are coherent arguments for offering a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants in the U.S. There are arguments for doing less. It seems to me that, in itself, “they broke the law” is not an argument for anything. The real issue is whether or not existing immigration laws are in fact humane, reasonable, and enforceable. I have yet to hear anyone say that they themselves, were they in a similar survival situation, would chose to respect an international border over the physical and spiritual welfare of themselves and their families.

Ideas have, for better or worse, a remarkable power to shape our imaginations. It seems that the idea of law is particularly powerful, and not always in a healthy way. Some American citizens who from time to time need to break laws condemn foreign-born law-breakers whose human need is much more dire and obvious. They are legalists, that is, they regard statutory law as the supreme measure of morality—for others. Jesus was regularly confronted by legalists, who rejected and finally killed him because he did not keep Jewish law. Law is good and necessary; legalism is morally toxic. St. Paul pointed to religious legalism as the antithesis of genuine Christian faith. The debate over comprehensive immigration reform has demonstrated the incredible power of legalism to enchant and blind otherwise intelligent and well-meaning people.

Last Sunday some people from my Catholic church took part in a traditional religious procession to celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi. (It was mischaracterized by some media as a protest march.) We carried the Blessed Sacrament—for Catholics the real presence of Christ—in public. In doing so we offered a vision of a Christian community united not around an idea, but around the person, vision, and values of Jesus Christ. We proclaimed that our unity in Christ transcends any differences in language, culture, and yes, even immigration status. Further, we proclaimed that this holy bond transforms us into the Body of Christ! To paraphrase St. Paul (Gal 3), in Christ we are neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female.

We are indeed a nation of laws. But law must serve the greater, common good. A vision of why and how we should reverence each one another is, from my faith perspective, precisely what the vision of the Body of Christ is all about. It is as beautiful to behold as it is difficult to live. I wish more Christians could see it.

Summer is Here!

2007-06-17T09:23:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Summer edition of the online justice newsletter, Faith Doing Justice!!

There is much to celebrate as we look back to the past year, and yet much work yet to be done! As a Catholic community, we have joined other dioceses in the state and nation to advocate and pray for comprehensive immigration reform. We have also been privileged to work in partnership with many interfaith and grassroots organizations to struggle for the rights of immigrants and the poor. We've joined in the fight against assisted suicide in California...focused phone calls made a difference. And we have had a very successful Lobby Day with 42 advocates speaking with legislators on behalf of the poor and voiceless.

Looking ahead, there are several opportunities offered for parish and community leaders, including an 8-session course in Social Justice at the ILM and a multi-diocesan Faith Formation Conference in September. Catholic Charities is starting a new Just Faith II process. Check it out!

Personally, I have had many blessings...last January, I had the opportunity to travel to Tanzania with CRS to see the wonderful work they are doing in this country. I am forever grateful for the experience. I have included an article about a wonderful, inspiring woman I met while there. Last month, I was able to accompany several city leaders including the San Jose mayor to visit and pray over the grave of Cesar Chavez. I prayed for all of us...that we will have the courage and strength to continue to work for justice and the rights of all.

In the newsletter, you will find many opportunities to be involved and resources to learn more.

Many Blessings, Linda

In this Issue...

Corpus Christi Sunday - June 10, 2007

2007-06-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

Where people are oppressed,
the Eucharist speaks of freedom.

Where Christians are imprisoned for their faith, the bread and the wine become Christ, the cornerstone.
Where the Church feels its resources limited, the Body of Christ proclaims that God's love has no limits.

Where discrimination divides us,
the Blood of Christ unites.

Where politics, war, poverty, and status isolate us,
the Eucharist draws us near to one another.

(Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ,
Liturgy by Diana Macalintal)

On June 10, 2007, over 300 Catholics gathered at City Hall and the Cathedral Gardens as part of a prayer and procession to recognize the enduring contribution of the immigrant, new and old, in building up the Body of Christ, the Church. Christ the King parish began their procession following the 10 am Mass and passed by Homeland Security where they left flowers and offered prayers of lamentation for those who have been separated from family members. They were joined at City Hall by similar processions from Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Patrick parishes and the Cathedral. After prayers and testimony, the group processed together to the Cathedral Gardens where they were met by Bishop McGrath for closing prayers and reflection.

The day concluded with a Congressional Briefing by Kevin Appleby, Policy Director at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C. who urged the group not to give up and to continue the struggle for comprehensive immigration reform.

The processions and prayers in San Jose were accompanied by similar processions in Dioceses throughout the state in which the California bishops encouraged all pastors to use the occasion of the feast of Corpus Christi to reflect on the struggle of immigrants, pray for a just reform, and urge parishioners to take some action.

Guide for Undocumented Immigrants Available

2007-06-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

A new Guide in Spanish and English for undocumented immigrants is available from Catholic Charities. This guide provides practical advice and actions for immigrants to prepare now for the time when and if Congress passes a legalization bill. Also, included is a warning about notarios and unscrupulous immigration consultants.

This Guide can be downloaded and distributed in parishes. Click here for copies: Spanish, English.

For further information, contact Robert Yabes at robert@ccsj.org or by phone at 408-325-5279.

Just Faith II - New Program Offered by Catholic Charities

2007-06-15T14:49:00.001-07:00

This year, in addition to Just Faith, Catholic Charities will offer Just Faith II: Skills for Social Ministry, a new program recently developed by Just Faith Ministries which focuses on developing practical skills for social ministry.

JustFaith II provides participants with the opportunity to develop the skills to effectively and deliberately lead their parish’s social ministry beyond impassioned individuals toward an organized, communal, sustainable response.

