Archive

August 2001 - May 2007

“Be The Change You Wish To See…” (Gandhi)

Beyond the open window, crickets, katydids and cicadas offer their final songs of the season as this article makes its way to you. During these last days of summer, what songs do we sing, what desires do we express at this moment in our lives? We see joy all around us even as the news bombards us with the latest reports from war zones. Children and their parents roam through the back-to-school aisles in the local stores with school lists in hand filling their carts with everything “necessary” to begin our school year. While their excitement is a wonder to see and their joy contagious, how can we not help but to remember the children in Lebanon, Iraq, or Israel whose schools may have been obliterated by bomb strikes, or for whom there may be no new school supplies or whose teachers and classmates may have been among those killed? Knowing that nutritional needs must be met so our children can learn, school districts in the United States discuss hot lunches and breakfasts for students. Yet how can our hearts not ache for the children in Darfur for whom there may be no meal at all today? While we may live in a “privileged” country, there are children in the United States who also will not have the supplies they need, who will not have access to a well stocked school library, whose schools struggle to fund educational programs, who will go to bed hungry the night before school begins, and whose neighborhood schools were wiped out in Hurricane Katrina a year ago and are yet to be rebuilt.

In this exciting season of dreams and visions for the coming school year, we realize our ongoing obligation to ask God, “what can we do?” As followers of Jesus and as Catholics, as we analyze social justice issues throughout the coming school year we will turn to the words of Jesus as we seek “the words of eternal life” (Jn:68) and the collective wisdom of our tradition as we engage the seven core values of Catholic social teaching in dialogue with the signs of our times. We will listen to the cries of poor and vulnerable people in our world, look at various issues impacting all of us, name the injustice we see, educate ourselves as to the causes, ask what we can do and prayerfully seek ways to take actions that lead to peace and justice for all.

This month our focus is on peace building and participating in the International Day of Peace on September 21, but, as you can see from the calendar below, September offers a variety of social justice themes as entryways into prayer and for sparking discussions with your students.

SEPTEMBER CALENDAR adapted from the Center of Concern (www.coc.org )

4 Labor Day

8 International Literacy Day

9 St Peter Claver

11 Anniversary of the Terrorist Attacks of 2001,

100 th anniversary of Gandhi’s first nonviolent protest

14 Laborem Exercens , 1981

15-Oct 15 National Hispanic Heritage Month

16 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

21 International Day of Peace

23-24 Rosh Hashana (Jewish)

24- Oct. 23 Ramadan (Muslim)

27 Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE SEPTEMBER 21

This day, first celebrated in 1981, is promoted by the United Nations as a global holiday for all humanity. Initially celebration took place on the third Tuesday of September, but since 2001, it has been celebrated on September 21. The 2001 resolution also calls for all nations to honor a call for a global ceasefire on this day. People from all nations mark the day with various activities to promote “cultures of peace” around the world. How will you participate in this global event, how will you create an awareness of the need for peace building throughout the year? The website http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/ offers many suggestions ranging from moments of silence to creating art to offering or attending concerts for peace. Check out the many suggested activities or create something of your own to mark this important day.

Scriptural Resources

“Love and truth will meet; justice and peace will kiss” Ps 85:11

“Peace, peace to the far and the near” Is 57:19

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God” Mt 5: 9

“Peace I leave you, my peace I give you” Jn.14:27

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” Gal 5:22

Classroom Activity

Ask your students to reflect on one or more of the above scriptural passages and share any insights within a small group or whole class format. Discuss the various meanings of the word “peace” in our lives.

The causes of war are many and may stem from economic issues, territory disputes, retaliation, the use of natural resources etc. The absence of war, however, does not mean we have true peace. The many injustices we witness in our daily lives create local roadblocks to achieving true peace. Using the core values of Catholic social teaching (see the Joliet Peace and Justice Ministry link below), have your students reflect upon the many daily ways our quest for a true peace can be disturbed. How are these concerns being addressed in your school, in the community, or wherever they are found? What might we do to make a difference? How are we manifesting the fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians? Where do we need more effort? Will the end of military conflict in the Mid East be the end of the quest for peace in the Mideast? How is the dignity of people living in war zones impacted both during and after the actual “war?” How can we express solidarity with our brothers and sisters living in war-torn countries? How will those living in war zones be able to participate in community, state and international affairs during the reconstruction of their countries? How will families be reunited? Are these questions also matters of concern to peacemakers? The peace Jesus offers us goes far beyond any peace to be found in the world. In reflecting upon Jesus’ words in scripture we listen for ways that we might share the depth of his loving peace with those we encounter. In prayer we seek ways to follow Jesus.

Peace Project

One long term project that may appeal to your students would be to create a place for peaceful outdoor prayer. Perhaps your community or school grounds already offers such a place and your class/school could enhance it. It could be a garden with one or two benches for those who wish to pause and pray or something more elaborate such as a labyrinth. If you choose to make a labyrinth, perhaps you could incorporate it into a full program of International Day of Peace activities allowing participants to take their time and walk it prayerfully between other offerings of the day rather than having all come to walk it at once. Those praying their way through the labyrinth could carry colorful cloths and “dance” their way through to music, or perhaps students could make peace banners to carry through their prayer walk. The day could include an exhibit of artwork by students in your school, a booth/table to make flags of the nations of the world as suggested on the International Day of Peace site and so forth. You could provide small workshops with the activities suggested on the TAP website listed below as well.

Your day of peace activities should open and close with prayer no matter what format you choose to follow. Both the above mentioned sites offer suggestions for prayer rituals.

Labyrinths can be permanent or you could create one from masking tape on a concrete floor or tiled floor. (Masking tape can ruin wooden floors) There are sites (see the labyrinth resources below) that show how one can be made from mounds of mowed grass or from using a weed eater to lay out the pattern. (Obviously, parents would need to be enlisted if you choose this option!)Using chalk on a playground is another possibility. The sites listed below also contain information regarding the history of the labyrinth in our tradition and its use in meditative prayer to help you in introducing the topic to your students. If you choose to sponsor a labyrinth walk for peace, invite others from your community to join you. Teens may enjoy creating an outdoor one for evening use and lighting the outer perimeter with garden candles. Have note cards and pencils for participants to share a prayer for peace after they’ve completed their walk if they so choose. These prayers could be gathered into a Peace Prayer book to use throughout the year or as part of a permanent indoor display to remind all of us to pray for peace. Be sure to encourage students to pray for ways to bring peace into our lives and into the lives of others on a concrete, daily basis in addition to praying for an end to war.

If the labyrinth project does not fit your needs, consider some of the activities listed on the Institute of Peace of Justice website below or their TAP resource. Their offerings fit various age groups and can be used in settings outside a classroom as well such as youth ministry groups.

Resources

http://www.paxjoliet.org/justeach/justeach2.html Peace and Social Justice Ministry of the Joliet Diocese listing of seven core values of Catholic social teaching

http://www.ipj-ppj.org/tap/resources.html Institute for Peace and Justice “Teens Acting for Peace” See the seven activities that can be adapted for various settings in both religious and public schools

http://www.ipj-ppj.org/Reflections%20-%20Advocacy%20Suggestions%20-%20Lesson%20Plans/Teaching%20Peace%20Lesson%20Plan.htm The Institute for Peace and Justice offers post 911 insights and suggestions on teaching peace to our children

http://www.salsa.net/peace/labyrinth/patterns.html labyrinth patterns, planning a labyrinth dance for peace from the peaceCenter in San Antonio Texas

http://www.salsa.net/peace/labyrinth/flier.pdf history of labyrinths and how to use one

http://www.labyrinth-enterprises.com/tapec1.html making a labyrinth masking tape, stones etc

http://www.labyrinthos.net/classical.htm making one of mown grass, sticks etc

http://www.pacificsites.net/~dglaser/labyrinth/labyrinth.html making one with weed eater

http://www.ualberta.ca/~cbidwell/SITES/labindex.htm#make lots of information

More projects

Labor Day Lead a discussion focusing on the dignity of work and the rights of workers. Have students create a symbol of the work their parent or grandparent or other relative does and create a prayer that honors the dignity of their work. These could be images such as a wrench for a mechanic or a stethoscope for a doctor or more abstract. Bless the hands and minds of those who do this work.

How does this value of Catholic social teaching impact your students’ understanding of homework?

If your students are old enough to be working, consider a discussion on workers’ rights such as overtime pay, bathroom breaks, fair wages, job safety, and insurance benefits. Is a “good” job all about the money? Or is there an interior aspect of a “good job,” and how can we describe it in our own words?

A good resource to help you plan this discussion would be the late Pope John Paul II’s Laborem Exercens on work and human dignity available at: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_14091981_laborem-exercens_en.html

September 11, in addition to remembering the victims of 9/11, have students research Mahatma Gandhi and his nonviolent movement on the 100 th anniversary of his first nonviolent protest. Have them reflect on Gandhi’s words,” be the change you wish to see” in the world.

National Hispanic Heritage Month September 15- October 15 Check out the following website http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson023.shtml for background information and lesson plans to help you celebrate the many contributions of people of Hispanic heritage to the history of the United States.

As we enter another year of teaching and learning together, let us carry in our hearts all those students and teachers around the world who labor in the midst of violence whether caused by instruments of war, poverty, illness or hunger. May God bless all teachers for opening their classrooms and their hearts to the children in their lives, and may each of you know and model the peace of Jesus to the children of God, our future peacemakers of the world.

Peace and Blessings, Colette Wisnewski

May 2006

FUN AND GAMES

What kinds of games do we play? What do we learn from our game-playing? The close of the school year is a great time to design and play games that allow us to find out how familiar students are with the core values of Catholic social teaching and how well they can apply them when teaching others. In any game, a lot of learning takes place outside the actual structure of the game. We learn, for instance, about winning and losing. The competition to win sometimes overshadows the fun we intended to have while playing the game. Hopefully some learning will also take place as students consider the ways in which games are designed.

In preparation for introducing the activities below, lead the class in a review of the various social justice issues covered in your classroom this school year. Have them group the issues into broader categories such as environment, poverty, homelessness, hunger, prison reform, immigration, etc. Also, use the seven core values of Catholic social teaching in the discussion and point out how the categories overlap and how the values themselves are interwoven. Give the class opportunities to raise questions and share insights.

ACTIVITES

Creating a game

Option One: Design a game to teach some aspect of Catholic social teaching. If time does not allow students to develop a complete game, explain that they can still have fun coming up with the ideas, envisioning the board, discussing the rules and objectives.

This activity could be kept very simple with students preparing questions relating to books read, issues discussed, or service projects completed during the year. Questions could be put on index cards with the answers on the back.

Option Two: Your students could develop an actual board game to be played with other students in the class. To prepare yourself for this project, check out the following websites for background information.

http://www.hasbro.co.uk/nationalgameplayingweek/site_2005/uk05/html/talent.asp suggestions on setting up a game from Hasbro “Find Out if Your Game Has Talent”

http://www.kidspoint.org/columns2.asp?column_id=1151&column_type=kpfun a simple article giving the basics of making your own game. The site has links to other sites and offers a suggested bibliography for further reading.

http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/nativeamericans/ while the focus is on comparing Native American concepts of ‘games’ to current United States concepts, there is a section on analyzing the game Monopoly in terms of its game pieces and goals that could add to your presentation of the project. Scroll to “Procedures” and read numbers one and two.

Materials needed:

-Games to serve as models for students. Many social justice teaching projects use Monopoly, older students sometimes use Trivial Pursuit as a model, but simpler board games for younger children such as Candyland or Chutes and Ladders would serve the purposes of this activity.

-posterboard or newsprint and art supplies for each small group to design a gameboard

-markers or game pieces or have students design their own. One possibility would be to cut out pictures or draw symbols on heavy paper and glue them to plastic bottle caps. The markers should reflect the values of CST and not those of popular culture.

-pen and paper for developing rules and goals

-You may need to refer students to particular resources from their class work this year if they need help developing questions for their game

Begin with a general discussion of board games. Perhaps have students break into small groups and give them a few minutes to discuss their favorite games, what they like about them, what they don’t like. As a class, discuss the goals of the various games and what the games teach them about life and culture. Go through a sample game looking at the rules, the goals, and what the game teaches in the way it is played and in the language and symbols used.

Ask the students if all games must have only one winner or if it’s possible to have more than one. Is there only a win-lose scenario or is there a win-win possibility that would still make game playing fun? Do we only play games to win? Do we play to learn? To have fun? To help others? Have they ever played a game where tempers flared or people quit in frustration? Is that a necessary component of game-playing?

Have the class break into small groups and challenge them to design a game whose goal is to teach all or some particular values of Catholic social teaching. They can use a board from another game or design one of their own. Students could use the categories from your classroom review and choose one category of issues such as immigration as a basis for the game or bring in several issues. Another approach would be to take one or more core values such as the care for creation or human dignity. Using a game such as Chutes and Ladders, students could point out the ways human dignity is affirmed or abused in our culture. Perhaps they could incorporate some device to show how the one affirming or abusing another is also affirmed or diminished by the actions chosen. You may have to help each group with resources specific to their game topic, but give the students as much freedom as possible. Game rules, symbols, and objectives must reflect the core values of Catholic social teaching. In addition:

The game must be named.

The goal of the game and its teaching objective must be clearly stated.

The number of players must be listed.

The rules must be written out.

There must be game pieces or markers.

If your game is question-based, there must be at least ten sample questions and answers

Questions could reflect facts you’ve learned, quotes from scripture, and/or quotes from saints or from those involved in justice work.

Perhaps after the groups have developed their games, each could be given 10 min before the end of the year to present their game to the class. Students could also have their games out on a “Doughnut Sunday” or exhibit them for the Peace and Justice committee at their parish. Questions from the game might make good conversation starters at their family tables as well.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

If time does not permit the board game activity, consider the following options:

-Small group presentations of a 5-10 min skit illustrating some aspect of CST—keep props to a bare minimum.

-Pretend you are the editor of a Catholic newspaper or magazine. Write an editorial on some issue using the lens of CST and what you’ve learned this school year. Use newspaper editorials for models. Be concise, firm, and persuasive and use the vocabulary of CST.

-Imagine you are in charge of Catholic programming in your diocese and prepare a public service announcement of one minute or two minutes for radio or television broadcast pertaining to something you’ve studied this year. Tape record or videotape for class presentation. Use the vocabulary of CST.

-Spoof a book. Tell your students about the book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulgham. Have them pretend they are adults and are looking back on your class from the ‘advanced’ age of 30, 40, etc. What might this year’s discussions of CST have taught them that they can put to use as an adult in everyday family, work, and neighborhood situations. This would make a nice end of year hall display: “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in ________’s Classroom”! Have each student come up with 10 “lessons” learned. Perhaps they could illustrate them as well.

-Write and illustrate a child’s book for younger preschool children illustrating one concept of CST.

RESOURCES:

http://www.paxjoliet.org/justeach/justeach2.html offers background on the seven core values of CST. You can also access all articles from the current school year and the archives of JUSTeach through this site.

http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/tb1b/Section2/activity2.html a game exploring the distribution of wealth and power in society and its impact on human dignity. Requires 100 pennies, peanuts, or other small item.

http://salt.claretianpubs.org/ie/2002/02/ie0202.html link to “That’s Not Fair” a game developed by Tom Turner and played with M & M’s

http://www.osjspm.org/cjen_s99.htm the UnGame is reviewed under “Board Games” in this article by youth worker Michelle LeBlanc on the Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis webpage.

Calendar

http://www.educationforjustice.org/bin/view.fpl/1210/date/200605.html The Center of Concern provides important dates throughout the summer months. Check out their site and consider signing-up for their educator resources next year.

CLOSING RITUAL

Develop a closing prayer for your classroom. Perhaps you have students who would like to be involved in the planning. Send your students from your classroom on a mission to continue their work for justice and peace. Perhaps a simple blessing ritual would work or you could use a closing prayer or song that reflects the concerns shared in your classroom or is something that you and your students have found particularly meaningful throughout this past year. But do mark the end of your classroom time and send them forth prayerfully and joyfully.

May you and your students experience a summer of wondrous adventures, peaceful moments with family and friends, and may God continue to bless you in all that you do,

Peace, Colette Wisnewski

April 2006

And God Saw That It Was Good…

I love the changing seasons, the beauty, the wildness, the intricacies and surprises of nature. As I write, it is grey and cold outside, but we have had our first hints of spring in the Midwest and the promise of new life, blooming plants and the greening of our fields and forests. It is easy to envision a beautiful summer just around the corner and the lush colorful growth that we expect to accompany it. At the same time, the news tells us that our waters and the air we breathe continue to be polluted at alarming rates. Earth Day, April 22, invites us to both rejoice in God’s creation and to look closely at those things that imperil our earth and all who live upon it.

As people of faith, educators and justice workers, we can easily list a myriad of environmental issues facing our world. Genetically modified foods, clear-cutting of forests, the loss of topsoil, global warming, air and water pollution in our communities, and even power struggles and wars fought over the earth’s resources at the expense of human life and denigration of our planet …..the list seems endless. Earth Day offers us an opportunity to look again at what our Creator has called “good” and to commit ourselves to base future decisions on good stewardship. Catholic social teaching calls upon us to protect the earth and all who live on it by recognizing that we are in relationship with all creation—the earth and our sisters and brothers all over the world. Respect for creation interweaves with our respect for the dignity of all persons and their rights to the earth’s resources. Along with our rights come responsibilities; many of our personal, business, and political choices will have global environmental implications and at times perhaps conflict with our values of human dignity, respect for creation, solidarity and an option for the poor and vulnerable of our world. Yet we are called to hold all these values in tension as we seek to interweave all of them into the core of our lived faith.

Earth Day can serve as an invitation to your students to explore the wonderful gifts of creation with which our Creator has blessed us and also serve as a vehicle to identify environmental issues and to renew our commitment to care for God’s gifts. In his 1990 World Day of Peace Message, Peace With God the Creator; Peace With All Creation, the late Pope John Paul II pointed out that a lack of respect for nature fuels disrespect for others and breeds insecurity. He also noted that the notion the earth is “suffering” is shared by people of various faith traditions and that the ecological crisis is a “moral problem.” The earth is literally the common ground of all. The message is easy to read and not long. It could be used to launch discussions on various environmental issues such as the need to change prevailing lifestyles in order to lessen the burden on the earth, the role of aesthetics or an appreciation of the beauty of creation in our spiritual lives, and the need to look at structural forms of poverty on a global basis as we address the ecological imbalances of our time. The complete text can be accessed at:

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages/peace/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_19891208_xxiii-world-day-for-peace_en.html

Classroom Discussions

-The earth is our common ground. We are used to looking at issues from our Catholic Christian lens, but how do other faith traditions view the earth through their faith lens? Perhaps different groups of students would be interested in researching and presenting how the followers of Judaism or Islam view care for creation.

-Catholic social teaching tells us that our relationship to all creation is important and vital to our relationships with God and our brothers and sisters around the world. How might a disregard for the environment spill over and reveal problems in our relationships with God and other persons?

