Ignatian Social Justice
The Ignatian Social Justice is a group at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola made up of parishioners committed to raising awareness of current Catholic social teaching and addressing timely social justice issues. The volunteer group embraces the responsibility not only to act, but also to help inform parishioners and engage them in constructive change to promote peace and social justice
News & Announcements
November Meeting Update
Posted Sunday, November 18 by J. Gniady
With the holiday season fast approaching, the ISJ agenda is drawing to a close for 2007 and getting ready for 2008 to get underway. As part of that process, I wanted to let the ISJ members know that Emilie Trautmann and Marie Viola will be co-chairing the group starting with December’s meeting. It has been a wonderful experience working with everyone at ISJ, but with my husband and I expecting our first child in two weeks and my continuing part-time law school studies it seemed like a good time to pass the torch to ensure that the group continues to develop and grow. Emilie and Marie will do a great job and will continue to be supported by Mary Naughton and the parish staff. Please contact Emilie () or Marie () with questions, comments, or suggestions for upcoming events or meetings.
SOA/WHINSEC Much of the group was attending this weekend’s annual protest to close the School of the Americas. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and we’ll have an update on the protest and plans for continuing the lobbying effort to close WHINSEC and put an end to the training of foreign troops who have a history of human rights abuses.
New Sanctuary Marie reported on the New Sanctuary movement and growing concerns about the relationship between immigration officials and the probation and corrections agencies in New York. The group will be working with the NYU Law School Clinic to investigate possible violations of legal rights in the questioning and detention of immigrants who comply with their obligations to report for probation meetings. The next meeting for New Sanctuary will be held on December 13th.
Pax Christi The next film series and discussion group will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 27th. The film will be “Las Posadas” and will depict the Mexican celebration re-enacting Joseph and Mary’s search for shelter alongside testimonies about the hardships faced by Hispanic immigrants to the United States. Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J. will lead the discussion following the movie. To attend, please contact Rosaleen Mazur ( or call 212-348-6987).
Death Penalty As discussed at the October meeting, St. Ignatius will be hosting a prayer vigil on Friday, Nov. 30th as part of the Sant’Egidio Cities for Life project. The vigil will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will feature reflections by Sr. Camille D’Arienzo.
St. Vincent de Paul This weekend kicked off the Christmas Angel project, an annual favorite in the parish which SVdP has graciously assumed the coordination of this year. If you weren’t able to pick an angel off the trees at Masses this weekend, please call the Parish House to inquire if additional angels are still needed. In addition, the shelter season is continuing and volunteers are always needed at both our Men’s Shelter in Wallace Hall and the monthly visits to the soup kitchen.
Thanks again to everyone who continues to pitch in and participate with events and planning for ISJ. I hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving and an opportunity to prepare for Christmas with a truly blessed Advent season.
Jennifer Gniady
ISJ Meeting: October
Posted Tuesday, October 23 by J. Gniady
Coming up in October and November, the ISJ meeting group discussed the following plans and events . . .
Cities for Life St. Ignatius will be hosting the Cities for Life event by the community of Sant’Egidio on November 30th. This evening prayer service will be held in unity with similar events worldwide to protest the death penalty. The prayer vigil will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will include reflections by Sr. Camile D’Arienzo. Please save the date and spread the word of this event to other groups who may be interested in attending.
Sojourners The Sojourners ministry to immigrant detainees seeking asylum in the United States is continuing in conjunction with Riverside Church. Sojourners meet with detainees at the detention centers to provide a friendly face, someone to talk with, and assistance with other needs while the detainees await the outcome of their cases. If you are interested, the next training session will be on November 11th at 1 p.m. at Riverside. The church also runs a van service to take Sojourner members to and from the detention center on Saturdays. Please contact Mary Schoen if you are interested in this program at .
Pax Christi There are two upcoming events scheduled for Pax Christi. On Thursday, October 25th, a screening of The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib will be held in the Parish House with follow-up discussion led by Fr. Mark Hallinan. Pizza will be served. Additionally, there will be an anti-war demonstration on Saturday, October 27th. Because this conflicts with the Just Faith program there will not be a formal meet-up for those going. However, information on the demonstration is available at unitedforpeace.org.