The sessions will focus on spiritual formation, education on key social issues, and skill development. Topics for skill development include: strategies for building social ministry within the parish, community organizing, legislative advocacy, leadership development, dialogue and facilitation, justice education, and global solidarity.

For more information on Just Faith or Just Faith II, contact Liz Lilly at 408-325-5263 or by email at elilly@ccsj.org.

Click here for a fact sheet and application.

Care For Creation: Actions You Can Take...

2007-06-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

In Renewing the Earth, the Catholic Bishops have called us to "consider the moral issues raised by the environmental crisis...as matters of powerful urgency and major consequence."

"Care for Creation" is a resource sheet and list of practical actions that can be taken to help us do our part to protect the planet for our children and future generations to come. Also included is a list of additional educational and action resources.

Please feel free to download and copy this information.

Click here for resource sheet.

Physician-Assisted Suicide "Shelved" in California

2007-06-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

On June 7, 2007, the authors of the Compassionate Choices Act, which would have legalized suicide in California, realizing they did not have the votes, declined to bring the bill to a vote on the Floor of the Assembly. The office of Assemblyman Levine reported that the authors would make it a two-year bill—which means it would be considered again in January 2008. For the full story, see the recent newsletter from the California Catholic Conference.

This bill was stopped due to the strong advocacy of the Catholic community in collaboration with many other groups such as LULAC-The League of United Latin American Citizens and disability rights organizations. Locally, several pastors made calls to legislators and many grassroots leaders including those who traveled to Sacramento on Catholic Lobby Day were instrumental in making our voice known.

At this point, however, the issue has not been defeated; only delayed. The California Catholic Conference has prepared several useful resources to educate ourselves and the community in the meantime. Please note below:

Materials For Distribution In Parishes:
What’s Wrong with Assisted Suicide (two-page bulletin insert) English Spanish
What is the Catholic Position on Physician-Assisted Suicide (one page information/discussion piece) English Spanish
Religion and the Public Square (one page information/discussion piece) English Spanish
The Truth About Assisted Suicide (Prepared by the coalition, Californians Against Assisted Suicide)
Two Page Discussion of AB 374

"Prophetic People Speak Truth/Los Profetas Hablan la Verdad" - Faith Formation Conference September 21-22, 2007

2007-06-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

This year, we will again be joining hundreds of Catholics from Northern California for two days of celebrating, community, and collaboration at the Santa Clara Convention Center on September 21-22 for the Faith Formation Conference; a a joint endeavor of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and the Dioceses of Monterey, Oakland, San Jose, and Stockton. The theme this year is "Prophetic People Speak Truth/Los Profetas Hablan la Verdad."

Online registration can be accessed through the www.sitekreator.com/faithformation website under the "register" button and link. All interested in enriching their faith are welcome.

There are several wonderful workshops of special interest to justice advocates. View workshops. Please note the following:

Friday: FB-8, FC-3
Saturday: A-39, A-59, B-31, B-34, B-37, B-46, C-23, B-66, C-32, C-55, C-67, A-68 (Spanish)

Timely topics include: Putting Love and Justice into Action, Immigration Law, Engaging Youth in Global Solidarity, Human Trafficking, Integrating Solidarity into Parish Life, Domestic Violence, Ministry to Lesbian and Gay Catholics, The Ecological Vocation, Faithful Citizenship, Forming a People of Peace in a Time of War, Welcoming the Stranger, Welcoming Christ, and Salt and Light in the Parish.

We've made registration easy for you. Come for both days or either one. See you there!

Urge Senators to Support Peace between Israel and Palestine by Co-Sponsoring Senate Resolution 224

2007-06-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Click here to call your Senators and urge them to co-sponsor Senate Resolution 224 in support of peace and security in Israel and Palestine. Please thank Senator Feinstein who is the sponsor of the bill.

BACKGROUND: A bipartisan group of Senators has introduced Senate Resolution 224 that reaffirms the Senate's dedication to a two-state solution with "the State of Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security." Click here for more information about S. Res. 224.
Click here for a recent letter to the Senate by Bishop Wenski, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on International Policy Chairman in support of S. Res. 224.

For further information contact: Tina Rodousakis, Legislative Network Specialist, 1-800-235-2772 x 7462; trodousa@crs.org

Rahel's Story: Living With Hope in Tanzania

2007-06-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

As most of you are aware, in January, I had the opportunity to travel with CRS to Tanzania. It was truly a life-changing experience and I will always be grateful.

While there, our delegation had the opportunity to view first-hand the many projects CRS is engaged in to provide support and development assistance particularly in the areas of agriculture and health. With the prevalence rate HIV/AIDS of 8-12%, it is major health crisis in Tanzania and throughout Africa. However, there is cause for hope...with the recent introduction of anti-retroviral therapy (ART), many with HIV/AIDS are finding hope - in fact, they call this "the Lazarus effect"...those who were in fact weeks from death are able to rise from their beds and become again members of the community.

One such person we met was Rahel (see photo on the right). Rahel told us that she was no longer living with AIDS, but living with hope. She is very grateful for the help she is receiving. However, through Rahel and many others we met, we able to discover that for many receiving ART, nutrition is an issue. Funds to support ART comes from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). These funds are meant to be used for drugs and cannot be used for food except in particular circumstances. This is a problem as for the treatment to be effective, a patient must eat five, small, nutritious meals a day. I personally talked to one mother who said she could only provide one meal a day for her young daughter suffering from AIDS and TB.

Our delegation decided that we needed to do something about this. While in Washington in February for the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, we lobbied our legislators on behalf of Rahel and all those who spoke to us. We also discussed this with the CRS staff in Tanzania. As a result, CRS has created a special project which they hope will be funded by private contributions. The name is Rahel's Response or Food for People Living with HIV and AIDS in Tanzania.