-In Genesis, we read that God created man and woman and gave them “dominion” over the creatures of the earth. For too long, the word “dominion” was taken as free reign to ravage the earth with no regard for the consequences. Does it matter how we interpret words? Does having “dominion” mean absolute power over the earth? Does it mean disregarding others’ needs or the earth’s future? How would this interpretation of power impact our relationships with other people? Is there a moral obligation to be good stewards of God’s gifts? What difference would it make to see the earth as having an integrity of its own due to its being God’s creation? What if we saw ourselves in relationship with the earth and respectful of all creation? What if we accepted the “empowerment” or responsibility to be co-creators? Part of the United States Bishops Conference environmental justice page, the article Ecological Spirituality by Rev. Joseph A. Tetlow SJ would be good reading prior to discussions on the meaning of “dominion” or the relationship between an ecological spirituality and the choices we make. Access it at http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/ejp/background/articles/ecological.html

-The earth sustains us physically, but what about emotionally or spiritually? What role does nature play in your students’ spirituality? Do they have a favorite landscape that moves them into deeper relationship with God or a greater recognition of the earth as God’s creation? Do they have a favorite place to pray in the outdoors? The gospel speaks of Jesus as going off to a lonely place to pray, do your students have such places, and do they recognize this need in their spiritual journey? Are there places so awesomely beautiful they help students transcend their everyday concerns?

-What are some ways students and their families have chosen to lessen their impact on the environment? Cutting down on the number of weekly car trips, using canvas totes instead of plastic or paper bags, choosing environmentally safe paints and avoiding water waste are a few possible ways families can directly help the environment. Chances are good that our students are more environmentally aware than we are and will have good suggestions for helping the earth.

Reflections

Use the following scripture, prayers, poems or quotes to introduce a reflective moment on our understanding of our relationship to the earth or have your students choose one and write a brief reflection.

-Gen. 1: 1-31 the first story of creation

-Gen: 9:8-17 the covenant with Noah

-Ps 8:1-10 Divine majesty and human dignity

-Mk 1. 35-39 Jesus goes to a deserted place to pray

-Mt 6: 25-30 dependence on God

-Francis of Assisi The Canticle of Creatures available at http://www.ofm.org/1/info/INFcant.html

-Hildegarde of Bingen:

“The earth which sustains humanity must not be injured, must not be destroyed” or

“The soul is a breath of living spirit, that with excellent sensitivity permeates the entire body to give it life. Just so, the breath of the air makes the earth fruitful. Thus the air is the soul of the earth, moistening it, greening it.”

-Angela of Foligno “This world is pregnant with God.”

-Therese of Lisieux “Jesus set before me the book of nature.”

-Thomas Berry “The earth is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects.”

-Gerard Manley Hopkins God’s Grandeur

“The world is charged with the grandeur of God.

It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;

It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil

Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?

Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;

And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;

And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil

Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;

There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;

And though the last lights off the black West went

Oh morning at the brown brink eastward, springs—

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent

World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.”

Activities and Projects

Art work

Nature has recurring patterns: spiraling (as the pattern in a pinecone), radiating (as dandelion seeds or petals on the dandelion flower), meandering (as a woodland stream), pack and crack (as in earth stomped down and cracking in a drought), and branching (as a vine or tree). Ask your students which pattern best describes their spirituality at this moment and have them illustrate the pattern either by photographing, drawing a creek or other image, pressing a flower and gluing it to paper, or gluing a small branching twig to a piece of paper etc. Perhaps a short poem or reflection to describe their relationship to God and nature could be added to the artwork, or an explanation of why they chose radiating, meandering etc. (Thanks to an activity suggested by John Buscemi)

Major projects

http://kinderart.com/recycle/ Craft ideas. Perhaps older students could hold fun fair with eco themes for younger students

http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/creatinghabitatsites.cfm National Wildlife Federation encourages schools to set up outdoor classrooms and provides resources to help you do it. Local forest preserves, county and state parks and other outdoor oriented educational programs may have similar resources as well as staff available to oversee the project. Or perhaps your students could plan and plant a butterfly garden by researching online, at the library or through a local garden shop.

Other resources

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops offers several documents on the environment including the following:

http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/ejp/ United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Environmental Justice Program, Caring for God’s Creation offers background information and many examples of various projects already up and running.

http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/globalclimate.htm#changeGlobal Climate Change:A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good. This 2001 document offers an example of how to use the vocabulary of Catholic social teaching in discussing the environment. Scroll down to “Global Climate Change and Catholic Social Teaching.”

http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/ejp/bishopsstatement.htm#1Renewing the Earth: An Invitation to Reflection and Action on Environment in Light of Catholic Social Teaching The 1991 publication is formatted into five sections (Signs of the Times, Biblical Vision of God’s Good Earth, Catholic Social Teaching and Environmental Ethics, Theological and Pastoral Concerns, and God’s Stewards and Co-Creators ) Use it to promote an understanding of

-how we move from seeing and naming the signs of our times to reflection and action.

-how we ground our reflection and action in scripture

-how the various values of Catholic social teaching are interwoven

-how each of us --student, teacher, parent, citizen etc-- has a role in creation’s care

-how rights and knowledge bring new responsibilities

Older students could break into five groups with each group providing a summary of one of the subheadings of the text and/or reflection questions for the rest of the class.

http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Apr2002/Family.asp “Earth Day: Caring For God’s Creation”, Susan Hines Brigger Faith Filled Family column

http://americancatholic.org/Messenger/Apr2001/feature3.asp#F4 Another piece by Susan Hines Brigger points out that “dominion” is not the same as “dominating” The article also includes possible projects at the parish or school level.

http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/SFS/an1003.asp Elizabeth Johnson on spirituality and ethics of stewardship

http://fssca.net/peace/project/general/how.html features Chenco Alas’ work in the Mesoamericas to build peace zones bringing together people from various traditions to work on their “common ground” of this earth. Click on “earth and ecology” on the left to learn more.

http://www.nrdc.org/greensquad/intro/intro_1.asp a link to the Green Squad, a project of the Natural Resources Defense Council in collaboration with the Healthy Schools Network Offers ways students can work to make schools ‘greener’ and safer.

Prayer Ritual

As in all justice work, our actions are energized by our prayer. Invite your students into prayerful reflection on the environment, relationships to God, human beings around the world, and all creation. Help students through the art of prayer to articulate their desires to live more justly in terms of their relationship with the earth.

You will need

-A bible

-prayer table with candle and bible

-A place to put your finished covenants (perhaps a branching piece of a tree in a bucket of sand or a poster of a tree)

-Tape or twist ties or paper clip “hooks” to place the covenants

-A CD or tape of soft instrumental music or nature sounds

-A CD or tape player

-The music and words to Marty Haugen’s Canticle of the Sun or other appropriate music

-Copies of the prayer “Walking Gently on the Earth” adapted by Sharon Rae McCarthy OSM from a ritual prepared by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and

available at http://www.hillconnections.org/rr/walking2mr.htm

-Covenant form for each student:

I, ________________________, prayerfully declare my recognition of the earth as God’s creation and promise to respect the integrity of all creation in all that I do. I recognize __________________as a sign of our times and realize it endangers our earth and therefore endangers each of us and all of us. To correct this imbalance I promise in the coming months to __________________________. The sign below will remind me of my covenant with my Creator God, with the earth, and with all my sisters and brothers around the world. _______________________________ signature and date

As human beings, we are in relationship with God, other persons, and all of creation. God used the rainbow as a sign of covenant with Noah. We too can use a sign to show our intent to respect God’s creation. As a group, save your students reflect upon the signs of our times and what they see as pressing environmental issues. (air pollution, ravages of war, water shortage and pollution are a few issues) Discuss what small daily life choices might have global impact. (Consider recycling, turning down the thermostat, giving up pesticides or lawn chemicals, avoiding water waste, insulating our hot water heaters, shortening our showers, walking or biking instead of driving, using cloth napkins, turning away from a consumeristic lifestyle…). After the discussion, pass out the covenant forms. Invite your students to center themselves in God’s love. Light the candle. Read Gen.8-17 aloud. Play soft nature sounds, or whatever will add to the student’s reflection time. Invite the students to prepare their covenant statement and to embellish it with a sign from creation such as a flower, rainbow, sun, waterfall etc. Give them time to complete their artwork. When they are done, invite them to come up and tape or hang their covenants on a tree, bulletin board, poster or whatever you’ve chosen. Together, stand around the covenant display and pray the prayer ritual “Walking Gently on the Earth.”

Calendar

April Calendar from the Center of Concernswww.coc.org

2 - Fifth Sunday of Lent
7 - World Health Day
9 - Palm Sunday
11 - Pacem in Terris
13 - Holy Thursday
14 - Good Friday
15 - Lazarus Saturday (Orthodox Christian)
15 - Income Tax Day in the USA
16 - Easter Sunday
22 - Earth Day
24 - Death of Cesar Chavez
13-20 - Pesach (Passover) (Jewish)
27 - Murder of Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera, Human Rights Martyr

More Activities:

April 7 In addition to looking at the World Health Organization, check out Partners in Health at http://www.pih.org/index.html. Older students may also enjoy reading the biography of Paul Farmer Mountains Beyond the Mountains by Tracy Kidder. A good point of discussion for the day might be to discuss how decisions regarding our national budget impact health care in this country and in other parts of the world.

April 11 See the text of Pacem in Terris at http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_xxiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-xxiii_enc_11041963_pacem_en.html On the 40th anniversary of the text, in 2003, Pope John Paul II pointed out the increasing gap between those living extravagant lives and those still struggling for basic needs such as potable water. See Pope John Paul’s letter at http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages/peace/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_20021217_xxxvi-world-day-for-peace_en.html A reading of these two documents could add to a discussion of our role as stewards of creation and how environmental issues are related to war and peace.

April 24 Check out the Cesar Chavez website at http://www.chavezfoundation.org/ for current news on the legacy of Chavez. In addition, find out if your students are aware of Chavez’ drawing upon a faith tradition in using pilgrimage as a means of social protest and a means of raising awareness of issues.

As our Lenten journey draws to a close, may you and your students realize the call to service modeled by Jesus when he washed the feet of his disciples. May you recognize Jesus on the cross today and be present to those suffering and in need in this world now. And may you know deep joy and sing praises with all creation at the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ this Easter. Peace and blessings, Colette Wisnewski

March 2006

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world…

As we lead our students into a deeper awareness of Catholic social teaching, we need always to keep in mind that we are following Jesus, that the basis of Catholic social teaching is rooted in Jesus himself. Our work for peace and justice is fueled by our relationship with God, our work is powered by our prayer life, and it is the Spirit who calls us to prayer. This season of Lent calls us to conversion, to turn fully toward God with our whole being. Are your students looking for ways to deepen their Lenten experience? How about adopting a traditional prayer practice during Lent? The prayer of the Stations of the Cross continues to offer life to us today and can be drawn upon in several classroom activities related to justice. Ask your students to consider picking up the cross and carrying it throughout the 40 days of Lent as they walk with Jesus and the poor and suffering in our world today.

In his February 1, 2006 Cornerstone Forum Newsletter Update essay available at http://www.cornerstoneforum.org/whatsnew.php?issue=75, (scroll down to Meanwhile…the Lost Art) Gil Baillie refers to the “art of carrying the cross” as a “neglected art.” Baillie also provides an added insight into the meaning of human dignity in pointing out that some of our attempts to avoid suffering have negative impacts on our lives by “depriving us of the opportunity to take responsibility for our choices and behavior, thus robbing us of our moral dignity.” This is an aspect of human dignity we rarely consider; rather, we usually blame others for any affront on our dignity. How many of us, including our students, have looked at our own human dignity from this viewpoint?

If learning to pick up our cross and carry it is an art form, Lent offers a perfect time to begin practicing it. Most of our parishes will be offering opportunities for communal prayer during Lent including the Stations of the Cross. Some parishes offer justice-oriented readings to go along with this wonderful prayer practice, others offer the more traditional format. Lent offers each of us the opportunity to deepen our relationship with Jesus, to consider the Way of the Cross and its meaning in our own lives, and to help bear the burden of suffering in our lives and in the lives of others as we seek justice and peace for all. In the past, an important part of Jesus’ journey on the Way of the Cross was neglected by omitting the Resurrection. The only way to reach that Resurrection love we so desperately need in our world is to pick up our cross and carry it the distance. Jesus will lead us to the peace and justice we seek.

Activities:

Stations of the Cross

http://www.silk.net/RelEd/ezinelstations2.htm The Religious Education Webzine offers an excellent classroom project based on the stations of the cross. Students explore variations of praying the stations and are encouraged to write their own prayers and reflections and/or find their own images for the various stations. In addition to the examples Gilles Cotes offers, check out the AIDS Way of the Cross of Jesus Christ by Sister Kay Lawlor,M.M.M from Uganda in African Prayers available at http://www.africaaction.org/campaign_new/page.php?op=read&documentid=1120&type=35&campaigns=4

The Catholic Relief Services website in conjunction with the Operation Rice Bowl Project http://orb.crs.org/Schools_and_Religious_Educators/lesson_plans.cfm has activities such as a world awareness quiz as well as a reflection based on the Stations of the Cross. There’s also a slide show Stations of the Cross your students can access at http://orb.crs.org/Individuals/activities.cfm (Both the slide show and reflection would aid in introducing the project from the Religious Education Webzine mentioned above.)

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Customs/stations/default.aspThis site from the Franciscans and St. Anthony Messenger Press offers students even more examples of how to pray the Stations of the Cross. The first selection, excerpts from Stations of the Cross: I am There by Norman Haskell, puts the student at the cross allowing the student to “be a companion” of Jesus, not just a witness at the scene. Readers are encouraged to draw upon their personal experiences as they meditate at each station.

The USCCB website presents the Stations as prayed by the Late Pope John Paul II http://www.usccb.org/nab/stations.shtml

http://www.coc.org/ej/justice/topics.html?ID=9076 The Center of Concerns, for those with access to the Education for Justice pages, offers Stations from Ecuador and another one addressing debt. The site also has reflections on Food and Hunger which could be used in conjunction with discussions on the Offering of Letters for Bread for the World.

Lenten Justice Cross project

http://www.smp.org/ActivityPage.cfm?Activity=454 Drawing upon the prophet Micah’s words and the disciplines of fasting, praying, and giving alms, this classroom activity from St. Mary’s Press involves making crosses out of craft sticks. There are several meaningful adaptations of the project to carry through the Lenten season or it could be a short, one day project. The project is presented by Joseph Grant and taken from Justice and Service Ideas for Ministry With Young Teens (St. Mary’s Press, 2000)

Other dates and activities:

The month of March marks other important dates as well as the beginning of Lent. Check out the following:

Women’s History Month

This year’s theme is Women: Builders of Communities and Dreams. In addition to looking at women leaders from United States history such as those featured at the http://www.nwhp.org/whm/2006/honorees.html , consider tying in women of our faith tradition by visiting Women of Prayer and Justice prepared by Eleanor Lincoln, CSJ and Catherine Litecky, CSJ through the Women at the Well Ministry. The retreat is available at the Good Ground Press site http://www.goodgroundpress.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=17 )

The retreat offers students a chance to sit and reflect with women such as Dorothy Day, Teresa of Avila, and Catherine of Siena to glean their wisdom and join their journey of love. It could be viewed over a period of days or once a week or even all in one sitting although that might lessen the impact of the reflection period. Perhaps students could add their own reflections throughout the month using women working for justice today such as Helen Prejean and her work to abolish the death penalty. Or students could come up with women of justice in their own families, parish, or communities and write a reflection based on the work these women are doing or have done in the past.

The anniversary of Bishop Oscar Romero’s assassination March 24

This is the 26th anniversary of Romero’s assassination. One way to honor his life and gifts would be to read excerpts of his homilies with your students some of which are available at http://www.justpeace.org/romero.htm .

Also, if you have not watched the film Romero (available at many video rental stores), this month would be an excellent time to do so and to invite older students to watch it as well. Consider having a peace and justice film day featuring the film Romero and invite older students to view the film through the lens of Catholic social teaching. Hand out sheets with the seven core values of CST to your students (available at http://www.paxjoliet.org/justeach/justeach2.html ) Have them view the movie looking for the various ways those values are embraced or rejected by the various figures in the movie. Discuss the struggle within Romero himself to fully embrace those values as he became more aware of the suffering Jesus in the poor people and moved to a deeper understanding of following Jesus. His conversion experience in the film is deeply moving and shows his perseverance in prayer and the resulting courage to fight the injustice and oppression in El Salvador.

A good reflection piece to follow the movie would be the Institute for Peace and Justice’s Me, A Prophet? worksheet at http://www.ipj-ppj.org/Reflections%20-%20Advocacy%20Suggestions%20-%20Lesson%20Plans/Jeremiah%20Worksheet.htm This reflection exercise adapted from James McGinnis’ Christian High School and Youth Group Teacher Resource Book (Institute for Peace and Justice, 2003) and Peacemaking and the Powers (Institute for Peace and Justice, 2005) uses the prophet Jeremiah’s reluctance to accept God’s call as it probes our own obstacles to living prophetic lives. It ties in nicely with the theme of reluctance raised in Romero and invites participants to enter into their own dialogue with God regarding how they themselves might be being called to live prophetic lives.

The Annunciation of the Lord March 25

Consider gathering paintings that depict the Annunciation and have your students reflect on the various ways the angel and Mary are shown. Is the angel inviting? Frightening? What is Mary’s posture before the angel? Is she frightened, surprised, engaged by the message she’s being given? Read the words of the angel to Mary and give your students a few moments to consider the message. God calls us to give birth to Christ in the world today as we reach out to others and offer our loving service as we work for peace and justice. Ask your students, “what is your stance before God? Are you ready to say “yes” as Mary did? If not, what holds you back?” Students could choose to act out their stance striking a pose that depicts their inner response, or they could put it into words in discussion groups or journaling. (adapted from a prayer led by Paul Lachance OFM.)

March Calendar , adapted from Center of Concerns calendar (www.coc.org)

Women’s History Month
1 - International Day for the Abolition of the Death Penalty
1 - Ash Wednesday
3 - World Day of Prayer (1st Friday in March)
5 - International Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1970)
5 - First Sunday of Lent
8 - International Women’s Day
12 - Second Sunday of Lent
19 - Third Sunday of Lent
19 - Start of the War in Iraq (2003)
21 - International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
22 - World Water Day –see September JUSTeach for water-related projects
24 - Oscar Romero’s assassination, 1980
25 - Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary
26 - Fourth Sunday of Lent
26 - Populorum Progressio –anniversary of Pope Paul VI encyclical on Development of Peoples

May this Lenten season be one of prayerful journey for you and your students and lead each of you to the full joy and truth of the Resurrection…

Blessings, Colette Wisnewski

February 2006

The greatest of these is love….

In the 70’s a popular movie offered this thought on love: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Even after all these years, the quote surfaces occasionally proving the staying power of popular culture’s messages. Our culture continues to pepper us with definitions of love, many of them in direct opposition to the Good News of the Gospel. Advertisements urge us to mark Valentine’s Day by buying more and giving more. The greeting card industry, the floral industry, and the chocolate industry will all profit by our acceptance of their messages to buy, buy, buy to prove our love this month. What does love mean? Even Pope Benedict addresses this issue in his first encyclical. What do popular movies and music tell your students about love? What does our Tradition tell us? What difference does our definition of love in terms of self love, love and compassion for others, and love of God make in terms of living out our faith? What can a conversation about the meaning of love bring to our understanding of Catholic social teaching?

Gospel references on love

Mk 12:28-34

Jn 13:34-35

Jn 15:9-17

1 Cor 13: 1-13

1 Jn 2:7-11

Quotes on love from our tradition:

Love feels no burden,

thinks nothing of trouble,

attempts what is above its strength,

pleads no excuse of impossibility…

It is therefore able to undertake all things,

and it completes many things,

and warrants them to take effect,

where he who does not love would faint and lie down.

Love is watchful and sleeping, slumbereth not.

