JUSTICE & CHARITY

Overview

The Social Ministry of the Catholic Church has two main aspects: Charity and Justice

Charity is giving direct aid to someone in need. It usually involves performing one or more of the corporal works of mercy. That is, giving alms to the poor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick or imprisoned, taking care of orphans and widows, visiting the shut-ins, etc.

At Our Lady of Peace we encourage parishioners to participate in charitable activities through their employment, civic and neighborhood groups as well as through our parish.   Our Lady of Peace provides parishioners the opportunity to participate in charity by participating in the following ministries:

            Food Shelf Collection  
            Habitat for Humanity  
            Loaves and Fishes
            Meals on Wheels

Justice is correcting the structures that perpetuate the need.   Through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching , we begin to take a look at the problems and issues facing us in our own communities, the nation and finally the world, and we begin to ask questions such as, "Why is there so much unemployment in our area?" "Why are there so many poor in our community?" "How will the deforestation of our rain forests affect our global climate?" etc.

Justice and charity are closely related and often blend together Very often when one is engaging in charity, one also becomes involved in solving the problem which created the need in the first place.   For example, one may be serving food at a local soup kitchen and notice the number of entire families receiving food has substantially increased.   After talking with some of these families, one discovers that the families are receiving meals because they have lost their homes and the entire family is homeless.   One then joins with other faith communities and organizations to lobby the local, state and national governments to provide more transitional housing for such families.

Our Lady of Peace is actively involved in several organizations working for systemic changes on both the local and national levels.    For more information please follow these links:

Office of Social Justice

US Conf. of Catholic Bishops

Network

Catholic Relief Services

Joint Religious Legislative Coalition

If you are interested in participating in any of the Justice and Charity ministries, please contact Deacon Paul Tatone by email or at 612.824.3455, ext. 513.