To learn more about Rahel's Response and for the opportunity to help in this effort click here.

The Water for Life DVD is Available

2007-06-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

2.5% of the world's water is freshwater, of which 3/4 is stored in the polar ice caps. This leaves less than 1% of freshwater for drinking, farming and manufacturing. Water in the world is so scarce that the United Nations has declared 2005, the Water for Life Decade. In fact, the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world today is food and water scarcity issues that threaten the peace and security of most developing nations.

For 60 years, CRS and the National Council of Catholic Women have been bringing the gift of clean water to poor families all over the world. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of this partnership, a new DVD highlighting the water program has been produced entitled Water for Life. It explores why more than 1 billion people around the world do not have adequate access to clean water. It is available through CRS' Education Portal at http://education.crs.org/water_for_life/.

Minimum Wage Increase Signed into Law - Housing Fund Approved by House

2007-05-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

May 29, 2007

Great news on the minimum wage and funding for affordable housing! There has been important progress on two high priority issues. First, after more than ten years the minimum wage increase became law. Second, the House of Representatives moved a bill establishing a fund to build and renovate housing for very low income people. See below for an ALERT that announces these important accomplishments.

Minimum Wage Increase:
On May 25, President Bush signed into law the first increase in minimum wage in over a decade. The Iraq war spending bill included an amendment increasing the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 per hour in three steps over a two year period. The first wage increase of $.70 comes 60 days after enactment, increasing the minimum wage to $5.85 hourly. One year later, the minimum hourly wage will increase to $6.55 per hour and the final increase to $7.25 per hour a year after that (2 years after enactment). Along with the minimum wage increase, the supplemental contains $4.84 billion in tax breaks mostly for small businesses.

H.R. 1427 Passes with an Affordable Housing Fund
Our nation is a bit closer to providing new resources for affordable housing in our communities. H.R. 1427, the Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2007, passed the U.S. House of Representatives on May 22 by a vote of 313-104. The bill creates an Affordable Housing Fund of more than $500 million a year. For the first year, the money will go to Louisiana and Mississippi to rebuild rental housing affordable for very low and extremely low income people. After that, the funds will become a dedicated source of revenue for the future National Housing Trust Fund. The amendment (Hensarling #28) that would have had the effect of excluding the Catholic Church and other religious organizations from using the housing trust funds to help low-income families gain the housing they desperately need was withdrawn. Other numerous attempts to eliminate or alter the Affordable Housing Fund were defeated. Note that all of our local Representatives, Anna Eshoo, Mike Honda, Zoe Lofgren, and Gerald McNerney, voted for this bill. It’s now on to the Senate!

Catholic Lobby Day 2007 - Mark Your Calendars for 2008!

2007-05-20T13:52:00.001-07:00

On April 24, 2007, a delegation of 42 from the Diocese loaded on a bus and traveled to Sacramento to join over 600 other Catholics in the State Capitol to raise our voices on behalf of the poor and to lobby legislators for four key issues: no on assisted suicide, yes on compassionate release of terminally ill prisoners, yes on food security for the poor, and yes on inclusion of immigrants in college loan programs.

Those who attended this day reported that it was a wonderful experience!

We are planning for 5 buses in 2008!!

Mark your calendars NOW for Catholic Lobby Day 2008 APRIL 22, 2008

New Social Justice Course to be Offered at ILM in Fall 2007

2007-05-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

This fall, a new course in social justice, "Charity and Justice: Catholic Social Teaching" will be offered at the Institute for Leadership in Ministry (ILM). This course will feature presentations by local speakers and will include practical ways to apply these principles to issues in the parish, at home and work.

Sessions offered will be...

Catholic Social Teaching: Spirituality and Challenge
Affordable Housing
Workers' Rights
Access to Health Care
Global Issues - Local Impact
Life Issues
Environmental Justice
Citizenship

This course is for ILM students and is also open to others who would like to participate. Click here for a fact sheet and application.

For more information, contact Linda Batton at 408-983-0158, batton@dsj.org or Liz Lilly at 408-325-5262, elilly@ccsj.org.

Assisted Suicide: A "False Choice" For Those with Terminal Illness

2007-05-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

Reprinted with Permission by Valley Catholic
Update: On June 7, 2007, AB 374 was "shelved" due to insufficient votes. See post: "Physician-Assisted Suicide 'Shelved' in California Assembly."

By Linda Batton

Wending its way through the State Legislature is AB 374, known as The Compassionate Choices Act, which would make it legal for a physician to prescribe lethal drugs to a person diagnosed with a terminal illness, who had six months or less to live.

AB 374, sponsored by Compassion in Choices, is similar to the “Death with Dignity” law in Oregon. The bill is virtually identical to AB 654/AB 651, the legislation that failed in the 2005-2006 legislative session.

This time, however, the proponents have recruited the Speaker of the Assembly, Fabian Nuñez as a co-author. At their press conference, the authors declared that “this time it would pass” and that what they wanted to pass was not “suicide” but “aid in dying” and “compassionate choice.”

These continued efforts to legalize assisted suicide capitalize on our deepest fears of loss of control and autonomy. Borrowing language from the abortion debate, “choice” is the ultimate right that must prevail over all others.

Using “compassionate” in the title of the bill infers that opponents lack this virtue. The major argument, proponents of this bill offer revolves around personal liberty, choice, and civil rights.

As Catholics, we oppose euthanasia or assisted suicide because we believe that human life is a gift from God, that we are stewards, not owners, of that life and that life is sacred from conception to natural death.