Though weary, it is not tired;

Though pressed, it is not straightened;

Though alarmed, it is not confounded….Thomas a Kempis

We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community. Dorothy Day

“Where there is no love, put love; and there you will find love.” John of the Cross

An act of love, a voluntary taking on oneself of some of the pain of the world, increases the courage and love and hope of all. Dorothy Day

From the bishops www.usccb.org

In All Things Charity: A Pastoral Challenge for the New Millennium

USCCB justice and love

Pope Benedict XVI’s first encyclical

“Deus Caritas Est” looks at the meaning of love, see the full text at http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est_en.html

Activities

Have your students bring in examples from popular culture that show current messages regarding love. Some may be positive and others negative. Have them look for more quotes on love from saints both living and dead. Looking through the lens of Catholic social teaching, what do each of these samples tell us about the dignity of the human being, reaching out to others in solidarity, of working for the common good? Where is God in the things we’re being taught about love on television, in the movies, and in our music? Put the popular messages in conversation with those of the Gospel and voices from our tradition. Have your students come up with their own definitions of love.

Other February Activities

For those with access to the Center of Concerns at www.coc.org , check out their learning activities for Valentine’s Day such as the critique of the chocolate and floral industries through the lens of Catholic social teaching.

African American History Month

The Catholic Relief Service website has resources for honoring African American History Month at www.crs.org including the following:

Their project In Search of Wisdom from Mother Africa http://www.crs.org/get_involved/advocacy/africa_campaign/celebrating_african_family_tree/additional_activities.pdf involves looking at various wisdom sayings and their country of origin in Africa. The project could easily be used to examine the diversity of wisdom sayings from the students’ individual backgrounds and to open discussion of the role wisdom plays in making choices. Who teaches us, do we respect our teachers, our parents, and the wisdom they hand down to us? Do our various cultural and ethnic backgrounds have common points in the wisdom they pass on to us? What wisdom do we glean from the saints we’ve read ?

The Solidarity With Africa Retreat is complete and ready to put into action for a day of retreat for your students. The retreat would work well with adults and students, consider an intergenerational retreat. See the complete planned retreat at:

http://www.crs.org/kids/portal/pdfs/CRS_Africa_Retreat.pdf

World Day of the Sick February 11.

Who defines sick? Is it only physical or can it be mental or spiritual? Who is entitled to health care? Are those living in poverty entitled to care? Those without insurance? Those in prison or jail? Every day we find news pieces regarding health care. Have your students examine these articles (or find websites regarding health and sickness in the world ) and analyze what’s being said using the seven values of Catholic social teaching.

Have your students prepare a prayer ritual to pray for those in need of healing. Have them choose a healing story of Jesus’s ministry to include in the service. Consider a discussion of health care in our country and world. In what other ways besides physical illness might we need healing in our world and even within our church?

May you be well and know the love of God every moment of your lives, especially as you teach our children and model God’s love for them.

Blessings, Colette Wisnewski

January 2006

Peace Be With You

In these early moments of the New Year we reflect on how we’ve moved from darkness into light, having prayed our way through Advent, having celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ. Now we must find ways to birth Christ again and again in our daily lives throughout the year as we follow the way of this Prince of Peace. Think of the many ways teachers support peace building in our world. What a task! You educate the hearts as well as the minds of those you teach in the way you personally model following Jesus, the subjects you teach, and in the ways you incorporate the values of Catholic social teaching in classroom activities, discussion, and conduct. In answer to why it is important to invest in education in general, Saraya Saddeed, executive director of Help the Afghan Children which provides clinics, education, and humanitarian aid in Afghanistan responds, “The rate of return is a world of peace for tomorrow.” Think of the return on investing in Catholic social teaching values in our classrooms! Imagine the benefits of providing our children a language of the heart, a language that seeks peace. Think how we increase the possibility of peace on earth as we make an intentional, Spirit-led search for the roots of violence in our world and seek means of addressing that violence and uprooting it from our lives. We are providing the tools to plant the seeds of peace and to harvest the just rewards.

January offers teachers many opportunities to discuss peacemaking. From Pope Benedict’s World Day for Peace Message, to National Migration Week, to honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of nonviolence, to the Day of Penance regarding the right to life, to the anniversary of Gandhi’s death we find many openings to draw students into conversations and/or projects revolving around peace. What is peace? How can we help build peace in this world?

As Pope Benedict points out and addresses so clearly in his World Peace Day Message In Truth, Peace http://www.paxjoliet.org/news/pope_world_day_peace_2006.htm “peace cannot be reduced to the simple absence of armed conflict…” There are many ways in which young people can immerse themselves in the work of peace and many role models in our communities, our country, our faith tradition, and the world. How can we help them develop their peacebuilding skills? How can we expand their understanding of peace?

Calendar (adapted from Center of Concerns www.coc.org ) January is also designated Poverty in America Awareness Month by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (http://www.usccb.org/cchd/povertyusa/povamer.shtml)

1 - New Year’s Day
1 - World Day for Peace
1 - Solemnity of Mary
2-8 - National Migration Week
6 - Epiphany
8 - Baptism of the Lord
9-12 - Hajj (Annual Pilgrimage to Mecca, Islam)
11 - Eid-al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice, Islamic)
16 - Religious Freedom Day
17 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
18 – 15 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
22 - “Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope,” (A Pastoral Letter Concerning Migration from the Catholic Bishops of Mexico and the United States, 2003)
23- Day of Penance for violations to the dignity of the human person 27 - Auschwitz death camp in Poland, liberation by Soviet troops, 1945
29 - Chinese New Year (Confucian/Daoist/Buddhist)
30 - Gandhi’s Death, 1948
30-Feb 5 - Catholic Schools Week
31 - Thomas Merton’s Birth, 1915
31 - Islamic New Year

Classroom Activities:

Discuss the broader meaning of peace and the root causes of oppression and violence in our world. Develop the concept that peace is not just the absence of armed conflict as noted in Pope Benedict’s message. How does poverty keep us from the fullness of peace? How does racial or gender discrimination hinder peace? How do we as individuals and nations contribute to violence in our lives? How does Jesus call us to live peacefully? Can your students come up with a working definition of peace and peacebuilding? Can we use the core values of Catholic social teaching to articulate such a definition? (list of seven core values may be found at http://www.paxjoliet.org/justeach/justeach2.html ) Can paying attention to these values help us ‘prepare for peace?’

How?

Peacemakers as Mentors: Consider having your students choose a ‘mentor’ for the month of January. Have them read Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Mairead Corrigan Maguire, or someone else deeply committed to the way of peace. What values of Catholic social teaching do we see at work in these people? How might their ‘way’ of making peace be followed today in our own lives? Does the person speak to your heart? If so, what might you do to honor their voice? Can you frame your answers using the core values of Catholic social teaching? (See the links in the resource section of this article if you are looking for more peacemakers from which to choose.)

Or choose a peacemaker from your local community to shadow for day or weekend and journal responses to the work you’ve witnessed. Interview your peacemaker for a series of classroom profiles to share with one another and the school. Again, be sure to use the language of Catholic social teaching to articulate what you’ve learned.

Reflection activity: In paragraph 16 of In Truth, Peace, Pope Benedict writes: “when we hear the Gospel, dear brothers and sisters, we learn to build peace on the truth of a daily life inspired by the commandment of love.” Ask your students how peace is related to love? Ask “What Gospel message motivates you to live out the commandment of love?” Have them think of their own favorite passages, and ask what do they say to you regarding your call to love? Choose the one that speaks to you deeply at this moment. Do any of the core values of Catholic social teaching resonate for you within this passage? What questions does it raise for you regarding the world in which we live? How might you live out your life in this moment to be an answer to this question?

In an expanded project following this reflection, students might keep a reflection journal on the Sunday readings for a month. Perhaps their reflections will reveal actions that they or their school group could take now or in the future.

Classroom discussion on Pope Benedict’s Peace Day message

For those with access to the Center of Concerns educational site, use the reflection questions at www.educationforjustice.org to break open this message together. In addition to following the site’s reflection questions, point out to the students how this document, like other Catholic social teaching documents, is rooted in scripture and builds upon other documents from our tradition.. As easily seen in the footnotes, Pope Benedict refers to previous popes’ writings going back as far as 1917 and those as recent as 2004.

Peacemaking survey: What are the signs of the times telling your students about the need for peacebuilding activities in their homes, their communities, their churches, and their schools? Whose cries do they hear? What class or club project might they initiate to address these needs? What would be needed in terms of resources? Consider spiritual resources, financial resources, and people with needed skills. Whose needs would be met? What is the time frame? Would this be an ongoing project? Short term? Yearly? How would it fit into the work of peace? See the link for Peacebuilders Initiative in the resources and check out both their Peace Projects and Peace Project Ideas to start your students reflecting on possible activities.

Art Project: Dorothy Day liked to quote Dostoyevsky saying “Beauty will save the world.” Don’t underestimate the power of the arts to help your students articulate their vision of peace. January 8-14 is National Migration Week. Check out the USCCB website section on Journey to Justice and its suggested projects and activities at http://www.usccb.org/mrs/nmw/educational.shtml In addition consider an art project to illustrate the various “Borders of Our Hearts.” We live in a time of suspicion and fear of others. People talk of building walls between our country and Mexico for instance. Those who reach out to help people dying of thirst or illness as they try to cross borders risk lengthy sentences in return for their desire to follow Jesus’ teachings and offer humanitarian aid to their sisters and brothers. In addition to those activities on the above site, students could undertake an art project to illustrate the borders of our hearts. Are they open, inviting and drawing people into the center of Christ’s commandment to love one another? Are they closed, turned in on themselves and dying from the lack of such love? Let students choose their way of illustrating this principle or hand out art paper with one or two large hearts printed on the page and see the variety of artistic response. Perhaps students could find music to communicate the state of these borders of the heart as well.

Prayer Peace Pieces offers a prayer based on the nonviolence of Jesus and also provides links to other prayers.http://www.ipj-ppj.org/Reflections%20-%20Advocacy%20Suggestions%20-%20Lesson%20Plans/Prayer%20Service%20on%20the%20Nonviolence%20of%20Jesus.htm

 Resources

For a working definition of peacebuilding check out http://www.peacedirect.org/projects/grassrootspeacebuilding.html

Books that teachers and older students might enjoy:

I’d Rather Teach Peace by Colman McCarthy

The Vision of Peace:Faith and Hope in Northern Irelandby Mairead Corrigan Maguire

PeaceJam:How Young People Can Make Peace In Their Schools and Communities by Darcy Gifford

Institute for Peace material

http://www.ipj-ppj.org/Reflections%20-%20Advocacy%20Suggestions%20-%20Lesson%20Plans/MLKs%20Call.htm In this issue of the Institute for Justice newsletter Jim McGinnis offers Helping Families Respond to Dr. King’s Call
to Challenge Racism, Materialism, and Militarism. McGinnis explains ways of honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with suggestions for ways in which families can counter racism, consumerism, materialism and make a pledge for nonviolence.

http://www.ipj-ppj.org/Resource%20Pages/peacemaking%20post%209-11%20High%20School.htm Peace Pieces features the book If Only Today You Knew….The Things that Make for Peace For Christian High Schools and Youth Groups by James McGinnis with Kevin LaNave.

Other sites

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/teachers/plans.html The PBS website for the program Religion and Ethics offers various levels of lesson plans exploring a range of topics including just war theory, altruism, diversity and immigration. While not targeting a specifically Catholic audience, the plans could be easily adapted to draw upon discussion of the values of Catholic social teaching and their role in exploring the issue at hand. It also offers “Teacher Resources,” a link to other sites, a few of which may be new to you.

For a look at peacemakers at work in our world, check out the following sites:

http://www.paxjoliet.org/peacemaker_profiles/ The Joliet Diocese offers a variety of peacemaking activities through the lives of these activists.

http://www.paxchristiusa.org Pax Christi website features many peace workers

http://www.peacebuildersinitiative.org See what high school students are doing in the Chicago area through this Bernardin Center project at Catholic Theological Union. Check out the projects and project ideas on the site as well as other offerings.

http://www.hrusa.org/store/EffectivePractices.doc Effective Practices for Infusing Human Rights and Peace Education at the Elementary Level offers many suggestions for activities and projects at various grade levels

http://.peacejam.org offers suggestions on linking high school students with work of various Nobel Laureates, has links and biographies http://www.peacepeople.com/index.html Irish site includes biographies of modern peacemakers from around the world

http://www.cultivatingpeace.ca/peacemakers/nosweat.html See what high schools in Canada have done. Has links, curriculum suggestions etc.

As we enter into this New Year, I give thanks to our God of Peace for the good work you do. Teaching really is a sacred mission. May your students grow in their understanding of Peace. The gift you give this generation of students is a gift to all humanity. May God bless you and keep you, may you see the face of Christ in each student and find your teaching echoed in the love they offer others in their lives no matter what career path they may choose.

Blessings, Colette Wisnewski

December 2005

Praying for Peace and Justice During Advent

As the days grow shorter and nights grow longer, we enter into the season of Advent and await the coming of the Christ child. The focus of our faith tradition urges us to prayerfully prepare for the birth of Light into our darkness and lives in tension with the focus of popular culture—the “only-so-many-days-until-Christmas” message—that bombards us with the message to shop often and buy more and more. How do we counter the impact of cultural forces on our spiritual preparation for the coming of Christ? How will we keep our hearts turned toward God during this holiday season?

We all know the familiar strains of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel and probably most know that Emmanuel means “God is with us.” The names for God in this well-known hymn echo those of another tradition involving praying with the O Antiphons during Vespers in the Liturgy of the Hours in the Octave before Christmas, the seven days preceding Christmas Eve. This ancient practice dating back to the early centuries of the Church begins on December 17 and continues through December 23. Each day, preceding the Magnificat, the recitation or chanting of the antiphon incorporates a name for God rooted in the writings of the prophet Isaiah and invites the Lord into our world in specific ways. The names are preceded by the interjection “O” voicing our strong emotion and adding to the impact of our addressing God formally in prayer. The seven “O’s” of the antiphons give them their commonly used name of the “O Antiphons.” After each Messianic title, the antiphon goes on to prayerfully ask God to come into the world for specific reasons rooted in the related texts from Isaiah such as to free prisoners, to show us the way to live, and to bring light.

The names and the related passages from Isaiah are as follows: (1)

Dec. 17 “O Sapientia (O Wisdom, O Holy Word of God) Is. 11:2-3 and 28:29

Dec. 18 “O Adonai” (O Sacred Lord) Is 11:4-5 and 33:22

Dec. 19 “O Radix Jesse” (O Flower of Jesse’s Stem) Is. 11:1, 10

Dec. 20 “O Clavis David” (O Key of David, O Royal Power of Israel) Is 22:22 and 9:6

Dec 21 “O Oriens” (O Radiant Dawn... O Sun of Justice) Is 9:1

Dec 22 “O Rex Gentium” (King of All Nations, joy of every heart, Keystone) Is. 9:5, 2:4

Dec 23 “O Emmanuel” (God is With Us, King and Lawgiver, desire of the nations,) 7:14

You will need the complete text of the antiphons for the activities that follow below. Check out the complete texts and brief discussion of the O Antiphons at the following:

http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0374.html

Additional background is available at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11173b.htm

An interesting feature of the O Antiphons is that when we start at the end with “Emmanuel” and take the first letter of each name, they spell out the Latin “ero cras” which means “Tomorrow, I will come.” (2) Our Lord, “whose coming we have prepared for in Advent and whom we have addressed in these seven Messianic titles, now speaks to us.”(3)

Discussion

We too are called to be prophetic voices in our times. How can we use these seven names for our Messiah to enter into prayers for peace and justice in our world? The names we use to address God express attributes of God as well as reveal who we are in relationship with God. Names for God show our deepest beliefs about who God is in the depths of our hearts, and reflect our desires in prayer. How can praying with this ancient tradition help us express our need to actively invite the Light of the World into our darkness? Your students probably have had the experience of using Advent Calendars to prepare for Christmas and opening a door each day. How might the

naming and invitation modeled in the antiphons lead to an opening of hearts in preparing for the coming of Christ?

-Using the O Antiphons and the background readings from Isaiah, discuss how we might pray for the needs of the world reflecting our understanding of Catholic social teaching values. Can our prayer help birth Jesus in today’s world?

-Using “O Sapientia”, for example, you might ask your students where we need God’s wisdom today. Where could the “Holy Word of God” make a difference right now in the world? If you have service projects planned for this season, you might develop this reflection question based on the project. How specifically would the students invite God’s wisdom into their lives or into the world at large and why?

-Another discussion point could be to ask what virtues are expressed in naming God in the O Antiphons such as hope and faith. Why are these important in any justice work?

-Point out that after naming God, each antiphon then invites God to come into the world for specific purpose. For example, “O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice, come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.” Could any of the values of CST be useful in discussing those who dwell in darkness or under the shadow of death? Where do we see darkness or injustice? Perhaps in the areas of famine in our world, perhaps in the world’s inability to peacefully settle conflict. Or perhaps in the racism and sexism evident in our everyday lives. What does such darkness do to human dignity? Does it prevent solidarity and working for the common good? Where do we see light? Possible answers might include those who work with AIDS patients, organizations such as Voices in the Wilderness and Catholic Relief Services, and elected officials who work to end oppression in all forms.

-What names for God do the students use to express attributes of God? How did they come to choose those names?

Activity: O Antiphon Banners

What you will need:

-Newspapers or magazines

-Cloth for banners or poster board

-Glue, scissors

-A list of the seven core values of Catholic social teaching (You can access these on the Joliet Diocese Peace and Justice site at http://www.paxjoliet.org/justeach/justeach2.html )

-The complete text of the O Antiphons available at http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0374.html

Have students work individually or in groups looking for photos that reflect either a need to call upon the individual attributes of God such as wisdom or light named in the O Antiphons or a need to thank God for such a presence in our lives. For instance, a photo of war victims might reflect a need to pray for wisdom in our government leaders, photos of volunteers working with Hurricane Katrina victims might reflect God working through such people to meet the needs of the victims of the hurricane. Ask each student or group of students to come up with an example for each of the seven antiphons. Cut and glue the pictures onto a banner or poster board. Or, break the group into seven groups and assign each group one of the antiphons to illustrate.

As an additional exercise or as part of the above, for each antiphon ask the student to compose a one line prayer incorporating the name for Jesus in the antiphon, asking Jesus to come into the world now or thanking Jesus for coming into the world. If possible use the language of Catholic social teaching in the prayer response. For example. “O Wisdom, come into the hearts and minds of our government leaders so that we may stand in solidarity with all who suffer from famine and find ways to help end their suffering.” Or, “O Wisdom, we thank you for coming into the world and helping the leaders of nations find ways to end oppression and to honor the human dignity of all...”

These prayers could be put onto the banners/posters or put beside them.

If you choose not to incorporate the art project, students may still enjoy praying with the O Antiphons that final week before Christmas and writing their own reflections in response using some of the ideas from the project. Ask them to share these reflections at home with their families and to ask their families to add to the prayers.

Prayer

Consider praying with the antiphons this Advent as part of your spiritual journey toward the birth of the Christ Child. Start or end the day with the appropriate antiphon. You may be able to find CDs with antiphons or find the O Antiphons sung online. Check the Erie Benedictine site at http://www.eriebenedictines.org/ to see if they are providing the sung antiphons this season. If you have no access to a computer in the classroom or are unable to find a CD with the antiphons, ask the class to recite the antiphon in unison. Have the appropriate readings from Isaiah available on the board.. Give them a few moments to look up the readings and to reflect on them in light of the signs of our times. Then call them to prayer by repeating the antiphon and inviting any who wish to do so to offer a one line prayer such as “thank you for the wisdom in .....” or “O Wisdom, we need you to come now...