Housing Advocacy On November 13th the East Side Congregations for Housing Justice is joining with other organizations in our area for A Community Working Together: 25 years of Service and Advocacy on the Upper East Side. The program will look at what has been accomplished and what work still needs to be done to provide housing and shelter services for everyone in our neighborhood. The event will be held at St. James Episcopal Church at 6 p.m. followed by a reception. To attend, please rsvp to .
Ministry Night If you attended Ministry Night or weren’t able to make it, there will be upcoming programs for parish ministers who would like additional training as part of an educational and spiritual program. The first sessions of the program are What Is Theology? and Structure and Mission of the Church and Jesus which will be held beginning on Saturday, November 10th and December 8th This program will also be offered again in 2008 along with a second educational series. Please call the Parish House to sign up.
Hour Children Emily Troutman is coordinating the beginnings of a parish ministry in conjunction with the Hour Children program. This group ministers to the children born to women who are incarcerated. The parish hopes to be able to conduct clothing drives for infant and child clothing, as well as to find additional ways to support this group in its mission to help children deal with this difficult situation. To help out, please contact Emily at .
Volunteers! Volunteers continue to be needed to staff our Men’s Shelter on alternate weekends in Wallace Hall. You can volunteer either to set-up the dinner portion of the evening or to stay overnight. Volunteers work in pairs and only need to commit to one shift over the weekend. To sign up or for questions about volunteer duties, please contact Pattie Hughes at .
Next Meeting The next ISJ meeting will be held on December 16th. Hope to see you all there!
September Meeting Update
Posted Wednesday, September 19 by J. Gniady
Many thanks to everyone who attended Sunday’s meeting to get ISJ off to a good start for the year. Following are the notes from meeting about upcoming plans and events.
Fair Trade Coffee We will continue to have sales of fair trade coffee after the 11 a.m. masses at the coffee hour. Please stop by to purchase some coffee and support the efforts to ensure fair wages for workers. Proceeds from the sale also support the parish’s ongoing social justice ministries. If you’d like to help staff the sales table on Sundays, please contact Mary Naughton at the Parish House.
Clothing for Infants A need for infant and baby clothing has been brought to the group’s attention by Emilie Gail. Women incarcerated at Riker’s Island who give birth are in need to clothes for their children, in particular from newborn to 1-yr-old sizes. Emilie will discuss coordinating a clothing drive at the October ISJ meeting but if you would like to help her in planning this project please contact her via e-mail at emiliegail@aol.com.
Pax Christi The first film and discussion of the year is scheduled for October 25th. The topic will be human rights and torture with a discussion led by Fr. Mark Hallinan. Suggestions for additional movie and discussion topics can be sent to Rosaleen Mazur (rosiemazur@yahoo.com). Metro Pax Christi is also planning a Visioning Day on September 29th which the parish can send two parishioners to attend. If you are interested in this event or in joining Pax Christi within the parish or metro area, please e-mail Rosaleen.
Cities for Life The parish is working to co-sponsor an event on November 30th as part of the Cities for Life promoted by the Community of Sant’Egidio. The purpose of the event is to create awareness of public opposition to the death penalty. Planning for the event is starting now and updates on the plans will be discussed at the October ISJ meeting.
St. Vincent de Paul The summer meetings for SVdP were very successful and have continued to provide funding to many individuals in our community who required emergency assistance. Plans for a senior trip and senior luncheon are also underway. The group is looking for volunteers for the many service programs run by SVdP at the parish. If you would like to volunteer to assist with the soup kitchen, blood drives, or shelter weekends, please contact Pattie Hughes (E9525@rcn.com). The group is also handling the organization of the Christmas Angels project this year.
Just Faith The Just Faith program is starting up for the year with approximately 15 parishioners signed up. This 30-week program will train parishioners in social justice, including weekly meetings, two retreats, as well as service programs. Although we are trying to keep the group fairly intimate, if you are interested in signing up please contact Mary Naughton at the Parish House.