This informs and underlies our policy perspectives. Assisted suicide is opposed by the California Catholic Conference as well as the American Medical Association, the California Medical Association, the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association, the California Disability Alliance, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, the League of United Latin American Citizens, La Raza Roundtable of Santa Clara County and the Sacramento NAACP, as well many other organizations representing the poor, uninsured, and people with disabilities.

In our advocacy with California legislators, the following arguments have been offered by the California Catholic Conference and the Californians Against Assisted Suicide (CAAS):

1. California law already gives every patient the right to refuse extraordinary end-of-life treatment. AB 374 isn’t about improving care for the terminally or chronically ill; it is about legalizing assisted suicide.

2. AB 374 is strongly opposed by both the American Medical Association and the California Medical Association as well as hospice workers. Legalizing suicide could seriously damage the relationship between patients and healthcare workers.

3. It is especially remarkable that the Legislature is considering AB 374 at a time when millions of low-income Californians and their families don’t have access to basic health care.

4. AB 374 poses a real danger to people with new disabilities or chronic diseases as research overwhelmingly shows that people with new disabilities will often initially experience despondency and even suicidal feelings, but later will adapt and enjoy life.

5. AB 374 would provide a powerful incentive for health insurance providers, disaffected family members or potential heirs to promote assisted suicide over long-term expensive care.

6. People often live many years after a “terminal” diagnosis, yet initial thoughts of depression and temporary thoughts of suicide are common. Physicians who specialize in end-of-life care know that these thoughts are transitory and that patients respond to support from health care providers, family, and hospice workers.

7. Studies confirm the most of those killed under Oregon’s assisted suicide law consented to the lethal procedure for reasons of “autonomy” or fear of “loss of dignity” or abandonment rather than for intractable pain.

Any legalization of assisted suicide is bad public policy. The real answer lies instead in working to provide access to healthcare to the millions of Californians who go without it. The real answer to providing a dignified death is to insure that those who are suffering are offered hospice care and palliative medications to ease their suffering.

Legalization of AB 374 offers a false “choice” because if those who are dying are offered comfort and compassion, they will not seek death, they will not be tempted to take themselves out of the equation, but will live their last days well.

In the final analysis, policy decisions are always personal. In the last months of my father’s life, he received wonderful and compassionate hospice care. His suffering was minimized by excellent medical care and the entire family was supported through the process. Although initially, depressed and anxious about the effect of his illness on his family, he was able, through such care to live the last months of his life surrounded by those he cared about and in the home that he loved. I am convinced that he would have wanted this same care to be available to all.

For more information including parish material, see www.cacatholic.org or www.ca-aas.com. See also Statement on Euthanasia, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1991.

"Strangers No Longer" - New DVD Available on Immigration

2006-12-21T13:32:00.000-08:00

“Strangers no Longer” invites us to open our hearts and minds and identify with today’s immigrants. It invites us to look into our past and notice the similarities that exist between ourselves and our ancestors when they came to this great land and those who are arriving now. We are made aware of the many global implications that cause people to migrate to the USA, including our need for more workers. It helps us to understand problems that exist with our current immigration system and underlines different solutions and activities that can be undertaken to fix what is broken. It reminds us of our moral responsibility to actively live our faith and our obligation to be a voice of change so that newcomers are strangers no longer.

Sections:
1. Call to Welcome
2. Our Immigrant Heritage
3. New Realities
4. Living the Faith & Credits

Run Time: Short Version 16 minutes * Long Version 22 minutes
Both Versions w/ Spanish Subtitles

The DVD has an accompanying study guide in Spanish and English which is available to download at www.justiceforimmigrants.org/snldvd.html. This DVD can also be ordered via this same website or to borrow it from the Diocese, contact Sylvia at 408-983-0128.

Advent Greetings!

2006-12-17T12:17:00.000-08:00

Advent blessings! As I always say, this year has passed all too soon. We are all busy with many things this Christmas season - I hope you will take a few moments to see the many things that are happening in our Diocese and local community.

Many blessings to you and your loved ones this season of Advent.

Linda

In This Issue...

Interfaith Council Hosts Hearing on Hotel Workers - January 17, 2007

2006-12-17T11:09:00.000-08:00

Note: The following message is from Rev. Carol Been of the Interfaith Council. Many of the 14,500 pledges gathered were from parishes in our Diocese! Congratulations to the many parishes who participated and to Fr. Bill Leininger who organized the Catholic response.

Dear friends and colleagues,

You have been part of an amazing groundswell of support for hotel workers. In the fall we gathered 14,500 pledges supporting dignity and justice for these workers and in November presented the cards and broke bread with management on the first day of negotiations at the Double Tree Hotel. It was inspirational to see workers who often feel isolated and alone experience the support of the religious community and to see management pray with us that the decisions made would sustain life.

As we become more aware of the working conditions in this industry it is the hotel housekeeper’s stories that are the most heartbreaking. Women, because of workloads that are impossible to bear, are living in pain morning, noon and night. One housekeeper, Lupe, recently fell as she was rushing to finish a far too heavy workload in far too short a time. She broke her knee. The hotel assigned a doctor to see her, he proclaimed her well enough to work if she stayed off her feet. A tactic often used to try and avoid a workmen’s comp case. In pain and on drugs, Lupe was forced to work or lose her job and the chance to see a doctor of her own choosing after a month. Unfortunately this is not an isolated story. In San Jose, whether you work in a union or non-union job, the workloads are too high and the injuries are too plentiful.

On Wednesday, January 17 4:30 – 6:30 PM the Interfaith Council is hosting a public hearing with worker testimonies and experts in work safety in order to raise awareness and begin to put pressure on the downtown hotel corporations to respond to the cry for justice from these women to lower their work quota.