USCCB

 The following link to the United States Bishops’ Conference contains more suggestions and information for classroom, parish, and family activities related to Advent themes.

http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/globalpoverty/advent2005resources.shtml

Diversity

The holiday season offers many opportunities to share our various family holiday traditions. Encourage your students to share family customs and to learn about one another’s various ways to celebrate the birth of Christ. This might include ways of decorating the house, different manger arrangements, foods, and prayer devotions.

Photo Exhibit

Check out the information on Opening of the Heart: Photographs of Israeli and Palestinians at www.openingoftheheart.org . The exhibit looks into the hearts of those directly impacted by conflict in the Mideast and shows how violence damages people in many ways including the obvious physical injuries and in more subtle ways such as that which occurs in stereotyping groups of people. The traveling exhibit will be at Gallery 37, 66 Randolph St, Chicago until December 27, 2005. The website has information on ordering classroom teaching aids

.

 December Calendar (4)

Dec 1st: World AIDS Day

Dec 2nd: Anniversary of the deaths of Maura Clarke, Ita Ford, Dorothy Kazel, and Jean Donovan in El Salvador

Dec 2nd: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

Dec 3rd: International Day of Disabled Persons

Dec 4th: Second Sunday of Advent

Dec 5th: International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development

Dec 8th: Immaculate Conception

Dec 10th: Human Rights Day

Dec 10th: "To the Ends of the Earth," 1986

Dec 11th: Third Sunday of Advent

Dec 12th: Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Dec 12th: U.S. Bishops issue "The Hispanic Presence: Challenge and Commitment," 1983

Dec 18th: International Migrants Day

Dec 18th: Fourth Sunday of Advent

Dec 25th: Christmas

Dec 26th: First Day of Hanukkah

Dec 30th: Solicitudo Rei Socialis

May the birth of the Christ Child fill your hearts with peace and joy this Christmas season and touch you with love throughout the coming year. May your classrooms be filled with light throughout the school year. Blessings, Colette Wisnewski

1 Saunders, Rev. William “What Are The O Antiphons?” Arlington Catholic Herald 2000. The entire text of the article is available at http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0374.html

2 Ibid In speaking of the order of the antiphons, Saunders draws upon Robert Greenburg’s position that the early Benedictine monks arranged the antiphons in this order with this purpose in mind.

3 Ibid

4 Center of Concern www.coc.org

November 2005

Who Is Welcome At Our Table?

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, images of family gatherings and tables filled with friends and relatives and my favorite foods come to my mind. Remember huge family gatherings as a child? Did you have to squeeze together at one table or perhaps sit at the “kids’ table?” What else besides food was shared at the table? Chances are good that many of us have seen room being made for a high chair or a wheelchair at our family table. We’ve seen an extra plate and chair brought out for a last minute guest. We’ve seen babies fed and perhaps help given to an elderly relative as well. We’ve complained about sitting next to someone who talks too much or who wiggles too much or who chews with open mouth. We’ve rejoiced at sitting next to a favorite aunt or uncle or a cousin who’s fun to be with. We’ve shared stories, food, and faith.

Although we may more commonly think of the table as a healing gathering place, it is also quite often the place of exclusion in our homes, our communities, our parishes and our world. The bishops point out that the poor and vulnerable in our midst, our brothers and sisters, often have no place, no voice, at our tables. Who is included and who is excluded at our various tables? Often both wisdom and ignorance are shared at our tables. How do our experiences at table form who we are? Who is welcome at our table? Who is left out? In November 2002, the United States bishops opened their pastoral reflection A Place at the Table: A Catholic Recommitment to Overcome Poverty and to Respect the Dignity of All God’s Children http://www.usccb.org/bishops/table.shtml with a few statements on the meaning of “table” in our lives.

“A table is where people come together for food. For many, there is not enough food, and, in some cases, no table at all.”

“A table is where people meet to make decisions—in neighborhoods, nations, and the global community. Many people have no place at the table. Their voices and needs are ignored or dismissed.”

“When we gather as Catholics to worship, we gather around a table to celebrate the Eucharist. It is at this altar of sacrifice that we hear the word of Christ and receive his Body and Blood.”

How do our table practices in our daily lives form our ways of welcoming or excluding people we encounter in our lives?

Classroom discussion

Invite your students to discuss the many reasons they may gather at their family tables.

Many families make it point to eat together, some may work on jigsaw puzzles or a craft project at the family table, and some have family meetings on a regular basis. In what other ways are tables used?

What shape is your family table? Who sits where? Who gives up their chair, sits on a broken chair or squeezes onto a bench with a sibling or parent if several guests come for dinner?

Who is welcome at the family table? As in the story of the loaves and fishes, have you ever had the experience of setting out an extra plate for an unexpected guest and “stretching” the food so there’s enough for all?

Is there a separate kids’ table at huge gatherings? How does the family make sure the kids feel part of the larger table? What age determines whether you are a ‘kid’ or an ‘adult?’

In our parishes, the altar is the table of the Lord where we all gather to celebrate. How do we make sure everyone feels welcomed? Do we greet all who enter? Is our meeting place easily accessible by all? Do we extend our hand to all at the sign of peace or only certain family members and friends?

Reflecting on all the tables of your life including home, church, and the school lunchroom, which Catholic social teaching values have you seen at work at the various tables in your life?

Or which have you seen ignored or ignored yourself?

Tables can become wastelands where we serve ignorance and anger or they can be places of healing and reconciliation where all are welcomed and served with love. Some questions to consider:

-Has human dignity always been respected and promoted? Do table manners impact the way we live out our respect for human dignity?

Do you always sit by the same person?

Do you welcome new people into your table group? Is each individual at your table listened to and always treated with respect?

Are there some people you’d rather not sit near?

What do you do about this?

-If you notice someone eating alone or a student new to your school, do you make room and invite them into your group?

-What does exclusion do to those being left out of the conversation? Is the human dignity of the one doing the excluding also impacted?

-Is everyone allowed to participate in the conversation at your table? Do you take the responsibility to invite others into the ‘inner circle’ at your table? Who is excluded and why?

-Have you witnessed aspects of solidarity? How do we live out “loving our neighbor” at the table?

Are we aware of who worked to grow and process our food?

In our shopping and eating habits, do we support corporations or institutions that uphold workers’ rights and boycott those who do not?

-Have you seen a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable either at the table or in actions resulting from table conversation

Are you aware that many are without food or even a table at which to gather?

-Do we show good stewardship by not wasting our foods, limiting paper products and by recycling our paper waste, glass and cans? Do we know the recycling policies of our communities?

-How do tables serve as meeting places in the world? Business meetings often take place around conference tables. Union and government leaders meet at tables. (Sometimes the shape of the table becomes an issue itself as in the Viet Nam peace talks in Paris when one side wanted a round table and the other a square shaped table!) Point out that the lessons we learn and those we teach through our own actions at the various tables in our lives have implications for the future of our world.

Activity

With Thanksgiving coming soon, many families will have the opportunity for multigenerational gatherings. Ask your students to gather family stories regarding table experiences. Did anyone ever experience exclusion at a table at work or school? Did anyone ever feel unwelcome at church? How did the experience impact them? Who helped them? Did anyone ever stand up for another person they saw being excluded? Or did anyone wish later that they had? As a family, how can we better reach out and welcome all to our table whether at home, in our parish, or in the larger community?

Action

November 15 is Mix It Up at Lunch Day, part of a web project of the Southern Poverty Law Center. http://www.tolerance.org/teens/lunch.jsp The website offers the following reasons for instituting this day of action.

-70 % of students named the cafeteria as the school setting where social boundaries are most clearly drawn.

-40% of students admitted that they had rejected someone from another group.

The site offers a free booklet for starting projects in your school that challenge the walls standing between groups of people. These range from ways of inviting students to sit at different tables in the lunch room rather than in their usual table groups to starting small dialogue groups in the school.

Prayer

The Center of Concerns offers a prayer ritual addressing tolerance and based on circles of inclusion. http://www.coc.org/pdfs/ej/tolerance.pdf Scroll down to the prayer.

November Calendar 

Nov. 1 All Saints’ Day

Nov. 2 All Souls’ Day

Nov. 4 World Community Day

http://www.churchwomen.org/celebrations2005.htm

Nov. 8 Dorothy Day’s Birthday

Nov. 11 Veterans’ Day

U.S. Bishops “ A Place at the Table,” 2002

Nov. 15 Mix It Up at Lunch Day http://www.tolerance.org/teens/lunch.jsp

U.S. Bishops “Responsibility, Rehabilitation and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice”

Nov. 16 International Day for Tolerance

http://www.unesco.org/tolerance/teneng.htm

U.S. Bishops “Economic Justice for All,” 1986

Nov. 20 Universal Children’s Day http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/children_day/

Nov. 24 Thanksgiving

Nov. 25 Anniversary of Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance

and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief”

http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/d_intole.htm

Nov. 26 Buy Nothing Day

Nov. 27 First Sunday in Advent

Peace and blessings, and may your family table and each of the tables of your life truly be a table of the Lord this Thanksgiving season and throughout the coming year.

Colette Wisnewski

The Center of Concerns offers a monthly calendar with links for educators. If you have access to the site’s educator resources you can find tons of material and/or links for classroom projects. Check out their site at www.coc.org In addition, the archives of the JUSTeach newsletter available at http://www.paxjoliet.org/justeach/justeach_archive.htm contain past newsletters filled with information, activities and links geared to various monthly or seasonal themes.

October 2005

The News and the Good News

Analyzing Media through the Lens of Catholic Social Teaching

Who told you about Hurricane Katrina? How were you made aware of the devastation, the loss of human life and the fact that emergency evacuation plans did not include adequate provisions for moving poor, elderly, and other particularly vulnerable people to safe locations? Most of what the world knows about the hurricane and the devastating effects on people living in the Gulf region comes from various news sources. The news informs us and forms us throughout our lives, not just during natural disasters. In turn, our response to tragedy is formed in part by what we read or see on television. How are we and how are our children being formed by the “news”? How do we put the “news” into conversation with the “Good News” of our faith? How can we use our faith as we process the news and articulate our response to a crisis?

Catholic social teaching tells us that the media “should serve the common good” according to the late Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter for the 37th World Communications Day. In that same document he notes that the media’s role in justice work relies on accuracy and truth in reporting and a “mature exercise of freedom and responsibility.” Human dignity can be advanced or oppressed by the media. Those who work with young people should pay special attention to his words regarding “formation, participation, and dialogue.” Increasingly, people turn to media for guidelines rather than to church or other institutions. The various media outlets both reflect our culture and shape our culture. We are called upon to teach our students and children how to critically analyze what they’re reading in newspapers and magazines and seeing on television. The role of media in our lives depends upon our intelligent and faith-filled response to it. Young people need guidance in choosing their sources of information and in bringing information gained into dialogue with others and with their faith tradition.

Referring to Pope John XXIII’s encyclical, Pacem in Terris in his apostolic letter, Pope John Paul II notes that media can become “a powerful resource for good if used to foster understanding between peoples; a destructive ‘weapon’ if used to foster injustice and conflicts. On a local as well as a national and a global level, news media can bring us closer to responsible participation, to seeing human dignity in all persons, working in solidarity, identifying the common good and carrying a preferential option for the poor and the vulnerable in our hearts.

You can access the full text of the Apostolic Letter addressing those in communication at:

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20050124_il-rapido-sviluppo_en.html

Pacem in Terris is available at

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_xxiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-xxiii_enc_11041963_pacem_en.html

To prepare yourself for the classroom activity below or to devise activities and projects of your own in teaching media literacy check out at least a few of these websites keeping the values of Catholic social teaching in mind as you do so:

Catholic Social Teaching Values

The Peace and Justice Office of the Joliet Diocese offers a brief overview of the 7 core values of Catholic social teaching at http://www.paxjoliet.org/justeach/justeach2.html

Websites for News Analysis

Some of these sites have activities nicely prepared for easy use in a classroom. Others offer information allowing teachers to incorporate the ideas into various subject areas.

http://www.amlainfo.org/hurricane/index.php#why

This website of the AMLA (Alliance for a Media Literate America) has many activities easily adaptable for high school and middle school groups. In particular, lessons 1, 4 and 6 regarding basic analysis of media, the language used in various reports, and what actions students could take after analysis offer several opportunities for discussion and longer term projects.

www.coc.org

The Center of Concerns site on popular culture lists the following sites for learning more about media literacy.

http://www.globalissues.org/HumanRights/Media.asp

Mainstream Media has sections pertaining to global issues as well as sections focused on media in the United States.

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/special_initiatives/games/index.cfm

This Canadian site, The Media Awareness Network, offers activities and information for children, parents, and teachers. Some of the material is geared toward early elementary grade levels, others provide material for older students.

http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article95.html The Center for Media Literacy offers a wide range of material ranging from current “in-the-news’ topics to discussions about violence in general as presented in the media.

Other sites offer further resources

http://www.crscampusconnection.org/Advocate.Faith.Citizen/advocate.5.html Catholic Relief Services “Campus Connection” features prayer and activity regarding media and Catholic social teaching.

http://www.8thdaycenter.org/

Another resource useful for classroom teachers in analyzing the language used by the media and in our personal conversations is JustLanguage, a publication of the Eighth Day Center for Justice Their links for media analysis, however, are for an adult audience and not aimed at middle or high school students although teachers may find some of the information helpful in understanding the scope of media illiteracy.

Responding to the news

As we respond through corporal works of mercy to the many needs of the hurricane’s victims, we must remember that being the heart of Christ means living out of our hope, out of our vision for a better world. Christ is our hope. Although we cannot control nature or the power of hurricanes and other storms, we can analyze and improve our ways of responding to such disasters. We can develop eyes of faith to see the vulnerable in our midst. Many reports claimed that the preparations for the storm ignored the poor and the elderly. What are we to do with this news of injustice? How important is it to choose good, reliable news sources? How do we analyze news media through the lens of Catholic social teaching; how do we analyze through the heart of Christ? Catholic social teaching helps us to keep Christ-centered, focused on the Good News, even as we read or view the bad news!

Classroom discussion : (Some pertain to the news reporting surrounding Hurricane Katrina, others are more general. The information from the above mentioned sites offer many more suggestions.) Discussions could be in small groups or as a class.

Materials Needed:

News articles and photos from magazines and newspapers

A list of the core values of Catholic social teaching

A list of questions from below or from one or more of the sites mentioned earlier

-Can news reporting be “truthful” and “accurate” and still be detrimental to human dignity? (Where might a reporter’s questions or camera be an intrusion?)

-Is it important to analyze the news itself in terms of how it is reported as well as the event or issue being reported?

-How might being a “business” impact the way news is reported by any given news media?

-Did the reporting you encountered reveal elements of solidarity? Of the common good?

Of the preferential option for the poor? Of full responsible participation by all persons? Or the lack of these values?

-Where did we encounter human dignity in the midst of the storm?

-Where did we see injustice?

-Are the injustices being reported “new” or did the aftermath of the storm show us what had been hidden from our sight?

-In the various reports you encountered, were the victims of the storm quoted or pictured as often as visiting celebrities? Government officials? Does this matter? What values of Catholic social teaching might help us decide? Which voices were allowed to participate in the news reporting?

-Was there a preferential option for the poor and the vulnerable in the emergency planning? In the aftermath of the storm? Does it appear (from what you’ve heard or seen) that those who were most vulnerable participated in the planning efforts?

-The needs of those in shelters due to hurricane related reasons are echoed in the needs of those in shelters for other reasons in all parts of the United States. Why don’t we see “news” of this great need in our daily news?

-How might we use the “news” regarding this recent disaster to express our hope, our prophetic vision of the future? What do we need to do differently in our emergency planning and in our everyday lives?

-Did different news sources report the events differently? Were the facts different or just the manner of presentation?

-Why might we consider consulting more than one news source when trying to learn about an issue or event? Where do you get your news?

-As viewers and readers of the “news” do we have responsibilities as believers in the “Good News”? List some of them.

Longer term projects:

Have students cut out articles and pictures from news related to the hurricane and its devastating impact on the people of the Gulf region. Ask your students to complete one or more of the following options:

-Create a reflection and prayer journal response to each item. Include any questions you have that weren’t answered in the news article.

-Arrange the items on pages/posterboards under the headings of the core values of CST. Use the pictures to either show how the value was present in that particular news article or how the news revealed a disregard of it.

-Use actual quotes from those people who survived the storm and create a short reflection piece that you’d like to see aired on television or radio.

-Create a litany that might be included in a classroom prayer or at the family table using a response to all the quotes such as “Lord, give us the hope and courage to change the world” or “Loving Lord, have mercy on us” or another such response.

-Keep a news/Good News bulletin board feature going in your classroom to use the core values of Catholic social teaching as a framework in analyzing both news reporting and the event/issue being reported.

Prayer

Remind your students that prayer goes hand in hand with our justice work. Share the prayer of St. Teresa of Avila and point out that the corporal works of mercy involve our whole being. As the heart of Christ we move in faith, hope and charity through our world. We are called to prophetic vision, called to name injustice and to change the world.

We are the hands of Christ,

Where we work he works.

We are the feet of Christ,

Where we go he goes.

We are the heart of Christ,

Where we love he loves,

Where we are, Christ is. Amen

The following link offers a youth group prayer service in response to a national disaster. Teachers can use it as is, shorten it, adapt it or borrow from it and use music of their choice. Perhaps some of the activities above could be worked into this prayer service.

http://www.youthspecialties.com/store/freebies/uncommon_prayer/uncommon_prayer_tragedy.pdf Be sure you scroll down to see their entire offering, their arrangement of Psalm 46 in angry and calm voices is unusual and might appeal to your students.

Further Activity

To encourage hope in your students and to promote a discussion of hope’s role in living from the heart of our faith, ask them to look for quotes about “hope” and bring them to share. If they are keeping journals ask them to look for various quotes throughout the year and reflect upon them. Put the catechism definition on the board for them. Have them define hope in their own words. Or post some of the following in your classroom for students to consider:

“and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Romans 5:5

“..it is Christ in you, the hope for glory” Col 1:27

“I need Your sense of the future. Teach me to know that life is ever on the side of the future. Keep alive in me the future look, the high hope. Let me not be frozen either by the past or the present. Grant me, O Patient One, Your sense of the future without which all life would sicken and die.” Howard Thurman

"If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes." Saint Clement of Alexandria

“The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.” Barbara Kingsolver

"Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise." Maya Angelou

"Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all." Emily Dickinson

“Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.” Pope John XXIII.

“We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning.” Albert Einstein

“Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“ The basic attitude of hope, on the one hand encourages the Christian not to lose sight of the final goal which gives meaning and value to life, and on the other, offers solid and profound reasons for a daily commitment to transform reality in order to make it correspond to God's plan.” Pope John Paul II

Even as our hearts are saddened by the news reports of the loss of human life, of assaults on human dignity, of hunger and thirst in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, hope keeps us afloat. Hope keeps us going even when we don’t know where or how to go or when the world’s burdens weigh us down. We can’t stop a hurricane but we can envision a way to end poverty, despair and injustice in this world. St. Augustine, in speaking of hope’s role in looking at the future, compared hope to an egg laid by a bird in that the young bird is present, but yet to be seen. Hope has an element of the future in it, the coming of a just and peaceful world. The virtue of hope plays a key role in our living out the values of Catholic social teaching in that our prophetic vision relies on hope, a gift from God, to point us toward the fullness of Christ, to keep us centered in Christ. Catholic social teaching gives us the language of vision that keeps us from drowning in despair, remaining in darkness and indifferent to the injustices we see in the world. Making sure we choose reliable sources of information and dialoguing with others as we’re learning makes us participants, not merely spectators, in the world. Being centered in Christ means living in hope, in the fullness of the promises of Christ, and not accepting what we’ve seen revealed on the news in terms of poverty, racism and injustice as being the only possible vision of the world.