New Sanctuary The parish has joined the New Sanctuary program, an interfaith effort targeted at supporting immigrants to this country. Our current focus is on educating the parish and public on the circumstances affecting illegal immigrants in our community.
Last but not least, the next meeting will be held on Sunday, October 21st in the Parish House Meeting Room (on the first floor) after the 11 a.m. masses.
June 2007 Wrap-up
Posted Monday, June 25 by J. Gniady
Our June meeting wrapped up the year with a lovely brunch coordinated by Mary and Jean, as well as many plans for the upcoming year. Meetings next season will continue on Sundays, following the 11 a.m. Masses (exact dates to follow once we confirm space at the Parish House). Following is a run-down of topic areas we touched on and plans for the future.
School of the Americas
Unfortunately, the recent bill to eliminate funding for WHINSEC/School of the Americas did not pass by a mere six votes. At least six members of Congress who have previously signed on to similar measures chose not to vote on the bill. So, while it was hoped not to be necessary, plans continue to travel again this fall to the protest to shut down the school. If you’re already planning to go or want to learn more, contact Mary Naughton at the parish house. We will be selling Fair Trade Coffee again in the fall to help defray the costs of attending.
Just Faith
So far, about eight people have signed up and a few more can be added to the program. Anyone interested in this 30-week extended seminar on social justice issues is welcome to participate. The Fair Trade Coffee sales will also be used to cover the cost of books and materials for this program. See the bulletin or contact Mary Naughton for more details or to sign up.
Pax Christi
A brief reminder that a few ISJ members will be attending the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on Tuesday, June 26th at St. Bartholomew’s Church on Park Ave. and 50th St. The day begins at 10:30 and members will meet down at St. Bart’s.
Also, the Pax Christi film series will resume in the fall with a film about Guantanamo on October 25th. Fr. Mark Hallinan will be leading the discussion following the film. Details of additional films in the series will be available closer to the end of the summer.
Housing
The Eastside Congregations for Housing Justice will continue to meet throughout the summer. E-mail updates will be sent when the next meeting is announced for anyone interested in attending. Additionally, Habitat for Humanity has just broken ground on a large development in Brooklyn that focuses on green-building in addition to affordable housing. Excavation on the site has begun this summer, so look for Habitat build opportunities in the Fall and Spring with ISJ.
Summer Work Project
We will once again be carrying out a summer work project with the Nativity Schools. Details of the project will be sent via e-mail this summer for interested volunteers.
CROP Hunger Walk
Next year we’d like to coordinate a larger group of participants in the Hunger Walk. Planning for the 2008 walk will kick off on September 17th at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. Susan Tobin will be coordinating the St. Ignatius groups (ISJ, Ignatian Teens, and Young Adults) but would welcome anyone interested in helping to plan with her as well.
Work of Human Hands Sale
This year’s Work of Human Hands event sold more than $900 worth of goods. The money goes back to the craftspeople to help them continue to grow and sustain their businesses and families. For next year, we will repeat the spring sale around Mother’s Day once again. It seemed to be a big success and will leave us free to focus on the many other activities around the Christmas season. For those who would like to purchase similar gifts for Christmas, we are investigating a sale held by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd.
Christmas Angels
Planning will be starting over the summer to coordinate parishes and gift lists for the annual Christmas Angels project. If you’re interested in helping out even before we get around to making tags and packing gifts, please let us know. This is a great opportunity if you find your just too busy around the holidays to volunteer your time on this favorite parish project.
Saint Vincent DePaul Society
A reminder that SVdP will be meeting all summer. Also, volunteers are needed for both the soup kitchen weekends and for weeknight volunteers at the shelter program we are co-sponsoring with St. James. Contact Patty Hughes if you are interested in either of these activities over the summer or for a schedule of meetings.
Summer Reading
Looking for something to read this summer? “Banker for the Poor” by Muhammad Yunus was highly recommended at our last meeting. It discusses the topic of microlending and how it affects individuals and their countries by promoting trade and sustainable businesses. If you’d like to take microlending to the next level, check out kiva.org which allows you to loan small amounts of money (as little as $25) to individuals starting or expanding small businesses around the world.