Before we hear testimony, we will gather in Cesar Chavez Park for a short program and procession and then hold the hearing at 240 S. Market Street (directly across from the park).

Please RSVP if you can attend (clergy will process, wear clergy garb!) and announce this in your services.

Your presence will help make this an amazing event and it will be one more step toward saving the bodies and improving the lives of women whose careers are to serve our comfort.

May your light shine bright this holiday season!

Rev. Carol Been
The Interfaith Council
408-269-7872 x 577
408-266-2653 fax
carol@atwork.org

Death Penalty on Hold in California

2006-12-17T09:41:00.000-08:00

The death penalty is again in the news...on Friday, December 15, federal Judge Jeremy Fogel ruled that execution by lethal injection in California is "broken" and procedures must be changed before more prisoners can be put to death. Judge Fogel's ruling will further delay executions in California where 650 inmates are now on death row.

The U.S. Catholic Bishops have been calling for an end to the use of the death penalty for 25 years. More recently, in March of 2005, The Catholic Campaign to End the Death Penalty was launched. For all of us, this recent news is an opportunity for teach clearly, encourage reflection, and call again for action in the Catholic community. The materials in the Campaign include a statement, A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death. Click here to obtain the full statement.

Death Penalty Focus has also released information on the recent ruling and and message points. See their comments below:

Lethal Injection Message Points

Core Messages:
1) The death penalty is failed public policy which drains valuable resources away from programs that actually increase public safety and serve the needs of victims. So why are we trying so hard to fix it? Now is the time to abolish the death penalty.

2) Chaos and confusion dominate California’s executions making it inevitable that botched executions will continue to occur. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that the state blindly adopted the current lethal injection procedure from Oklahoma and began carrying out executions without any research, methodological investigation, and even more shockingly, without providing training to the prison staff.

3) California’s prison system is in crisis and the execution process is just one more example. The California prison system is turning a blind eye to the mounting evidence of mistakes and simply carrying on with business as usual. The prison administration has known for years that there are many problems with the execution procedures and it has refused to fix them; instead, making the process as secretive as possible, so that the public is kept unaware of the inhumane killing of prisoners.

For more information, visit the Death Penalty Focus lethal injection page: http://www.deathpenalty.org/index.php?pid=Lethal&menu=1"

Holy Father's Message for World Day of Peace - January 1, 2007

2006-12-15T14:52:00.000-08:00

Attached below, you will find the link to the Vatican website for Pope Benedict XVI's message for World Day of Peace on January 1, 2007. His theme is "The Human Person, The Heart of Peace."

Click here to view and download the message from the Vatican website.

Blessings and Peace,

Linda

Journey to Justice Retreats - February 3 & 24, 2007

2006-12-14T17:06:00.000-08:00

The annual Journey to Justice retreats have been scheduled for 2007 for JustFaith participants at the following dates and locations:

Saturday, February 3 - Eastside Neighborhood Center
Saturday, February 24 - Day Worker Center at Mountain View

Sister Elizabeth Avalos, Linda Batton, and Elizabeth Lilly will facilitate these day-long retreat experiences.

Journey to Justice is the middle retreat in the JustFaith process. During this day, participants are led through prayer, Scripture reflection, and Catholic Social Teaching, especially as they relate to the preferental option for and with the poor and the building of solidarity across economic lines. A major and key portion of the day is devoted to an immersion experience with a CCHD funded group.

For information on this retreat and to sign-up contact your parish coordinator or Elizabeth Lilly at elilly@ccsj.org.

Walk for Life San Francisco - January 20, 2007

2006-12-14T17:05:00.000-08:00

The third annual Walk for Life West Coast will be held this year on Saturday, January 20, 2007. It will begin with Mass at 8:00 am at St. Mary's Cathedral, 1111 Gough St. at Geary, San Francisco. The Walk will start at 11:00 am at Justin Herman Plaza on Market Street. There will be a Info Faire at the end of the Walk at Marina Greens. An all-night Eucharistic Adoration preceeds the event beginning at 8:00 pm on January 19th at Saints Peter and Paul Church at 666 Filbert Street at Columbus.

Last year, over 15,000 people participated!

For more information on this event, see www.walkforlifewc.com.

Pro-Life Mass & Prayer Walk - January 22, 2007

2006-12-14T17:00:00.000-08:00

A Pro-Life Mass at St. Nicholas Church in Los Altos on Monday, January 22nd at 11:30am will mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Following the Mass, a silent Prayer Walk will proceed 8 blocks to the Los Altos City Hall at 12:30pm. St. Nicholas Church is located 2 blocks south of Main St. on the frontage road west of Foothill expressway. The address is 473 Lincoln Ave. For more information, please call St. Nicholas Church at (650)948-2158.

This is the 23rd year that this annual event has been held and it is the only daytime pro-life event on the peninsula. Pastor Ken Gammons of the First Presbyterian Church of Mountain View will again deliver the invocation for the Prayer Walk. The featured speaker will be Carmen Caligaris, a volunteer in several local pro-life support organizations. The Prayer Walk is planned to coincide with the March for Life in Washington.

San Jose State Students Join in Effort to Rebuild Gulf Region

2006-12-14T10:16:00.000-08:00

On Thursday afternoon, December 14, a simultaneous press conference was held in New Orleans, Louisiana, Gulfport, Mississippi, and San Jose, California to announce a "national call to students" to participate in Louisiana Winter this January 14-20. Louisiana Winter is being billed as this generation's Mississippi Summer, as teams of 20-40 students will spend five days educating and organizing in towns and cities throughout the Gulf Coast, culminating in a mass rally in New Orleans. In the first week of on- line registration, 80 students from 13 universities including San Jose State responded to the call. If current numbers continue, 100's of students from around the nation will participate.