Here are some dates to consider when planning CST discussions. Some offer moments to look at other traditions and to discuss dialogue as an avenue to peace. Events too can open exploration of Catholic social teaching values. One event in particular, Columbus Day, provides an inroad into looking at centuries of injustice in the Americas. Finally, using the saints as models of prayer provides opportunities to stress the importance of prayer and nurturing our spirituality in justice work.

Oct 1 International Day of Older Persons
Oct 1 St Therese of Lisieux

Oct 2 World Communion Sunday

Oct 3 First Day of Rosh Hashanah

Oct 4 Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi

Oct 5 World Teachers' Day

Oct 5 First Day of Fasting for Ramadan

Oct 10 “Columbus” Day ( a good moment to point out that the Americas and indigenous peoples were here long before Columbus ever “discovered” them!)

Oct 12 Yom Kippur

Oct 15 St. Teresa of Avila

Oct 16 World Food Day

Oct 17 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
Oct 17: "The Struggle Against Poverty: A Sign of Hope in Our World" (Pastoral Letter of the Canadian Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs, 1996)

Oct 21 "The Common Good and the Catholic Church's Social Teaching," Catholic Bishop's Conference of England and Wales, 1996

Oct 24 The United Nations Day
Oct 24 Disarmament Week

Peace and blessings,
Colette Wisnewski

September 2005

Water

“He changes a wilderness into a pool of water, and a dry land into springs of water”

Ps 107:35

The extended drought in many African nations and the recent, although less extreme, drought conditions in many parts of the United States combined with the recent surge in gasoline prices make a comparison between water and oil a timely topic with both global and local implications. It’s an opportunity to explore the meaning and value of water in our lives using our own experiences and current issues in the news through the lens of Catholic social teaching.

If water were oil, would we be so careless as to let it drip from leaky faucets? If water were oil, would we routinely dry up our wetlands and ignore the value of the liquid gold, a treasure in our fields? If water were oil, would the countries of the world engage in wars to control it? Consider the various ways we “value” water. The United Nations

recognizes water as a necessary, primary component of life in various documents as does Amnesty International. Catholic social teaching recognizes the right to potable water as basic to human life and dignity, sees water as part of Creation belonging to all people, and acknowledges layers of responsibility involved in protecting the world’s waters.

Some, while still recognizing water’s intrinsic relationship to human dignity, would still speak of water’s value in monetary terms such as in the following statement by a government official: “Water has become a highly precious resource. There are some places where a barrel of water costs more than a barrel of oil.” (Lloyd Axworthy, Foreign Minister of Canada in a 1999 news conference) However, Catholic social teaching explains that the intrinsic “value” of water extends beyond any monetary worth and cannot be expressed solely in the language of consumerism. Sifting through the late Pope John Paul II’s writings on the environment we can see a deep appreciation for the beauty of Creation as well as an awareness of both governmental and individual responsibility for caring for Creation. In our modern world, the harsh reality is that the “value” too frequently depends upon who’s looking at the facts or, more accurately, who’s thirsting for the water. How about you, have you ever thought of yourself as a person of privilege based on the fact that you have access to potable water? Would you pay as much for a barrel of water as for a barrel of oil? How do you express the value of water in your life?

Scriptural references to water:

“Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers.” Gen 2:10

“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Amos 5:24

“More than the sounds of many waters, than the mighty breakers of the sea, The LORD on high is mighty.” Ps 93:4

“Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.” Is 12:23

"And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward." Mt 10:42

"I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Mk1:8

“Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." Jn 4:14

In the news:

“Severe drought, together with an invasion of locusts, have devastated crops and plunged huge parts of Africa into crisis, particularly Niger, Mali and Mauritania. In Niger alone, more than three million people are facing starvation. Oxfam is already reaching 130,000 people in Niger, and others across the region.” From Oxfam International www.oxfam.com

In Illinois, “More than 90 percent of the state's cropland has less than adequate supplies of topsoil moisture, according to the Agriculture Statistics Service.” Chicago Tribune August 12, 2005

Many communities had watering bans this summer. Streams dried up in some areas. Barges along major waterways were grounded by low water levels.

Be sensitive in presenting drought information to younger students. Be certain to assure younger students in particular that the drought in the United States has been patchy, not nearly as extensive or as damaging as in other parts of the world and has not caused famine conditions in this country.

Catholic Social Teaching offers many documents pertaining to water related issues.

The National Catholic Rural Life Conference has a nice summary of Catholic social teaching points from a rural life perspective but with broad, global applications regarding a ‘water ethic.”

http://www.ncrlc.com/WaterEthic-webpage02.html

Pope John Paul II

Peace With God the Creator, Peace With All of Creation An important document recognizing environmental concerns, the World Day of Peace message 1990

Check out the website dedicated to the late pope’s environmental quotes as well. Pope John Paul II had great appreciation for the beauty of nature and the role of that beauty in relation to the life and dignity of the person.

http://conservation.catholic.org/pope_john_paul_ii.htm

The Columbia River Pastoral Letter Project

www.columbiariver.org

This site is the result of an international effort by Canadian and United States bishops to address their joint concerns over the shared watershed. The site offers both the pastoral letter The Columbia River Watershed: Caring for Creation and the Common Goodand a reflection guide designed to prompt discussion. Some of the discussion questions could be easily adapted for use in discussing bodies of water or water sheds in other locales.

More websites:

www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/water/gettingstarted.htm suggested for kids 9-13 but some points could be incorporated into activities for older students. The “water shortages” quiz contains pictures and causes of water shortages including some your students might not immediately list such as tourism and trade and armed conflict.

The Environmental Protection Agency has several activities related to water.

www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/grades_9-12_mock_town_meeting.html for older students. In addition to the roles mentioned in this article, challenge students to prepare a position statement based on Catholic social teaching to be read by members of a local Catholic parish peace and justice group. Or adapt the game to fit a local issue your students will readily recognize and be able to discuss.

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/kids_9-12.html The “Water Facts” and “Water Trivia” sheets might stimulate some conversation. There are also games which could be adapted or used as models for activities such as having your students create their own card game or trivia sheet based on the justice issues raised by water conditions in various parts of the world using the principles of Catholic social teaching.

www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/bloopers.html Lists common ways in which water is wasted or contaminated.

http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org/ Your group can register to become part of World Monitoring Day measuring water quality between September 18 and October 18.

Stories from other countries:

Check out the Earth Day website’s ten stories regarding thirsty kids in other countries. Cut and paste the following to access the stories.

http://www.earthday.net/programs/currentcampaigns/waterforlife/water_ten_thirsty.aspx

In preparation for the Water Reflection below, ask your students to share any water-related news they’ve seen or read over the summer. Prompt them if necessary with what you’ve read on water shortages or contamination.

Our stories: Water Reflection and Prayer

You’ll need a blue cloth,

A pitcher of water

a clear bowl halfway filled with water (perhaps put rocks or shells in the water),

a CD or tape of natural water sounds such as rains, waves or trickling streams

A chart or blackboard listing the seven principles of Catholic social teaching

Set the cloth and bowl on a small table where all can see it.

Reflection

Remind students that water is necessary to maintain life and that it has spiritual and emotional benefits as well as physical. We appreciate the beauty of water in creation, we see the peacefulness of water and recognize its wild moments as well, we use water in many of our religious rituals, we drink it, cook with it, bathe in it. We water our plants with it. We play in it. We celebrate it.

Begin the CD on low volume.

Explain the following:

Some writers compare water to the memory of the land winding through the landscape and carrying remnants of all that has been as well as hope for the future. Let’s take a few minutes now to recall our own water memories. Silently, prayerfully recall experiences related to water and the role or meaning of water in your own lives. For discussion after reflection, try to

1)recall a time when you experienced a feeling of abundance related to water—joyful water activities in a pool, lake or even the sprinkler, a moment of realizing God has sent the rains, fishing or boating, a cool drink after a long hot day, or perhaps a younger sibling’s baptism

2) recall a time when you experienced drought or lack of water—thirst , “boil-before-drinking orders” in your community due to contaminated water supplies, gardens not producing flowers or vegetables, brown lawns, dying or stressed trees, dried stream beds.

Turn up the volume on the water sounds. Allow sufficient time for the students to collect their memories and to reflect on the many meanings of water in their lives before lowering the volume and calling them back into discussion.

Share the abundance or drought memories as a whole, or break into smaller groups or pairs of students. Try to connect memories to CST by pointing out the many ways water is connected to human life and dignity. For instance, in addition to our physical wellbeing being protected by clean drinking water and the role of water in raising our food, our dignity is reflected in our emotional and spiritual wellbeing such as when we use water in blessing rituals or when we are awed by the pure beauty of water. Our human dignity is also revealed when we play in the water celebrating its goodness in our lives and our own joy at being alive. Human life and dignity are essential in order to engage the other principles of Catholic social teaching. We cannot participate or work in solidarity if we are not having our basic needs met.

The common good and care for creation recognize that water is part of Creation and must not be used as a weapon of oppression or commodified so that the poor are denied access. It also demands that we be responsible stewards of this wonderful resource.

Encourage your students to make other connections and to explore the many ways we “value” water in our tradition

.

Water of Life Prayer

Softly play the CD from above as background music and explain that we will close our reflection time with prayer. Have the pitcher of water ready. We are going to both give thanks for a moment of water in our lives as well as pray for those who are experiencing drought in some way in our world today. They can do this individually or as a group depending upon how much time you have—each group will have to decide ahead who will pour water and who will voice the prayer. After each individual or group finishes their prayer all will respond with the words of St Francis of Assisi

All praise be Yours, my Lord, through Sister Water, So useful, lowly, precious, and pure

Leader: Jesus invites all of us to drink the living waters he offers us. For many people of this world, thirst is a daily, constant reality. Let us offer our prayers of thanksgiving for water in our lives and prayers for all those in need of healing waters.

Model this for them by pouring some water and saying for example “For the sunset over the lake we give thanks and we ask that you send such moments of beauty to those who are homebound.” Or “We thank you Lord for the cooling, healing rains of last week and ask that you send waters to the parched lands of Niger.”

Response: “All praise be Yours, my Lord, through Sister Water, so useful, lowly, precious, and pure.”

When all have had a chance to voice their prayers

Leader: Creator God, we give you thanks for the many blessings of water in our lives and ask that you shower the water of life on those regions of the world and those people so in need of water. We know you hear our prayers and ask that you grant these and all the prayers of our hearts. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our brother. AMEN

Other September Topics you might consider bringing into discussion this month:

Sep 5 Labor Day

Sep 8 International Literacy Day

Sep 11 Anniversary of September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks

Sep 15 National Hispanic Heritage Month

Sep 16 International Day for Preservation of the Ozone Layer

Sep 18 The beginning of International Water Monitoring ‘Day’

Sep 21 International Day of Peace

Sep 27 Feast Day St. Vincent de Paul

1 See the Columbia Pastoral Letter for instance

2 St. Francis of Assisi The Canticle of Creatures

May 2005

April 2005

What Do Taxes and Budgets Have to Do with Catholic Social Teaching?

  "Budgets are moral documents" is a phrase now being heard more often among Church leaders and people of various faiths, but it is a concept which the Catholic Church and other religious organizations have embraced for years. Catholic views on national budget and tax policies flow directly from the Catholic Social Teaching (CST) principles that all of us are called to work for the “common good,” and to embody Jesus' "option for the poor" in our own lives.

In a February letter to Congress when the President’s ‘05-‘06 Budget proposal was released, Bishop William Skylstad (President of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference) stated, “As pastors, we believe that a fundamental moral measure of our nation’s budget policy (emphasis added) is whether it enhances or undermines the lives and dignity of those most in need. Sadly, political pressure frequently has left poor children and families missing in the national debate and without a place at the table.”

Bishop Skylstad also highlighted the importance of tax laws to ensuring these “adequate resources”: “When basic requirements of human life and dignity for many in our country … go unmet, we must insist that adequate federal revenues be available to help meet these basic needs….if government continues to spend far more money than it takes in year after year, it could seriously limit its ability to meet our moral obligations to respond to basic human needs now and in the future. Any new tax proposals [including cuts and increases] should be evaluated in that light before being adopted.”

NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby sponsored by various Orders of Religious Sisters and Brothers, “is very concerned about our national priorities as proposed by the President in the FY 2006 Budget….While expensive tax cuts continue to benefit those at the highest income levels and billions of dollars go toward war, the opportunity to be lifted out of poverty is cut back. Programs that provide basic human necessities such as affordable housing, health care, child care, food assistance and education are all cut and face even deeper cuts in future years.”

Suggestions for the Classroom

For Middle, Junior High and Senior High classes:

1. Give each student a worksheet with a blank circle on which they will create their own “pie chart” reflecting what each feels are the percentages allocated for Spending Categories in the currently proposed U.S. budget. (If your class level is not yet comfortable with percentages, have the students “divide up their pie” using 100 cents in a dollar.) You can either list the Categories as shown in the actual Proposed’05-‘06 Budget pie chart from the Washington Post included at the end of this column, or revise the Category names if needed to better suit your classroom level.

After students finish with their own charts, distribute another sheet which shows the actual Proposed Budget pie chart – and discuss any similarities or differences between the students’ estimates and the actual percentages. Ask how closely their versions and the actual Proposed Budget reflect God’s concern for the poor and the teachings of our Catholic Church. Use some of these Scripture passages for guidance if you like: Deut. 24:17,19; Ps. 72:1-2; Is. 58:6-7; Is. 65:20-25; Jer. 22:16; Amos 5:12; Zech. 7:10; Mt. 25:34-40; Lk. 4:16-21.

End the class by discussing ways in which the students can work toward the Common Good and practice Jesus’ “preferential option for the poor” in their daily lives, taking age-appropriate suggestions from NETWORK’s list to “Help Put a Face on the Federal Budget!” –

Send a letter to your members of Congress during the Budget process; for a sample letter, go to NETWORK’s website at www.networklobby.org And enter your zip in the “Take Action Now” box.

Attend a Town Hall meeting with your Member of Congress; check the district office or Member’s website to learn when/where these are scheduled.

Write a “Letter to the Editor” to help raise issues for the public, and mention the name(s) of your Representative and/or Senators.

Clip out newspaper articles about the local impacts of budget cuts, and fax or mail them to your Members of Congress with a short note.

Invite your Members of Congress to visit local programs which receive Federal funds.

2. An “e-learning module” which is currently being updated but which you may find helpful in the future is “Congress’ Spending Priorities: The Budget Allocation Activity” from the Center on Congress at Indiana University: www.congress.indiana.edu/learn_about/Feature/e-learning_module.php .

To close, a few thoughts about national budgets and the Bible from Jim Wallis, Executive Director of Sojourners and the Convener of Call to Renewal, a national federation of churches and faith-based groups working to overcome poverty by changing public policy directions:

Nearly 3,000 years ago, the Biblical prophet Isaiah offered us God’s vision of a good society. Isaiah’s platform links religious values with economic justice….The starting point to check how our society measures up to Isaiah’s platform is by examining our Federal budget….If the Hebrew prophets were around today, they would surely be preaching about our tax and budget policies that enrich the wealthy and ‘make misery for the poor.’… It is time for religious people to clearly and prophetically respond. We need a ‘faith-based initiative’ against budget priorities that neglect poor people….The cry of the poor rings from cover to cover in the Bible; God hears the cry of the poor – do we?”

Proposed ’05-’06 Budget by Functional Category

Notes: 1) The “Income Security” Category includes Housing Assistance, Unemployment Comp., Food Stamps, Public Aid & similar programs;

2) “Net Interest” is the interest owed on our National Debt;

3) the “National Defense” Category does not include the additional $82 billion requested for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; and

4) “Other” includes Agriculture, Commerce/Housing Credit, Community/Regional Development, Energy (with some nuclear weapons costs), General Government, General Science, International Affairs, and Natural Resources/Environment.

March 2005

People of Faith Mark 25^th Anniversary of Archbishop Romero’s Martyrdom

             March 24^th (Holy Thursday this year) is the 25^th anniversary of Archbishop Oscar Romero’s assassination in El Salvador in 1980.  Various prayer memorials and actions of solidarity with the Salvadoran people are planned throughout the world this month … to give thanks for Romero’s witness, and to seek inspiration once again for our social justice efforts today. 

            Archbishop Romero was killed while celebrating Mass in the chapel of Divine Providence Hospital – after having spent many months challenging both the Salvadoran and US governments on their actions and policies which continued to oppress the country’s poor.  More than 70,000 of these people died as well, in their long struggle for justice with Romero and after his death, against brutal force by the nation’s military.  Many Christians and people of faith worldwide regard Oscar Romero as a modern-day saint, martyr and “Prophet to the Americas.”           

            Testimonies from young people who never knew Archbishop Romero are perhaps among the most inspiring and relevant resources to use in classes with youth.  Two quotes from young Salvadorans speaking about Romero’s impact on their lives are printed in the current Maryknoll magazine and follow below.  The March 2005 issue of Maryknoll features several articles about Romero and his legacy.  The Maryknoll website is www.maryknoll.org. 

            “It is often said they killed Monseñor Romero, but from the beginning he gave his life so it could be a seed of liberation so that we young people would follow his example.  We in our group, Romeristas of San Eladio, feel that he is alive.  How do we show that?  By our works: theater, dance, talks at schools and spreading the word.  He showed us something very important: what it is to have dignity, something that many young people lack.”  

            - Rosa Marisel Iraheta, 16

             “The life of this martyr, a great man, a true child of God, is something we have come to cherish.  His love was so great he gave his life – for us….We believe this doesn’t just end.  We must continue this struggle.  I believe Monseñor Romero’s message to young people is that we not be lazy, that we struggle for others, that we desire a more just country, that we don’t waste our lives, that we fight for our rights and that we not be dismissed just because we are poor.”                                                                                           - José Salvador, 21

             From the Teachers Enterprise in Religious Education in London, an essay about Oscar Romero by a young British student can be found at www.tere.org/secondary/inspirational/oscar_romero.html, and a one-page biography of Romero for younger students (with discussion questions) at www.tere.org/primary/pdf_downloads/support_material/6_2_oscar_romero_ws.pdf.  Information about the needs of the poor in El Salvador today and the work of Catholic Relief Services there, as well as El Salvador facts geared for children, are available at the CRS website:  www.catholicrelief.org. 

            For high school or adult audiences, the Religious Task Force on Central America and Mexico website (www.rtfcam.org) offers several prayer services in memory of Romero, as well as reflections on his legacy and the opportunity to join in their campaign to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of his death.  An excerpt from a liturgy for the 20^th Anniversary in 2000 is the following quote from Romero about authentic and prophetic Christian preaching:  “A preaching that awakens, a preaching that enlightens – as when a light turned on awakens the sleeper – that is preaching of Christ, calling: Wake up!  Be converted! … Naturally, such preaching must meet conflict, must spoil what is called prestige, must disturb, must be persecuted.  It cannot get along with the powers of darkness and sin …” 

            The RTFCAM and Pax Christi USA have joined with other Catholic organizations to issue a “Call for Peace” statement to commemorate Romero’s 25^th Anniversary, which applies his preaching and actions during the Salvadoran confict to reflections about the present war in Iraq.  The statement can be found at www.paxchristiusa.org. 

            Another excellent resource for teaching the Romero story is the film Romero (rated PG-13), from Vidmar.  Though it runs 105 minutes, a segment can be used for a regular class period.  The video is available from the diocesan Religious Education Office. 