The goals of Louisiana Winter are: to turn the nation's attention to the Gulf Coast; to have students witness first-hand the social suffering of post-Hurricane Katrina; and to promote the immediate passage of the GULF COAST CIVIC WORKS PROJECT. If passed by Congress, the GULF COAST CIVIC WORKS PROJECT will hire 100,000 Gulf Coast residents to rebuild New Orleans and the Mississippi gulf coast. The residents will be provided temporary housing, and then rebuild and repair houses, schools, levees, parks, and other civic buildings.

For information on the project, click here on Gulf Coast Civic Works Project or "Louisiana Winter." See also, www.solvingpoverty.com

Evening Program with President of Catholic Charities USA - January 16, 2007

2006-12-14T09:44:00.000-08:00

Save the Date!

January 16, 2007
7:30 PM

The Gift of Time and Talent:
Gospel Values in Action

A Conversation with
Rev. Larry Snyder
President of Catholic Charities USA

Hosted by

Mr. Greg Kepferle,
CEO of Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County

Parish Social Justice Teams/JustFaith Alumni
With your passion for justice come be refreshed and affirmed
in the call to parish social ministry and energized by the vision
of engaging parish volunteers in works of charity and justice.

Please join us this evening
to hear just how your important works partner with
Catholic Charities USA: providing help, creating hope!
and Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County: changing lives for good!

Place: TBA

Watch for Further Announcements!

What is CLEM?

2006-12-14T09:22:00.000-08:00

Are you curious? I hope so!

One of the components of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan is:

"The recruitment, development and support of lay leaders to meet the changing needs of the Church. "

"There can be no doubt that God is calling us to embrace the gift of vocation to lay leadership." (Renewing the Church, Pastoral Plan of the Diocese of San Jose, p. 21)

The Diocese of San Jose is blessed to have many dedicated, competent men and women who have been entrusted with roles that entail ministerial leadership within parishes, hospitals, schools, church organizations, and diocesan offices.

In our parishes, especially are a number of laymen and women who serve as Lay Ecclesial Ministers in collaboration with clergy and other lay staff members.

To recognize this new category of ministers, the diocesan Council for Lay Ecclesial Ministers (CLEM) was established in March 2006. Ecclesial Lay Ministers are recognized with a commissioning ceremony. Several have been commissioned already in the fall.

In our Diocese, Lay Ecclesial Ministers:

Are authorized by the bishop to serve publicly in the local church
Work in close collaboration with the ordained clergy
Have a significant degree of theological formation
Are recognized by the parish community as persons with authority
Are able to preside at services such as Good Friday and Funeral Vigils
Administer, facilitate, plan, train leaders, hire, manage budgets and calendars
Have at least five years of experience

The CLEM has been meeting regularly to plan retreats and other events. Please watch for further announcements including additional information in the Valley Catholic.

St. Christopher Parish Liaison Quoted in New Justice Publication

2006-12-12T21:31:00.000-08:00

The Social Justice Liaison for St. Christopher Parish, Tom Walsh has been quoted in the new book, "My Lord and My God: Engaging Catholics in Social Ministry" written by Jeffry Odell Korgen, Director of Social Ministries at the National Pastoral Life Center in New York City.

Tom is a graduate of the JustFaith Program at St. Christopher and was interviewed in connection with his experience in the program. Tom also traveled with Catholic Relief Services on an Immersion Trip to El Salvador.

In the book, Tom describes his decision after experiencing Just Faith to adopt a simpler lifestyle:

"I've been in the process of radically changing the way I live. The nine months that we went through JustFaith opened by eyes to how our world is and what I could do about it. It was like I have known this all my life and had never faced it, and now it was impossible not to face it. It was exhilarating.

In order to change anything at all, I had to start by changing the way I live my life. We now try to live more simply. As a result, our expenses are five hundred dollars a month less. The savings goes to Bread for the World and Catholic Charities. We cut our food budget by 40 percent. We cut our clothing budget 50 percent, entertainment by 80 percent..."

In our diocese, over 250 people have completed the JustFaith program and have had similar experiences. To find out about the program, see www.justfaith.org or contact Elizabeth Lilly at elilly@ccsj.org.

To purchase a copy of the book, go to Amazon or to the National Pastoral Life Center at www.nplc.org.

New Website for Environmental Justice

2006-12-12T21:20:00.000-08:00

As people of Faith, we are convinced that "the earth is the Lord's and all it holds….We believe our response to global climate change should be a sign of our respect for God's creation. (Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good, US Catholic Bishops, 2001)

In the past several months, several parishes have screened the film, "An Inconvenient Truth." Many are looking for next steps...to discover what can they do and where can they find more information on global warming and climate change.

There is a new website, "Faithful Stewards of God's Creation: A Catholic Resource for Environmental Justice and Climate Change," which is available at: www.usccb.org/sdwp/ejp/climate.

This website includes a compilation of Church teaching on environmental justice and climate change and other educational resources for parishes. Some additional materials are forthcoming and a printed kit is expected to be available through USCCB Publishing in January 2007. This is the place to go if you are interested in working further on this important issue!

"Sunday Stories" - Catholic Charities

2006-12-12T21:07:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth Lilly, Director of Community and Parish Partnerships for Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County has written a set of stories to connect Sunday scripture to the social service ministry of Catholic Charities.

Each reflection contains useful information on the local work of our Catholic Charities and opportunities for involvement. They make excellent parish bulletin announcements and are appropriate for faith sharing groups.

For a copy, click here.

"Picturing Mary" Documentary - December 21, 2006

2006-12-12T20:47:00.000-08:00

"Picturing Mary" is a stunning new, high-definition documentary to debut December 2006 on public television. It explores how images of the Virgin Mary reflect numerous traditions, devotional practices, and cultures. The one-hour program leads viewers on a pictorial journey through history from earliest Christian times to the present day. It presents a fascinating array of art from twelve locations in eight different countries.

The documentary is a joint effort of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Communication Campaign and New York Public Television. The program is narrated by actress Jane Seymour and features quotations read by actor James Keach.

Locally, the documentary will be aired on KQED on December 21, 2006 at 9:00 pm. For additional information, see www.picturingmary.com. DVD copies will be available for purchase at $19.95 a copy from USCCB Publishing: http://usccbpublishing.org or call 800.235.8722.

World Day of Migrants and Refugees - January 14, 2007

2006-12-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

The Holy Father has issued a statement in honor of the 93rd World Day of Migrants and Refugees to be celebrated worldwide on January 14, 2007. The theme for this year will be "The Migrant Family."

For a copy of the Holy Father's message, click here. The message specifically considers the various categories of migrants, with their families, meaning those who migrate for economic reasons, giving special attention to traffiking in human beings, asylum seekers and refugees, as well as foreign students.

Advent Reflections by Jim Balquist

2006-12-11T09:34:00.000-08:00

By Jim Balquist

With the coming of Christ comes hope. While injustice is often highlighted in the stories that make our newspapers (if it bleeds, it leads), we also see hope...Like the hope reflected in the Nobel Peace prize recipient who developed and implemented microfinance tools to even the playing field and provide loans and other financial services to those in poverty - - - with great success. The article I read noted that "Poverty is a threat to peace and if poverty was a disease, then microcredit would be the best vaccine." Apparently the Nobel Prize Committee agreed.

Then there is the story of four families moving into homes resulting from Habitat for Humanity - - - and Kancetta Jones who, abandoned as a child and shuttled through foster services, at age 19 is now living alone (with the help and support of a local non-profit), working hard, looking forward to college, and incredibly, finding time volunteer at a Santa Clara child abuse shelter!

We see the presence of Christ in these stories - - but not the physical presence. In these stories, Christ is with us, in us, and His work is accomplished through us. Perhaps that is the hope we celebrate in this season.

Note: Jim Balquist is the Social Justice Liaison for St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish in Santa Clara. Jim is a graduate of the Institute for Leadership in Ministry for the Diocese of San Jose and is a Master Catechist. Jim and Ann, his wife, are members of the parish social justice committee. Jim writes a weekly column for the Parish Bulletin. Thank you, Jim for your contribution!

National Migration Week - January 7-13, 2007

2006-11-22T15:59:00.000-08:00

'Lord, when did we see you a stranger...and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' (Mt. 25:44-45)

"Welcoming Christ in the Migrant" is the theme for National Migration Week which is observed in 2007 on January 7-13. It is both an invitation and a challenge to provide welcome for the migrants, immigrants, refugees, human traffiking victims, and other people on the move who come to our country seeking justice and peace.

This is a particularly timely reminder as we continue to grapple with the immigration debate in which the strangers in our midst have often become a source of fear and mistrust. Catholic Social Teaching and Scriptures call upon us all to welcome the stranger as we would Christ himself.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops have produced some very colorful and beautiful resources for parishes and schools. These materials include prayer cards, posters, and a parish guide. These resources are available in Spanish and English online at www.usccb.org/mrs/nmw.shtml.

St. Catherine's Movie Night

2006-11-22T14:35:00.000-08:00

On November 21, St. Catherine's Parish in Morgan Hill hosted the showing of the documentary film, "Dying to Live: A Migrant's Journey." The event was coordinated by St. Catherine's Parish Social Justice Liaison, Mario Banuelos.

Mario wanted to highlight the issue of comprehensive immigration reform. As he was quoted in the Morgan Hill Times, "We want a road to legalization for all the illegal immigrants who are here. We want them to be able to come out of the shadows...with dignity and to be functional in society." To reach out to youth and their families, he invited the confirmation class, their parents, and sponsors.

Over 60 people from the parish and community came. Many came forward and offered their personal stories - of coming across the border, of being an Irish or Italian immigrant. It was an opportunity to put a human face on the issue. This is a real example of the work that many parish liaisons are doing on important issues. Congratulations to St. Catherine's, and to Mario and the team!

"Dying to Live" is a 33-minute documentary produced by the Institute for Latino Studies at Notre Dame University. To obtain a copy, see: http://www.nd.edu/~latino/units/dying_video.htm.

Click here for article featuring the event in the Morgan Hill Times.

Immigration Materials for Advent

2006-11-22T14:17:00.000-08:00

The Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform (CCIR) of the Diocese of San Jose has put together Advent materials with an immigration theme. These materials were adapted from those available from the Archdiocese of Chicago. Included in the packet are:

Homily Helps and Prayers of the Faithful
A Lesson for Children in School and Religious Education
Multicultural Christmas Celebrations
Additional Parish/School Resources (Websites, Books, Videos)

There is still time to make use of these materials. To download or view copies:

Click here for English.
Click here for Spanish.

An Immigrant Prayer

2006-11-22T13:34:00.000-08:00

You are the God who bears the brunt of the question, “Why didn’t you stay where you belong?” You feel the red-faced embarrassment when we hear, “Keep your distance, you foreigner, with your different-colored skin and your strange-sounding speech, with your culture, food, religion, and clothing that are inferior to my own.”

You are the God who sits along side of us who work in sweatshops, with our bloodshot eyes and aching fingers squinting under the soul-less glare of a florescent light.