            The powerful and worldwide impact of Oscar Romero’s life and death is for many Christians today one of the surest testimonies to our faith in the Paschal Mystery of death followed by resurrection, and to the truth foreseen by Romero in his own words shortly before his death:  “If they kill me, I will rise again in the Salvadoran people.”  And not only in the Salvadorans, we can add, but in the countless people of many faiths who struggle still for justice and peace throughout the world.

February 2005

"Operation Rice Bowl" and other Resources Highlight Lenten Justice Themes

This year marks the 30th Anniversary of Operation Rice Bowl, the Lenten program of Catholic Relief Services, which began in the Diocese of Allentown, PA in 1975.  Today, millions of Catholics in more than 14,600 parishes, schools, and other faith communities across the U.S. use Operation Rice Bowl as a means to share in the work of CRS, and grow in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in need around the world.  Operation Rice Bowl embraces the themes of Lent and invites participants to pray with their families and faith communities, fast in solidarity with those who are hungry, learn about our brothers and sisters around the world, and give sacrificial contributions to the poor.

            For help in challenging our students and adults to "Act Justly" during the coming Lenten season, check into the resources from CRS and other Catholic organizations cited here.  Again this year, the excellent “Educators’ Guide” for Operation Rice Bowl contains detailed (and abbreviated) versions of lesson plans targeting four grade levels and four countries for each:  Eritrea, Ecuador, the Philippines and Egypt.  The lesson plans are available at www.catholicrelief.org, and in the Guide mailed with the 2005 ORB Packet to all parishes by CRS.  Among this year’s versions, we suggest the following as perhaps easiest to incorporate for each of the grade levels:  for Gr. 1-3, Ecuador; Gr. 4-6, Eritrea; Gr. 7-8, Philippines; Gr. 9-12, Egypt.  The ORB Home Calendar Guide is also helpful for home or classroom use.

            Other well-designed lesson plans and activity sheets for teaching social justice concepts during Lent are available from the website of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, the Catholic Agency for Justice, Peace and Development of the New Zealand Bishops Conference: www.safeshop.co.nz/caritas/default.php.  Especially recommended are sections of their 2003 Lent Kits (the most recent available) which focus on Kenya – pp. 26-28 and 35-42 of the curriculum for Grades 4-6, at www.safeshop.co.nz/caritas/school/resources/lentres/lent04_4-6.pdf, and pp. 26-36 of the Grades 7-8 curriculum, at www.safeshop.co.nz/caritas/school/resources/lentres/lent_7-8.pdf.

            Further resources include the annual Lenten calendar offered by the Diocese of Erie, PA (www.eriercd.org/pdf/Lentcalendar.pdf), and the materials for Lent from the Holy Childhood Association.  These can be ordered through their website (www.worldmissions-catholicchurch.org/HCA/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=4&tabid=16), or by calling the Peace and Social Justice Office at 815-834-4028.

            This month we also want to advise all Catholic high school teachers of an opportunity to apply for the 2005 “Frontiers of Justice” program.  Cosponsored by CRS and the NCEA, the program sends six teachers each year to visit CRS overseas programs and strengthen their understanding of Catholic Social Teaching through the peacemaking and development work of CRS.  This year the Frontiers of Justice trip will be to Kosovo/South Balkans to visit CRS programs in education and peacebuilding. The trip is scheduled for the first two weeks of July.  Teachers and school administrators who are committed to fostering global solidarity in their school communities are invited to send in their application by February 25, 2005. For more information including a downloadable application form, click here.

January 2005

How to Teach About Poverty in Our Affluent Society?

     Trying to put our students in touch with poverty through more than "book-learning" or "facts and figures" is an ongoing challenge in a society as prosperous as ours in the U.S.  But, our Catholic faith calls us to a "preferential option for the poor," and so we must constantly seek new ways for our students (and ourselves!) to better understand the lives and struggles for justice of poor people ... both at home and abroad.

      Among some helpful and "hands-on" resources for teaching about poverty is the award-winning Poverty Project by Linda Hanson of the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis.  The curriculum is targeted for Junior High/Senior High students, and can be used in whole or in part -- accommodating everything from individual class sessions to extended Confirmation classes to a half-year course.

     Hanson notes in the Introduction, “The main goal of the Poverty Project is to facilitate students in removing any prejudices that they hold in their hearts regarding the poor; to recognize, for example, that a ‘bag lady’ is a human person worthy of respect.  Each of the activities in this book focuses on and tries to simulate what it might be like to be poor.  These experiences can leave a lasting effect on young people that translates into social justice action throughout their lifetimes.”  She adds, “The student response to this project was overwhelmingly mature and enthusiastic….This Project can readily be used with students aged 12 through adulthood in any setting:  school; Confirmation preparation; Christian formation; youth ministry; or even an adult prayer group….A session usually outlines and provides the resources for a 45-minute to 60-minute class or meeting time.”

     A lesson from Hanson’s book is excerpted below:

“Speed Monopoly”

Time Required:  Two class periods or two hours

Objectives:    To understand the randomness of poverty and wealth in today’s world

                       To understand that sometimes it is not a person’s fault that he or she is poor

Notes to Teachers:     Play a fixed game of traditional Monopoly.  Some players begin with a great deal of money and properties, and others begin the game with next to nothing.  Teachers may hear cries of “This isn’t fair.”  That is the purpose of this game—to demonstrate how life’s economic situations are many times no fair, and to mimic the unfair cards that are often dealt to people in poverty.  Allow the students to play the game until at least half of the class has declared bankruptcy and become spectators.

Materials:                    One Monopoly board game for every four students in the class; plastic bags.  (Ask for students to bring Monopoly games prior to the date set.)  Assign four students to each board.  Fill four plastic bags per board with the following items:

                                    Bag 1:  3 property monopolies (1 high priced, 1 medium priced, and 1 transportation) plus $20,000

                                    Bag 2:  2 property monopolies (1 high priced and 1 utility) plus $10,000

                                    Bag 3:  1 property monopoly (medium priced) plus $5,000

                                    Bag 4:  one piece of lower-priced property plus $1,000

     Poverty Project (2^nd ed.) by Linda Hanson is available from Good Ground Press, Publications of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, 1884 Randolph Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105 (1-800-232-5533) for $24.95, ISBN# 1-885996-06-3.

     Another fairly new set of teaching resources about poverty comes from the U.S. Bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development.  The PovertyUSA Student Action Project materials provide age-appropriate resources for use with grades K-8 in schools and religious education programs to raise awareness about poverty in the United States and our Catholic response. Download the K-8 lesson plans and the Poverty Action Day Guide.

     Further educational resources on hunger and poverty downloadable from the Internet are listed at Bread for the World’s education website, www.hungernomore.org/web_resources.html.

December 2004

Celebrate “Human Rights Day” on December 10!

             Those who are active in the cause of Human Rights commemorate December 10^th each year as Human Rights Day, the date of the adoption of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.  This important date in the world’s ongoing history is not one generally observed in Catholic churches or circles, but prompted us in the Peace and Social Justice Office this year to look again at the attention given to Human Rights in Catholic teaching. 

            Pope John Paul II noted in 1995, “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is one of the highest expressions of the human conscience of our time.”  Protection of human rights, in their many forms, is central to most Catholic Social Teaching documents as well.  Countless websites highlight the connection, including some from Catholic dioceses around the world.  Visit the “user-friendly” website of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for excerpts from CST documents on human rights, www.osjspm.org/cst/q_rights.htm. 

A couple of Catholic organizations highlight famous and “not-so-famous” activists for human rights on their sites: 

1)      The Southern Cross, National Catholic Weekly of Southern Africa, features “16 Catholic Human Rights Heroes” at www.thesoutherncross.co.za/human_rights.

2)      The Claretians on-line magazine, Salt of the Earth, published an excellent article in 2003 by Christopher Ringwald, titled “Who is my neighbor? How six people came to work for human rights,” found at www.salt.claretianpubs.org/issues/worldcom/neighbor.html.  (This is geared for older students, but the stories can be adapted for younger students.) 

The most useful secular website we’ve found for human rights education in general is that of  the University of Minnesota’s Human Rights Library and Resource Center.  Many of the vast array of human rights lesson plans and activities which they have either produced or catalogued are suitable for use in Catholic school or R.E. programs.  Since most of these are rather intensive or require more than one class period, we’ve chosen to highlight just two which are shorter and easy to use – from a curriculum entitled Human Rights Here and Now: Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (edited by Nancy Flowers).  While these and most of the activities are better used with middle school and older students, tips are given to adapt the ideas for younger students:

1)      “Human Rights Squares” (Activity 4) challenges the class to complete a page full of “questions,” each contained within a box, with answers provided by different students in the class; http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-3/Activity4.htm

 2)      “Windows and Mirrors” (Activity 10) uses photos of people from all over the world to help students reflect on which features of these people are “mirrors” of their own selves, and which serve as “windows” into a new culture or group of people;  http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-3/Activity_10.htm

November 2004

October 2004

World Food Day on October 16^th :

Can We Make “A Place at the Table” for Everyone?

The 24th World Food Day will be observed throughout the world on the anniversary of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), October 16, 1945. World Food Day aims to heighten public understanding of food insecurity (hunger) and to create solidarity in the struggle to make sure that everyone has enough to eat every day.  World Food Day reminds us that the world food system does not yet serve all people adequately, and that 800 million men, women and children go to bed each night hungry and malnourished.

            For Catholics, World Food Day can be an opportunity to help our students understand the various causes of hunger and possible responses … both across the world and in our midst.  Inspiration comes from the U.S. Bishops’ 2003 statement, A Place at the Table:  “In our everyday lives … we can raise our children with an ethic of service and a passion for justice ….We can also live more simply so that there might be enough at the table for all.”  Many helpful lesson plans and resources available are found at the websites of Catholic Relief Services, international Catholic organizations, and interfaith and secular anti-hunger groups.   

            For younger students, educational coloring pages and word puzzles can be found at the following websites:  www.maryknoll.org/EDUCA/CORNER/guatemala/guatcolorbook1.htm, www.wrcanada.org/fgbank/download/foodforall.pdf (115 pages in all!), www.catholicrelief.org/images/kids/2001coloringethiopia.pdf. More in-depth activities include personal stories about hunger from children in four countries, and a short skit and a puppet play (Pedro’s gift), at the “wrcanada” (World Relief Canada) website given above.  Another, entitled “Giving Food to Others,” helps children understand the importance and workings of local food pantries, and is found at www.hungernomore.org/childrens_activities/2002%20edition/activity_2.pdf. 

            For older students, word puzzles are printable from the “World Relief Canada” website. A couple of more reflective activities help these students understand both some causes of hunger, and concrete steps they can take to help relieve it – at home or abroad.  The first is titled “Seven Cents a Day” and is found at www.hungernomore.org/childrens_activities/2003%20edition/activity%202.pdf, and the second, “Why are Some People Hungry?” is at www.cafod.org.uk/var/storage/original/application/phpfuvF5.pdf.  CAFOD is the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development in the United Kingdom, corresponding to our Catholic Relief Services here.   

            An added note and “pitch” on a way to help parishioners of all ages to better understand and respond to hunger both locally and globally.  The new STEP: Steps Toward Eliminating Poverty program of the Joliet Diocese builds on the model of the CROP Walk and adds the dimensions of prayer, education and advocacy/justice to raise both funds and awareness re: the causes of hunger and related issues of poverty for its participants (who are then more than just “walkers”).  Seven DOJ parishes have already joined in STEP events this Fall, and others are planning Spring ’05 events in Lisle and possibly Wheaton and Elmhurst.  What about your parish?  Contact us in the Peace and Justice Office to learn how your church can “get into STEP!”   Call 815-834-4028, or e-mail to peace@dioceseofjoliet.org.

September 2004

May 2004

"Children Should be Heard ... on Social Justice Concerns"

  We chose to focus this month on what young people can do on behalf of social justice issues -- since May is when most of Bread for the World's Offering of Letters campaigns against hunger and related issues are held.  The BFW workshop sponsored by the Diocese in March noted the value of involving youth in the Offering of Letters and other advocacy efforts.  BFW leaders, legislators and teachers agree that letters and other social justice actions from students are often more effective than those from adults. 

    In fact, the children’s advocacy organization Kids Can Make a Difference believes “young people have two distinct advantages over adults when it comes to [trying to influence] legislative bodies --- they stand out in the usual crowd of adults, and [legislators] know that children have no vested interest in getting a particular law passed other than their own passionate belief that the law will protect people or their natural surroundings. Helping shape legislation this way is an extremely empowering and exciting experience for young people.” 

    Some creative ideas from Bread for the World, Catholic Relief Services and others for helping children and teens advocate for people in need are offered below.  As Catholics called to live the Gospel message in response to the human rights concerns of our day, let's not hesitate to involve our young people in doing the same! 

   Blessings to all for a restful and fruitful summer from the Peace and Justice Office! 

Bread for the World is a nationwide citizens’ movement seeking justice for the world’s hungry people by lobbying our nation’s decision makers.  The focus of its 2004 Offering of Letters is “Keep the Promise on Hunger and Health,”and will remind our president, Congress and our nation of our promises to some of the poorest people in developing countries.  This campaign will focus on winning major increases in funding proposed by President Bush for the Millennium Challenge Account and Global AIDS initiative.  The 2004 Offering is explained at www.bread.org/issues/offering.html, and a sample letter to Congress is found at www.bread.org/issues/keep_the_promise/sample_letter.htm.  For younger students, a letter to Congress might be a drawing about hunger, with a simple sentence asking their legislators to do all they can to help hungry people better their lives.

Hunger No More is a cooperative project of Bread for the World and more than 20 Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical and Jewish organizations which develops educational materials about hunger and poverty for their congregations.  A children’s sample letter to members of Congress about hunger-related legislation can be found on their website at:  www.hungernomore.org/childrens_activities/2002%20education/activity_10.pdf 

Further suggestions and resources as to what “kids can do” about hunger are also found at their website:  www.hungernomore.org/childrens_activities/2002%20education/intro.pdf and www.hungernomore.org/2003%20edition/activity%202.pdf.  For those without Internet access, materials may be ordered by calling 1-800-82BREAD. 

Catholic Relief Services regularly updates legislative information in the “Grassroots Action Center” section of its website:  www.catholicrelief.org/get_involved/advocacy/grass_roots/take_action.cfm.  Older students and adults may also be interested in the various “e-cards” calling for action on hunger/poverty which can be sent from the site:  www.catholicrelief.org/postcards. 

April 2004

“Celebrating Earth Day … Catholic-Style!” 

            The celebration of Earth Day on April 22^nd brings another fun opportunity to bring Catholic Social Teaching alive in our classrooms.  Among the Seven Core Themes of Catholic Social Teaching, the most recently added is “Care for God’s Creation” – reflecting the U.S. Bishops’ environmental concerns raised in their 1991 statement, Renewing the Earth.

In this statement they note:  “Dwelling in the presence of God, we begin to experience ourselves as part of creation, as stewards within it, not separate from it.”  The Bishops also make a special appeal to teachers:  “We invite educators to emphasize, in their classrooms and curricula, a love for God’s creation, a respect for nature, and a commitment to practices and behavior that bring these attitudes into the daily lives of their students and themselves.” 

            Following are some suggested creation-based activities to help our students understand the connection between care for the Earth and Catholic teaching.  Some of these are especially fitting for the Easter Season, as well, when the theme of “new life” also calls us to be aware of the many gifts of God’s creation.  (Related student activities may be found below on this website page, in the September column highlighting St. Francis of Assisi.) 

For Grades Pre-K to 4 

Butterfly Mosaic1 

Even young children can make lovely butterfly mosaics which remind us of the meanings of Earth Day and the Easter Season (the butterfly symbolizes resurrection in its transformation from the caterpillar). 

Each child needs a sheet of construction paper on which to make the butterfly.  Provide a cardboard pattern of a large butterfly so children can trace the outline.*  (Provide paper with the outline already done for very young children.) 

Cut construction paper of different colors into ¾-inch squares.  Have the children glue these paper squares onto the wings of their butterflies in whatever arrangement suits them.  Perhaps the student or teacher could write, “Celebrate Earth Day!”, “Easter brings new life!” or similar words on the background sheet.  Hang the butterflies in the hallway or classroom as a celebration of Easter and Earth Day. 

*If you don’t have a butterfly pattern available, one may be downloaded from the following websites:  www.griefwarehouse.org/butterflypattern.html or www.smm.org/sln/tf/s/symmetry/butterflypattern.gif 

“Praise God” Mural1 

A “Praise God” mural features pictures of new life.  It allows children to praise God for the signs of new life and creation that are all around us in the Spring. 

Provide a long sheet of butcher paper.  In large block letters, spell out “Praise God.”  Provide pictures of new life that the students can glue inside the outlines of the letters.  Garden catalogs are a good source of all kinds of spring plants and flowers.  Let each child choose pictures and glue them onto the mural.  

When complete, the bright, colorful pictures will remind all to praise God for His creation.  Use the mural as a decoration for Earth Day and the time after Easter. 

Creation Place Mats2 

Materials Needed:  Construction paper or 9x12 poster board; glue or paste; crayons or felt-tip pens; clear contact paper; “found” materials from God’s creation – dried leaves/flowers, weeds, seeds, etc.   Optional:  Old magazines, scissors

 You may wish to have the students write the words, “Thank you, God” at the top of their placemats.  Discuss with the students how thankful we should be for all the things God created.  When the placemats are used, they can be prayer-starters to thank God for food and all of creation. 

1. Arrange “found” materials on the paper.  Glue or paste in place.
2. Have each student design his or her name on the placemat, using crayons or pens.
3. Let students continue to decorate/design their placemats, using their own imaginations.
4. Seal the finished creation placemats between two pieces of clear contact paper.

 Optional:  Have students cut out magazine pictures which show creation (trees, flowers, animals, etc.) 

For Grades 5-8 

Garden Terrarium2 

Materials Needed:  Vegetable or flower seeds; potting soil; bottle or jar with large mouth; spoon; Popsicle stick; small artificial flowers; pebbles or small plastic animals; water. 

1. Thoroughly clean the jar and remove all labels.
2. Lay the jar on its side.  Put loose soil in the jar using a spoon.
3. Using the stick, plant seeds about a ¼-inch below the soil.
4. Carefully add artificial flowers, pebbles or animal figurines.
5. Using a spoon, water the seeds and place the jar in a sunny spot.  Water daily if needed.

Butterfly Mobile2 

Materials Needed:  Wax paper; colored tissue paper; thread; small stick or dowel; iron; scissors. 

1. Tear off two pieces of wax paper, each about a foot long.
2. On one piece of wax paper, arrange scraps of colored tissue paper in shapes to look like butterflies.  (See note with * above for butterfly patterns if needed.)
3. Place the other piece of wax paper over these shapes, and gently press with a warm iron to seal the design between the wax paper sheets.

March 2004

"Pray, Fast, Give Alms" ... and Act Justly!

Lenten Practices Old and New

 Each Lent, Catholic educators perhaps seek a blend of traditional and new practices for their own spiritual growth and that of their students.  Many Catholic and Christian “religious ed” and other resources offer new ideas for living the Biblical call to pray, fast and give alms during Lent -- and increasingly emphasize social justice themes as well. 

As effective as any other resources today may be the Lenten Operation Rice Bowl (ORB) program and other educational materials from Catholic Relief Services.  CRS continues to add classroom and family ideas to its already extensive website with special "Kids' Site" (www.catholicrelief.org), ORB guide- books, and Teacher’s Lesson Plans.  The ORB Lenten Calendar and CRS' new Advocacy efforts offer students and families many opportunities to act for justice for poor and hungry people here and abroad this Lent … while faithfully observing the Lenten traditions of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  

Listed below are several Lenten resources from CRS and other organizations that we especially recommend.  The Lenten Prayer for Operation Rice Bowl 2004 is especially vivid and powerful, we think: 

As we enter this holy time of the Season of Lent, let us pray for one another and our students … that we may journey together in faith, justice and concern for our brothers and sisters at home and worldwide. 

With the prayers and support of the Peace and Social Justice staff, 

Mary Jeanne Lindinger-Olsen

Associate for Parish Outreach

Catholic Relief Services Resources

1)      The Kids’ Site section (geared to Grades 3-8) of the CRS website includes 6 “Take It With You” pages under Activities which can be printed and reproduced, including puzzles, coloring sheets, etc. focused on various countries. 

2)      The Teacher’s Resources section, also found in the Kids’ Site, includes a guide and curricula to supplement the games/activities – and also extensive, detailed, grade-appropriate Lesson Plans. 

3)      Included in the Operation Rice Bowl section on the website are:  quizzes on “World Awareness” and “ORB History”; personal stories from people helped by CRS funds in the U.S. and abroad; and recipes for simple meals from various countries. 

4)      Besides the cardboard “rice bowls” and Home Calendar Guide included in the 2004 ORB Kit, the Community and Parish Guide and the Educator’s Guide include many creative and helpful materials:  the Parish Guide (also available on-line) features a student placemat with CRS and World Poverty facts, Scripture quotes and a Word Search … Lenten “Prayer Eggs” focused on people in different countries … and an ORB-based “Stations of the Cross” (on-line only); the Educator’s Guide includes new Lesson Plans for 4 different countries (each with 4 different grade levels) and a helpful “If you only have 10 minutes …” version for each! 

Diocese of Erie Lenten Calendar 

The Catholic Diocese of Erie, PA offers a “Lenten Family Calendar 2004,” similar to the one for Advent.  It was prepared by the Parish Social Ministry/Respect Life Office of Catholic Charities, and includes Scripture quotes, Catholic Social Teaching principles, and prayer, charity or justice suggestions for each day of Lent.  The Calendar can be downloaded from the diocesan website:  www.eriercd.org/charities.asp. 

Center of Concern Resources 

The Center of Concern, a study center in Washington, DC focusing on faith and global justice issues, offers Weekly Reflections on the Sunday Scripture readings from a social justice perspective (www.coc.org/focus/ej/reflections.html) and several “Stations of the Cross” reflections based on the struggles of migrants or persons with AIDS or other vulnerable groups (www.coc.org/calendar, and select one of the Sundays of Lent to access the Stations of the Cross prayers).  It also offers prayer suggestions and background information for the Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Abp. Oscar Romero on March 24^th.

February 2004

"Tolerance is a Virtue" - Ways to Promote It in our Classrooms 

     Many secular and even Christian groups have struggled with, or even dismissed, the calls to tolerate or embrace diversity from various sectors of our society in recent years.  But, it is vital to remember that Tolerance is a virtue upheld in our Scriptures: 

                        “I urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,

 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for

 [“bearing with” in some versions] one another in love, being diligent

 to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  (Eph. 4:1-3)           

     For February, with inspiration from the celebration of "Black History Month," we offer practical classroom suggestions for promoting tolerance, acceptance and even celebration of our differences -- to help our students and all of us to better accept and love the "neighbor" or "other" who is different. 

In gratitude for your teaching and for the different gifts of God’s Spirit given each of us,

 Mary Jeanne Lindinger-Olsen

Associate for Parish Outreach

 The following activity is adapted from Peacemakers: The New Generation (A “How To” Guide), by Mary Fox and Claire M. Perez, a manual for Grades 6-8 featured in the August 2003 on this page.

 “Wall of Prejudice” 

Materials:  Boxes (empty milk cartons or shoe boxes) - one for each student, permanent markers,  paper to wrap around the milk cartons, tape.

Purpose:  To examine the consequences of prejudice.

  Remind the students that prejudice is a judgment made about a person or thing without full knowledge or examination of the facts.  Ask for some examples, such as, “I don’t like people who shout when they talk,” or “I only like people who wear clothes from The Gap®.”

  Form two groups.  Give each student a box and a marker.  Instruct the students to compose a typical remark spoken in prejudice as follows:  1) one group should complete the sentence, “I don’t like people who …” and 2) a second group should complete the sentence, “I only like people who …”

  Have the students write the sentences on their boxes.  Both groups bring their boxes to a designated line, one group sitting on each side of the line.  Taking turns, they read their sentences and place their boxes on the line, building a wall.

  With the children still sitting on each side of the wall, discuss the following questions: 

• If you really believed what you wrote, would it be easy to be friends with this wall between you?
• Which is the stronger barrier, the boxes or the attitudes written on them?
• What would it take to remove the barrier?   (e.g., change in attitude)
• What can a Peacemaker do?   (e.g., educate others)

Give the students time to reconsider the prejudiced statements they wrote on the boxes.  Ask them to come up with a more informed statement to replace the one they put on the box.  For example, “I like her but have a hard time with her shouting.”  And, “It doesn’t matter where people buy their clothes.”  After a few moments invite them to take turns coming to the wall, to make their new statement and remove their box.  When all the boxes have been removed, cross the line and offer a sign of peace.  If possible, share a treat together. 

“Tools for Tolerance” from Tolerance.org  

·         Ask a person of another cultural heritage to teach you how to perform a traditional dance or cook a traditional meal

·         Learn some sign language

·         Speak up when you hear words of prejudice.

·         Research your family history and tell the class about your heritage.

·         List as many stereotypes as you can – positive/negative – about a particular group.  Are these reflected in how you act?

• Read books with multicultural themes.

Resources Recommended in Teaching Tolerance Magazine: 

1. Looking for a simple way to introduce equity issues to students of all ages and genders?  Racism Explained to My Daughter ($16.95) breaks ethnocentrism down into bite-size question-and-answer pieces that children can digest easily.  Available from The New Press, 450 W. 41^st St., New York, NY  10036, (212) 629-8802.

2. Express Diversity! ($75) is an easy-to-use interdisciplinary curriculum to promote students’ awareness of disabilities.  Some of the materials included are a bulletin board kit, a timeline of disability history, Braille alphabet cards, art activities, an instructional video and a challenge card game.  This valuable resource provides activities that enhance self-esteem, communication and inclusion.  (Adapts for K-12)  Available from VSA Arts, 1300 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC  20036, (800) 933-8721.

3. The “Trivial Pursuit”-style game Diversity Works ($18) is a fun way to enhance cultural appreciation as students strive to answer questions and spell the word “diversity” using letters on the back of each card.  The questions have three levels of difficulty and include categories of religion, food, sports, discoveries, holidays and others.  Although the directions describe four variations of play, teachers can easily adapt the culture cards to fit their curriculum.  (Grades 4 and up)  Available from Cultural Concepts, P.O. Box 2851, Church Street Station, New York, NY  10008-2851, (800) 497-8221.

4. Eleanor Roosevelt’s reminder that “human rights begin in small places, close to home” resonates throughout Our World, Our Rights ($10), a guide for teaching about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the elementary level.  The handbook abounds with definitions, classroom activities and extensions, all grounded in the declaration.  (Grades K-6)  Available from Amnesty International USA, Publications Dept., 322 8^th Ave., New York, NY  10001, www.amnestyusa.org.

January 2004

“What Would Jesus Do?? … Social Justice Themes for January”

The month of January challenges Catholics and all who seek to “do as Jesus would do” to renew our prayers and efforts concerning various social justice issues.  The observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday calls us to work against racism and toward non-violence and peace.  The 31st anniversary this year of the Roe v. Wade decision on January 22^nd involves us in the ongoing struggles again legalized abortion.  And, for the election year and start of the “primary season” this month, the U.S. Bishops have already issued their 2004 Faithful Citizenship statement urging those who would follow Jesus to exercise our political responsibility, bringing to bear the values and convictions of our faith.  

Catholic Social Teaching (CST) speaks to all of these issues.  Following are several resources and suggestions for incorporating the “7 Themes” of CST into your classroom teaching.  Click to discover the 7 themes. 

For issues such as prejudice and racism, excellent teaching materials are available, for all ages and free of charge, from the “Teaching Tolerance” program of the Southern Poverty Law Center.  For those not already familiar with their magazine, videos and kits including lesson plans covering various forms of discrimination and injustice, call 1-334-956-8200 or visit the website at www.tolerance.org/teach.  A free copy of any resource can be obtained via a written request on official school or church letterhead. 

A set of activity-based lesson plans about CST for older students (ages 14-22), titled “A Catholic Call to Justice,” is available from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.  These can be accessed from the U.S. Bishops’ website at www.usccb.org/cchd/5-239.pdf or ordered by calling their Publishing Office at 1-800-235-8722.  Also available from this Office are a new video and materials on Catholic Social Teaching, In the Footsteps of Jesus. 

Reading It Right is a Teacher In-Service program developed by the Peace and Social Justice Office with teacher educator Dr. Madonna Wojtaszek-Healy.  It aims to help Catholic teachers meet the challenge of sharing CST and the Gospel message.  The program models ways to incorporate peace and justice awareness into children’s literature instruction.  For more info or to schedule an In-Service, click here,  or call Joyce Ruhaak at the Office, 815-834-4036. 

For those Catholic teachers whose subject areas include civics, social studies or adult education, the U.S. Bishops’ statement, Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility (www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship or order from the toll-free # above), may be helpful in showing that “What would Jesus do?” carries over into our government and political arenas:  “Jesus called us to ‘love one another.’  Our Lord’s example and words demand care for the ‘least of these’ from each of us.  Yet they also require action on a broader scale.  Faithful citizenship is about more than elections.  It requires ongoing participation in the continuing political and legislative process.”  (pp. 7-8) 

We wish all teachers special grace and blessings in 2004, and may all of us begin the New Year striving to “do what Jesus would do” in all things! 

Prayerfully, 

Mary Jeanne Lindinger-Olsen

Associate for Parish Outreach

December 2003

November 2003

Celebrating “Universal Children’s Day” - November 20^th

         “ … we must bring the child back to the center of our care and concern.        This is the only way that our world can survive, because our children are the only hope for the future.” -  Mother Teresa of Calcutta                             

Countless faith-based and secular groups throughout the world have called us in recent decades to commemorate Universal Children’s Day on the 20^th of November.  The Day was first recommended by the U.N. General Assembly in 1954, observing the date on which the United Nations adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) and later, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).  The Center of Concern in Washington, DC, views Universal Children’s Day as “a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children, and of active promotion of the welfare of the world’s children.” 

With our Scriptures (Mt. 19:13-14; Mk. 9:35-37) and Catholic Social Teaching often calling us to special care for our children, Catholic educators may find November 20^th (or any day in November) a “teachable moment” for the justice issue of children’s rights around the world.  Suggested prayers, Church teaching, case stories and facts are provided below. 

With you in prayer and concern for our children, 

Mary Jeanne Lindinger-Olsen

O God of the children of Somalia, Sarajevo, South Africa, and South Carolina
Of Albania, Alabama, Bosnia, and Boston,
Of Cracow and Cairo, Chicago and Croatia,
Help us to love and respect and protect them all.

O God of Black and Brown and White and Albino children and those all mixed together,
Of children who are rich and poor and in between,
Of children who speak English and Spanish and Russian and Hmong and languages our ears cannot discern,
Help us to love and respect and protect them all.

O God of children who can walk and talk and hear and see and sing and dance and jump and play and of children who wish they could but can’t,
Of children who are loved and unloved, wanted and unwanted,
Help us to love and respect and protect them all.

O God of beggar, beaten, abused, neglected, homeless, AIDS, drug, and hunger-ravaged children,
Of children who are emotionally and physically and mentally fragile,
and of children who rebel and ridicule, torment and taunt,
Help us to love and respect and protect them all.

O God of children of destiny and of despair, of war and of peace,
Of disfigured, diseased, and dying children,
Of children without hope and of children with hope to spare and to share,
Help us to love and respect and protect them all.        Amen. 

Catholic Social Teaching concerning Children’s Rights 

“Special attention must be devoted to the children by developing a profound esteem for their personal dignity and a great respect and generous concern for their rights.  This is true of every child, but it becomes all the more urgent the smaller the child is and the more she or he is in need of everything, when she or he is sick, suffering or handicapped.  By fostering and exercising a tender and strong concern for every child that comes into this world, the Church fulfills a fundamental mission …” Pope John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio

A Composite Case Study from the World of Child Labor:   “Myriad”

 My name is Myriad. 

I live in Central America, Pakistan, China, South America, Bangladesh, Saipan, Taiwan, Indonesia … 

I am as young as 4 and can be physically spent, of no further use, and thrown away by the time I am 15 years of age. 

I am forced to work from 70-110 hours a week, and my typical workday is at least 12-14 hours long.  I work 6 days a week – often 7 – and earn as little as 6 cents an hour.  My factory has armed guards, no windows, no fire exits, and working conditions are often toxic and very unsafe.  I am kept behind locked gates.  During my only half-hour break, I race to the factory fence and reach through the barbed wire to buy the little food I can afford. 

My home is a bed in a dirty, cramped dorm, and my food is frequently thin gruel and bread; and for these “luxuries,” money is deducted from my pay at the will of my employer. 

I am insulted, beaten, fined, body-searched, sexually abused. 

I make your jeans, your shoes, your rugs, your handbags, your shirts, your toys. 

I am a child … I am a child of God. 

(Adapted from Barbara Richardson’s Reflection, UNICEF) 

Facts about Children’s Rights

 Education

·         125 million children around the world are denied the chance to go to school – these numbers equal the total of all children in North America and Europe.  Most of the children denied an education are girls. 

• The richest U.S. school districts spend 50% more per student than do the poorest.

Health 

·         Ten million children under age 5 die each year, most of them from preventable diseases and malnutrition. 

Labor 

·         Some 52 million toys are produced each year for export by China, Thailand, the Philippines, Bangladesh and India – most of them by child workers. 

Poverty 

·         Half a billion children worldwide survive on less than $1 per day. 

• In the year 2000, one in six U.S. children were poor.

• About 190,000 young people under 18 are homeless each night in the U.S.

Suggestion for Action 

The U.S. and Somalia are the only nations in the world that have refused to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.  Ratification of this document is necessary to begin the process of ensuring children’s rights.  Encourage students to write the President and members of Congress, to urge them to ratify the Convention.  See http://www.aiusa.org/children/crn_sampleprint.html for a sample letter to send to your Senator.

September 2003

In the Footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi

One of the best-known Saints of the Church whose feast we celebrate in October is Francis of Assisi.  Francis has long been revered as a model of non-violence and love for the poor ... both key principles of Catholic Social Teaching.  But also, Francis has increasingly been upheld as a protector of God's creation, and inspiration for our efforts toward environmental justice, and stewardship of all God has made.  This is especially true since the publication of the U.S. Catholic Bishops' pastoral letter, Renewing the Earth, in the early 1990's. 

To help commemorate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi during October (the actual feast is October 4^th), we offer the following prayers and simple activities for classroom use, or as suggestions sent home for their families. In the Footsteps of Francis

May Francis’spirit of love and compassion for all people, the earth, and all living beings permeate your lives and experiences with your students throughout the year! 

In God’s peace,

Mary Jeanne Lindinger-Olsen
Associate for Parish Outreach

August 2003

Teaching Peace to Our Young People

How do we teach peaceful living to children in a chaotic society? During these late summer days, when catechists, religious educators and youth ministers prepare for a new year of parish programs, it may be helpful to ponder this and similar questions about social concerns … as we seek to lead our students in the footsteps of Jesus.

A new resource for "teaching peaceful living" is Peacemakers: The New Generation. It is authored by Mary Fox and Claire Perez, two mothers, teachers and MRE’s in the Diocese of Rockford … whose efforts began by asking themselves the question at the top of this article. Claire and Mary furthered their vision for forming young peacemakers by realizing that " … as a society, we have unwittingly taught our children that violence is the norm. We have immersed them in violent language, surrounded them with violent images and modeled violent behavior … [and that] "as parents and educators, we knew that we could give our children different models. We could show them their value and purpose in the world."

The book is billed as a "How-To" Guide, compiled from summer Peace Camp lessons and activities they used in St. Charles and Woodstock beginning in 1996. While the manual is targeted for Grades 6-8, many of the activities can be used with or adapted for younger or older students.

Chapters in the book cover Self-Image, Respecting Dignity, Learning Compassion, Exploring Forgiveness, Effective Communication, Anger Management and Conflict Resolution. The 54 lesson plans and activities include a wide variety of both familiar and new games, crafts, skits and prayer services. These range from Circle of Peace and a skit called "Raindrops," which aims to teach the differences between charity and justice … to lessons using "Charades" and even Pig Latin in a "Cultural Bingo" game. Suggestions for journaling and taking action in the community ("Stepping Out As a Peacemaker") are included throughout the guide. All lesson plans note the purpose and the time and materials required, and 20 reproducible worksheets and posters are provided.

In endorsing the guide, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton writes, "Peacemakers: The New Generation could not be timelier. In a culture that breeds violence, in a time when children are accustomed to feeling insecure and threatened, this book teaches our youth that love, justice and peace are attainable realities." To order Peacemakers, contact E.T. NEDDER Publishing Warehouse by phone (877-817-2742) or e-mail (sales@fillorders.com). Cost is $19.95 plus $5.00 postage and handling.

Other helpful resources for teaching peace and social justice concerns include: Justice and Service Ideas (part of the HELP Series from Saint Mary’s Press) by Joseph Grant (ISBN #0-88489-572-6), $19.95; The Kid’s Guide to Social Action (Free Spirit Publishing) by Barbara A. Lewis (ISBN #0-915793-29-6), $14.95; and Catholic Social Teaching: Learning and Living Justice (Ave Maria Press) by Michael Pennock, a comprehensive, full-year senior high textbook (ISBN #0-87793-698-6).

Please contact us in the Peace and Social Justice Office at peace@dioceseofjoliet.org or 815-834-4028 at any time with your suggestions or needs on various social justice issues.

With our prayerful wishes for a fruitful and peace-filled year of religious education,

Mary Jeanne Lindinger-Olsen

Associate for Parish Outreach

As we come to the close of another school year it is important not to forget to discuss with your students the story of Pentecost and the unrestrained and constant presence of the Holy Spirit with our students. This year the feast is late, June 8^th.

The Spirit has been active from all time and will remain forever. The Breath of God sustaining us, permeates all that is, graces us with power and abilities totally foreign to our perception of ourselves, challenges and stretches us beyond what we thought we could withstand, enables us to accept ourselves as we are and to better realize God’s relentless love.

Throughout the Scriptures and all of salvation history we read of the Spirit’s productive presence. That creative power still leads and propels us to help bring about the Kingdom of God. Because of that everlasting reality God’s Son, Jesus, became man, lived, and died. As followers of Jesus today the Spirit of God motivates us to live lovingly, justly, and peacefully.

Pentecost is not only a feast celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles. It is ongoing in every confirmation ceremony, and in every empowering action of the Spirit upon God’s people. This is a most significant message for youth and adults today. It is a message of hope, courage, and authorization.

God calls and uses all of us, even the very young. Nelson Mandela wrote this appropriate prayer, "A New Day Dawning: Spiritual Yearnings and Sacred Possibilities," for the 1999 Gathering of the Parliament of the World’s Religions in South Africa.

Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of God; your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are born to manifest the glory of God within us. it is not just in some of us, it is in everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

May this Pentecost remind us of the permeating presence of the Holy Spirit, deepen our devotion and prayer, and help us discern a specific focus for our action on behalf of the poor, oppressed, and marginalized. 

You will find the The Spirit of God Prayer Service on our Parish Outreach page under the heading "Peace & Justice Liturgies."