You are the God who rises early in the morning with us as we go to harvest fresh vegetables and fruits picked with fingers stained by the pesticides and fungicides that penetrate our skin.

You are the God who stands with us in the chill of the morning in the parking lot at Home Depot, with anxious stomachs hoping that we too would be picked to work just for that one day.

Loving God, as we stand before you today, help us to remember that when we speak of immigrants and refugees, we speak of Christ.

Hear our prayers for necessary, just, and comprehensive immigration reform. Make us strong in the work for immigrant justice and remind us that our work is no easier than the every day work of our immigrant sisters and brothers.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(adapted from Justiceforimmigrants.org website by Fr. Jon Pedigo)

US Bishops Issue Statement on Iraq War

2006-11-16T15:10:00.000-08:00

"Blessed are the Peacemakers for they will be called Children of God" (Matthew 5:9)

On November 13, 2006, the bishops of the United States issued a statement that calls for serious and civil dialogue on a morally responsible transition in Iraq. The central message of the statement is that the search for genuine justice and peace in Iraq requires moral urgency, substantive dialogue and new directions.

The statement outlines benchmarks for a responsible transition and declares, "Our nation's military forces should remain in Iraq only as long as their presence contributes to a responsible transition. Our nation should look for effective ways to ends their deployment at the earliest opportunity consistent with this goal."

The statement offers support and prayers for U.S. troops in Iraq, their families here at home, their chaplains in the field, the suffering Iraqi people, and Christians and other religious minorities who are especially vulnerable in the region.

Click here copy of the full statement.

Catholic Social Ministry Gathering - February 9-14, 2007

2006-11-03T10:26:00.000-08:00

"Bringing Good News to a Broken World: Overcoming Fear with God's Love" is the theme of the 2007 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington, DC on February 9-14, 2007.

The Catholic Social Ministry Gathering is the annual meeting of social justice ministry leaders from national Catholic organizations and dioceses throughout the nation. The meeting includes prayer and worship, challenging speakers, and social ministry strategy sessions. In addition, participants receive detailed briefings on priority peace and justice issues especially as they affect the poor and vulnerable. A highlight of the meeting involves bringing a common Catholic message on these issues to our Senators and Representatives on Capitol Hill.

Attending for the Diocese of San Jose will be Linda Batton, Terrie Iacino, Father Jon Pedigo, and Deacon Steve Herrera.

If you are also interested in attending, the registration form is available online at: http://www.register123.com/event/profile/form/index.cfm?PKformID=0x293152abcd

To view or download the 21-page brochure, click here.

USCCB & CRS - Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty

2006-11-02T18:43:00.000-08:00

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) have implemented a new campaign, The Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty. In this Campaign, they invite Catholics throughout the U.S. to advocate for national policies that foster economic and social development for people living in poverty throughout the world.

The Campaign focuses on three areas of U.S. economic policy:

Trade - Shaping U.S. trade policies so that overcoming poverty and promoting human development are central priorities.
Aid - Supporting effective programs that foster long-term development and empowerment of the poor.
Debt - Eliminating the debt of the poorest countries in ways that reduce poverty and promote dignity.

The website has extensive resources including specific action steps for social justice groups, bulletin announcements, educational material on global poverty and Catholic Social Teaching, and prayers and intercessions. You can also register online to receive a complete parish packet. See www.usccb.org/globalpoverty or www.catholicrelief.org/globalpoverty.

Mission Co-Op 2006

2006-11-02T18:29:00.000-08:00

This year we again had missionaries visiting our parishes from all over the world including India, Ghana, the Philippines, Haiti, South Africa, Oaxaca, Mexico as well as mission-sending organizations such as Maryknoll, the Medical Missionaries of Mary, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, the California Jesuit Missionaries, the Capuchin Franciscan Order, the Columban Fathers, and the Society of African Missions and others.

As of this writing, a total of $256,625.38 has been collected to support missions! Thank you sincerely for all that you do to support missions and mission activities in our diocese. Each year, this amount increases and we hear wonderful stories about how welcome missionaries feel when visiting our parishes.

We are now preparing for the Mission Co-Op in 2007. Missionaries visit our parishes during the summer months. They are an under-utilized resource and are often available to give talks or reflections on their work to parish groups or schools. If you would like to know who has been assigned to your parish and the date of their appeal, contact Sylvia at 408-983-0128.

Deanery 7 Social Justice Day - January 13, 2007

2006-10-26T15:54:00.000-07:00

Living the Dream: Faith, Justice, Action!
Deanery 7 Day of Reflection on Social Justice
Saturday, January 13, 2007,
Holy Family Parish, 4848 Pearl Ave, San Jose
9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

On Saturday, January 13, 2007, the parishes of Deanery 7 (the Southwest Deanery) will come together for a day of prayer, study and reflection on the social justice teachings of the Catholic Church and the call to live our lives according to those teachings. The goal of the day is to help the people of each parish identify the issues that most compel them to action as well as to find ways in which we can collaborate on such action as a deanery.

This day will provide all who participate with a chance to begin to form a plan to help to transform the world. We will be addressing important issues that are impacting our local community, our nation, and our world: injustices caused by poverty, lack of respect for life in all its forms, exploitation of workers, inhumane immigration laws, inadequate health and safety regulations, fair trade, responsibility for our environment and other issues that involve us as part of God’s family. Keynote speakers will be Fr. Jon Pedigo and Greg Kepferle from Catholic Charities. Workshops and discussion groups will be offered, as well as lunch.

This day of Social Justice is open to people from all parishes in our diocese. Registration is $15 and includes lunch.

Click here for a registration form or contact the parish office. For information, contact Susan Olsen at Holy Family at 265-3331 or by email at susan.olsen@hfsj.org.