Wishing you God’s love, peace, and refreshment,

Joyce M. Ruhaak

Have you ever thought about all the people we depend on everyday and all the individuals, communities, and cultures that have influenced and formed us as we journey through life? It is no wonder that John Donne composed the phrase: "No man is an island," in his Meditation XVII, that a choral anthem by Joan Whitney and Alex Kramer is based on that poem, or that Thomas Merton wrote a book by the same title.We rely on one another for so much in life. In this present age of e-mail, internet, cell phones, and air travel what happens anywhere on the earth impacts us. We are social beings. In Matthew 18: 20 Jesus said that whenever two or three are gathered in his name, he is present. We stand together on behalf of each individual person and for the common good. Together we can accomplish what none of us could alone.On February 15, 2003 millions of peace advocates around the world protested. The protestors proclaimed a powerful message to political leaders and citizens across the globe. They also demonstrated the impact of networking and coming together for a common cause.Related to the war issue is the concept "Conscientious Objector." For those who teach or minister to high school students please check our website for information on that topic. You will also find information from the organization "MoveOn." Workshops for draft registration and "CO" counseling will be offered in our diocese this spring. Check our website for dates, times, and locations.The greater the numbers of voter advocates engaged on an issue, the greater the influence on legislators. If you encourage staff members, students, and parents to advocate with legislators, you may want to attend Rise to the Challenge: End World Hunger. Reverend Mariah Priggen, Regional Organizer for "Bread for the World" will conduct the "Offering of Letters Workshop" workshop offered at St. Charles Pastoral Center on Saturday, March 15, 2003 from 9:00am until noon. In addition to the guest speakers Sister Florence Muia of Kenya, Edith Calvo of Bolivia, and Deacon Roger Schmith, Advocacy Coordinator for the Diocese Peace & Justice Ministry.Attendees receive kit and planning tips to enable them to bring the program back to their parish. The "Offering of Letters" campaign lends itself to school community participation, as well. If you miss the workshop, it is still possible to do the letter-writing project. Contact Bread for the World for advocacy campaign materials.The Peace and Social Justice Ministry website carries news of current world and local situations, the Catholic position, action alerts, relevant resources and programs promoting social justice and peace. If you have some ideas for addressing peace or social justice issues in your classroom or would like to hear about those of others, please go to "Bulletin Board"  and post your ideas and projects. Share them with other teachers and find some new ideas for your own classroom.

May God bless our united efforts to live justly! Gratefully, Joyce Ruhaak

February 2003

Valentine’s Day is a highlight in February. Despite the commercialism that surrounds it, the holiday’s special message is "love." We know that Jesus said love was the greatest commandment, love of God and neighbor. To truly practice the virtues of justice and peace love must be our motivation and pathway.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. (1Cor13:1-3)

 

Sometimes we get so focused on what we are doing we forget to examine how we treat others and how our method of operation affects our students, peers, family members, parishioners, and neighbors. Love reminds us that any social justice issue is for human persons and is not an objective principle that transcends the dignity or rights of human beings; it responds to individuals in need.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1Cor13:4-8)

In other words love allows us to focus on Jesus and his people and to forget our pride, self-righteousness, self-pity, and pettiness. Peace activists believe that together people can create positive change in the world, they hope for a non-violent resolution of differences, and many are willing to endure time spent in prison because of their convictions. Love sustains them as they pay the price for following Jesus.

Here are some materials that may help your students and their families know the plight of millions of people in Africa and Iraq and do something about it. Starvation in Africa is the reality that Catholic Relief Service addresses in "Food Fast." This program is an appropriate solidarity opportunity for use during Lent. The Peace & Social Justice Ministry Office has coordinator packets and videos available, as well as, the document, "A Call to Solidarity With Africa." Phone (815) 834-4028 for a copy. Also, you can download materials from Catholic Relief Services  regarding Iraq: Stepping Toward Peace. 

These resources provide practical ways of living as a loving follower of Jesus. May Jesus and the Holy Spirit fire us with love as we act on behalf of social justice and peace. Happy Valentine’s Day! –Joyce Ruhaak

January 2003

Many of us do not look forward to the "cold of winter." January generally hosts the lowest temperatures of the year. One of its gifts to us, however, is the clear night sky illuminated by so many stars. The icy darkness images for us the pain, suffering, cruelty, indifference, and seemingly overwhelming obstacles to justice and peace in our world. However, the multitude of stars symbolizes "the Light of Christ," which penetrates the darkness, is unrelenting in its bright, transforming, hopeful presence, and empowers followers to reflect that light themselves. Nothing can constrain its power or dim its brilliance. "Whatever came to be in him, found life, life for the light of men. The light shines on in darkness, a darkness that did not overcome it." (John 1: 4-5)On December 16^th these words became real for me. I accompanied Roberto Miranda on his mile walk down Route 171. He had been on death row for fourteen years for a murder he did not commit. Mr. Miranda participated in "Dead Men Walking," a relay from Stateville Penitentiary to the Thompson Center in Chicago. Each relay walker took turns carrying a petition that asked Governor George Ryan to commute the sentences of all prisoners currently on death row.Many of the exonerated did not have a hat, gloves, or coat to protect them from the wind and cold. Roberto had a borrowed jacket wrapped about his head and wore a coat and pair of gloves lent to him by supporters. As we walked and talked in the darkness I understood the injustice and cruelty done to Roberto and the other innocent people on death row. They were victims of the criminal justice and capital punishment systems. However, their own oppression, suffering, and sense of justice propelled them to speak and act on behalf of others.We experienced a paradox. The headlights of cars came at us in the blackness of early morning, but the exonerated individuals were actually the lights in the darkness. Their action and message drew the attention of all the metropolitan area media. The "Dead Men Walking" lit up the dark early morning sky and were beacons even in the light of day. Untruth, injustice, and evil will not prevail against them.Another dark reality is the possibility of war with Iraq. The United States Catholic Bishops issued a statement saying a war with Iraq cannot be justified. Catholics may seek conscientious objector status either because they judge a particular war "unjust" or because in conscience they cannot kill or participate in any war.Youth ministers and high school teachers and counselors have an opportunity to spread the Light of Christ by informing youth about draft registration and conscientious objector status. Before age 18, young men must register for the draft. If they are considering being a conscientious objector, it is best to indicate that on their draft registration. Also, they need to begin a file of evidence demonstrating the sincerity of their position. If the draft is put into operation, time will be too short to gather adequate documentation.Please encourage interested students to attend one of the two presentations given by J. E. McNeil, co-author of The Draft Counselor’s Manual. The first will be the evening of Saturday, January 25^th in Joliet and the second in the early afternoon on Sunday, January 26^th in Downers Grove. Exact locations, times, and other details will be forthcoming. CO counselor training will also be available in our diocese at a later date. Consult our website: www.paxjoliet.org or phone: (815) 834-4028 for updated information.

May we reflect the "Light of Christ" and encourage others to do the same. Wishing you God’s peace and love in this New Year, --Joyce Ruhaak

December 2002

I had expected to encounter Jesus in Bolivia, but had no idea how profoundly or how frequently. One thing I learned was to be open and expectant at every moment and to be as present as possible to every person or creature before me. As a result God gifted me through little children, creation, and many people.In Isaiah we read, "And a little boy will lead them." (Is 11:6) I witnessed this quite often. Most pointedly, at a hospital for children I observed a five or six year old boy with a muscular disease. Patiently he labored to build a high stack of giant size Legos, accidentally knocking some down when his desire was to build up. Yet, he was so happy when he succeeded. Then, he would knock the blocks down, laugh, and start over very contentedly. The process took a long time. Never before had anyone demonstrated patience and contentment to me as well as did this child.Another young boy helped me find my way when I was lost. He took me by the hand and brought me to the area where I was to assist the therapists. He dropped what he was doing and stayed with me until I was situated in the proper place. Then he quietly returned to his classroom.In a barrio where the Mission Construction Corps had to climb many sets of steps up a steep hill, a dog led the way. Dogs are everywhere in Bolivia. Occasionally, they are not friendly. This feline, however, seemed to have a mission to show us the way and carried it out very conscientiously.The nurses, aids, and other staff members of the Cristo de las Americas Hospital also demonstrated hospitality, patience, and kindness in assisting me. Some untangled the religious articles that got matted together so I could distribute them to patients. Another translated my rudimentary Spanish into the indigenous Quechua language as we prayed together.Father John Enright, a beacon of light and joy wherever he goes, ministered to all of the team and many of the people in the Sucre Archdiocese during the mission trip. He rejoices in enabling lay people to minister effectively. Father had served as a missionary to Panama for twelve years at the time of Vatican II, early in his priesthood. The situation in one of the barrios reminded him of his former Central American parish. His celebration of Eucharist and preaching imaged Jesus and his mission very practically for us every morning. His preaching continued throughout the day in his actions, humor, and respect for all.The indigenous people and their children work very hard. Members of the Construction Corps work alongside them safeguarding their homes from the triatomine beetle that causes Chagas disease. The children and their parents do not have much time for play, but did perform their traditional dances for us at a party our last evening in Sucre.God taught me much on this trip, but so gently and lovingly through these people and the creation surrounding them. Christmas is the time of celebrating the most profound gift and teaching of all, Jesus! May we in turn lead others with tenderness and love.

Wishing you a peaceful and joyous Christmas, Joyce Ruhaak

November 2002

It is now autumn. The leaves are falling, the weather is cooler, we realize the holidays are approaching. Our natural environment reminds us of our finiteness, our nothingness, and our futility, except for the abundant love of our Creator-Parent-God. Nature invites us to be reflective, empty, quiet, and to encounter God within ourselves, within others, and in all that is around us.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer in The Mystery of Holy Night gives some insight on where God might be found,

God wants to be where the understanding is outraged, where human nature rebels, where our piety keeps a nervous distance: there, precisely there, God loves to be; there he baffles the wisdom of the wise; there he vexes our nature, our religious instincts. There he wants to be, and no one can prevent him. Only the humble believe him and rejoice that God is so free and grand, that he works wonders where man loses heart, that he makes splendid what is slight and lowly.

We definitely find God in the lowly. To assist them is to honor Jesus. We know this from all the Gospel stories in which Jesus aligned himself with the poor and oppressed. From Matthew 25 we know that to care for another person in need is to care for Jesus. Our Messiah himself became a helpless baby on the first Christmas. What a lowly experience for the Son of God, yet, what a profound revelation of the lavish, unfathomable love God has for humankind.

Alternatives for Simple Living publishes a booklet entitled "Whose Birthday Is It Anyway?" Our Peace & Social Justice Ministry requested such a resource with specifications relevant to the Diocese of Joliet. It invites alternative Christmas giving to the Diocesan Medical Mission, Construction Corps (working in Bolivia, in the U. S. with native Americans, disaster relief teams, and parishioners in Pembroke Township), or to twenty other suggested charity or justice organizations. Copies of the thirty-nine page pamphlet, which includes Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany reflections, discussion questions, and calendar, may be obtained by calling our office at (815) 834-4028.

May each of you enjoy a happy Thanksgiving and a blessed Advent!

In God’s peace and love,

Joyce M. Ruhaak

Parish Outreach Coordinator

Today we are bombarded with the drumbeats of pending war. It permeates our psyche, our mind, our imagination, our senses, even our soul. As followers of Jesus, we ask ourselves what Jesus would do? Surely, Jesus would speak against evil, murder, hatred, and violence. He would not be silent and immobile.

Many sane voices are speaking above the drumbeat. They include Pope John Paul II, USCC President Bishop Gregory, Nelson Mandela, former President Jimmy Carter, mainline church leaders, the United Nations, many world leaders, clergy, religious and lay Catholics in our diocese and across our nation.

Bishop Gregory wrote these words to President Bush: "We conclude that, based on the facts that are known to us, that a pre-emptive, unilateral use of force is difficult to justify at this time." He also mentioned several "just war" questions that cannot be resolved in regard to this war: just cause, legitimate authority, proportionality, probability of success, and norms governing conduct during war.

What can be done to stop the drums? Individual and communal prayer, letters, phone calls, e-mails to present administration, to our legislators, and letters to the editor of local newspapers, participation in peace demonstrations and marches.

It is an opportune moment for your students to read stories of saints, peace activists, historical nonfiction, or historical fiction that speak of conscientious objectors and others who stood up for their beliefs. Discussions could take place that included the Gospel message, the seven core values of Catholic Social Teaching, and lessons from history.

How you conduct prayer services, historical analysis, or discussion will depend on the age and learning style of the students you instruct. For those teaching older youth information on draft registration and the possibility of being a conscientious objector could be provided. If the war goes ahead, the draft will be re-activated and the time to prepare a case for CO status will be only a few days. Go to info@objector.org  and http://www.objector.org  for information.

Thank you for ministering so conscientiously to young people. May we let our lights shine brightly together to reflect the Light of the World and Prince of Peace!

Joyce Ruhaak

Parish Outreach Coordinator

Since March is "Women’s History Month," I would like to share the following historical prose piece published in War Resisters League 2002 Peace Calendar entitled, "52 True Stories of Nonviolent Success." The article was first printed in "Nonviolent America: History Through the Eyes of Peace." Louise Hawley and James C. Juhnke edited the book.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the peaceful nonviolence movement could be as effective today and make the "War on Terror" unnecessary! May we be encouraged in our work to promote and practice social justice and peace.

Happy Holy Week and Easter! –Joyce Ruhaak

Please Note: Abolition of the Death Penalty Lobby Day in Springfield will be April 10, 2002 (not the 20^th). Call me at (815) 834-4028 for details. Also, a few years ago our ministry office assembled a "Women’s History Month Bibliography." If you have additional suggestions, please advise us so we can publish an updated version.

Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poetic words are most welcome today as the earth begins another fallow season. Faith and hope call us to enthusiastic optimism amidst war, terrorism, and violence. "War can kill living people; it can destroy civilizations, can destroy its own works, but it cannot touch God’s." (Caryll Houselander)

If we really believe as Mary did long ago, that God exists, we would realize that we are now pregnant with the Christ-life growing within us…

laying hold of our soil with strong roots that thrust deeper and deeper, drawing down the blessed rain of mercy and the sun of Eternal Love through our darkness and heaviness and hardness, to irrigate and warm those roots. (Houselander, The Passion of the Infant Christ)

Like Mary, a child of fourteen or even younger when the angel appeared to her, we would trust God completely and say, "Be it done to me according to your word." (Luke 1: 38) Truly "for God all things are possible." (Matthew 19: 26)

This Love beckons us to gaze on God in quiet prayer, in the faces of our spouse, children, family, friends, students, peers, the poor, the elderly, the sick, and even those we dislike, and those we ignore. In Christ all are our brothers and sisters. In the presence of any of them we, like Merton, should see Jesus and want to bow or genuflect.

God shares with us power to transform the world and overcome evil. We can do that everyday in simple ways like treating each person with respect and compassion, in asking forgiveness when we have offended someone, in forgiving another when they have hurt us. Sometimes it means participating in "An Offering of Letters" (Bread for the World), joining a social justice or peace protest, writing a member of Congress, teaching social justice to your students. The possibilities seem limitless.

As religious educators we enable the Child of God to lead our students in their life journey so that they also may birth Jesus once again into our world. We have so much to celebrate! Let us rejoice, be glad, and give thanks!

Wishing you Christmas Blessings and God’s Peace, Joyce Ruhaak

God pours out grace "in good measure, packed together, shaken, and overflowing, poured into our laps." (Lk 6:38) Some of this grace we find in other people. The examples of Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, countless martyrs and saints, and many men, women, and children alive today call us to "faith that moves mountains," sustaining hope in the midst of pain and adversity, and an all-inclusive love which forgives and befriends enemies. What "gems" of these holy ones can we use as mantras or words to ponder in our present situation? "Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you,"(Lk 6:27) and "pray for those who persecute you."(Mt 5: 44) "Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." (John 14: 27) I am with you always until the end of the age." (Mt 28: 20) (Jesus)"Nonviolence is not a cover for cowardice, but it is the supreme virtue of the brave. True non-violence is an impossibility without the possession of unadulterated fearlessness. By a long process of prayerful discipline I have ceased for over forty years to hate anybody… What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?"(Gandhi) "Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that…Love is the most durable power in the world. This creative force, so beautifully exemplified in the life of our Christ, is the most potent instrument available in mankind’s quest for peace and security."(Martin Luther King, Jr.) "We have to have a deep patient compassion for the fears of men, for the fears and irrational mania of those who hate us or condemn us." Christ’s "place is with those who do not belong, who are rejected by power because they are regarded as weak, those who are discredited, who are denied the status of persons, who are tortured, bombed, and exterminated. With those from whom there is no room, Christ is present in the world. He is mysteriously present in those for whom there seems to be nothing but the world at its worst…It is in these that He hides Himself, for whom there is no room." (Merton)If you would like to share more of these gurus’ wisdom with your students and youth group members, you may obtain these pamphlets from Pax Christi for $2 each. Gandhi The Peacemaker (ed. Eknath Easwaran), Words of Peace: Selections from Martin Luther King, Jr. (ed. Mary Evelyn Jegen, SND), Thomas Merton’s Struggle With Peacemaking (James H. Forest) You may also request copies of "Prayer in Time of Terrorism" and "Hope in Time of Terrorism" Prayer Service. E-mail: info@paxchristiusa.org  Website: www.nonviolence.org/pcusa  Fax: (814) 452-4784 Phone: (814) 453-4955.Peace, Shalom, Salaam, Joyce Ruhaak

Note for High School Counselors and Youth Ministers: Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors new e-mail address & website: info@objector.org  and http://www.objector.org 

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!" (Psalm 122: 6) This is the plea of the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem. They cry out for all to pray with their people for "peace with justice and reconciliation." (Independent Catholic News, August 10, 2001)

Even though the violence and bloodshed in the Holy Land keep escalating, there are signs of hope. Peacemakers, Israeli, Palestinian, and other nationalities are putting their own lives on the line working for an "alternative to the cycle of revenge and retaliation." (Sojourners Magazine, September/October, 2001).Many Palestinians and Israelis are threatened, beaten, and imprisoned for their nonviolent resistance to the current injustice and bloodshed. Peace groups include Rabbis for Human Rights, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, Sabeel Ecumenical Center, House of Hope, Christian Peacemaker Teams (mainly Mennonites, Brethren, and Quakers from the United States and Canada), and Jews United for a Just Peace (Junity). They all call for an end to Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and an end to the violence, especially that directed towards civilians.Here is an example of the power of presence and solidarity the Christian Peacemakers Team members bring to conflict areas. A group of Palestinians on their way to a mosque for worship was confronted by Israeli soldiers. Falling on their knees, the Muslims refused to turn back. As the soldiers raised their guns to shoot, two young people from the Christian Peacemaker Team jumped in front of the Muslims. Spreading their arms in protection of the men, they implored, "Please, these are unarmed people, do not shoot them!" That action prevented the imminent gunfire. The two peacemakers were held in jail overnight and then released.Jesus was nonviolent and calls us to be peacemakers and care about others. Even though the children may not be able to bring about peace directly, they can pray that God call peacemakers forward who can bring about a just and lasting peace. You can let your pupils know how special their prayers are to God and remind them of the power of united prayer.Recently, Bishop Imesch wrote a letter to Catholic students about befriending their classmates and having concern for them. Every principal and parish director of religious education received an aid for a Nonviolence in Schools Liturgy. These resources enable you to challenge your students as Christians to be respectful of others and to be nonviolent peacemakers right at home and in school.Have a wonderful and peaceful year of education. May our prayers for a just peace be constant and unceasing!Shalom,

Joyce Ruhaak