JustFaith Catholic

JustFaith is a program of JustFaith Ministries that invites participants to live more simply and compassionately, and to respond to the needs of the world.  This small group program helps participants explore today’s issues through the lens of their Catholic faith, engage in dialogue around those issues, and formulate a personal/group response. 

Registration for the Fall 2019 group is now closed. Please pray for all those participating in the program as well as for guest speakers and those we will meet through immersion experiences along the way! If you are interested in learning about future JustFaith offerings, please contact Grace Koleczek.

Program Overview

The group is facilitated by Grace Koleczek, Adult Faith Formation and Social Justice Coordinator, using materials provided upon registration. There are opportunities for participants to be co-facilitators.

Sessions

JustFaith includes twenty-four 2 ½-hour sessions, broken into three phases of eight sessions. Each phase also includes a retreat day and an immersion day, where the group goes out into the community to learn from local people affected by injustice or marginalization. All sessions include prayer, dialogue, active listening, and relationship-building. Some sessions also include videos and/or guest speakers.

Resources

Participants deepen their understanding through in-depth reading of several books and viewing a number of DVDs and online materials. The most essential resource is the community formed through the JustFaith process.

Immersion Experience

To broaden perspectives, each of the 3 phases include an immersion where participants visit local organizations to learn from the stories of those living and working on the margins of society.

We are excited to announce that, thanks to a generous grant from the Catholic Community Foundation, we will be able to offer this program and all of the associated materials free of charge to parishioners who have not yet experienced the JustFaith program!

Archbishop Hebda: Driver’s licenses for all is a ‘moral imperative’

Archbishop Bernard Hebda joined a call Feb. 21 by immigrants, lawmakers, business and law enforcement representatives to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses, calling the issue “a moral imperative.” Click here to read the full article in the Catholic Spirit.

National Migration Week: January 6-12, 2019

For nearly a half century, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Migration Week, which is an opportunity for the Church to reflect on the circumstances confronting migrants, including immigrants, refugees, children, and victims and survivors of human trafficking. The theme for National Migration Week 2019 – Building Communities of Welcome – emphasizes our responsibility as Catholics to engage and welcome newcomers on their arrival, and help to ease their transition into a new life here in the United States.  Here are a few points that we, as a people of faith, should be mindful of:

1. Catholics are called to stand with immigrants and refugees as our brothers and sisters. This is who the Catholic Church is. This is what we as Catholics do.
2. Pope Francis invites us to be part of a culture of encounter as we welcome, protect, integrate, and promote immigrants and refugees in our midst.
3. Immigration is about real people who are trying to find a better life and a new beginning. It’s about more than statistics, it’s about families. As Pope Francis stated, “Each migrant has a name, a face and a story.”
4. Welcoming immigrants is part of Catholic Social Teaching and reflects the Biblical tradition to welcome the stranger.
5. The Catholic Church has been welcoming immigrants and refugees to the United States since the nation’s founding and has been integral to helping them integrate into American culture.
6. Forced displacement of people is at the highest level since World War II, with more than 65 million people displaced around the world and over 22 million refugees.

As a parish, we will be reflecting more deeply on this theme on January 6th, as we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany.

South Metro Immigration Coalition Update (July 11, 2018)

We have held regular gatherings over the past several months, discerning how we should respond to this issue in light of the Church’s teaching.  We have learned that many of our immigrant brothers and sisters in the Risen Savior faith community deal with a tremendous amount of anxiety because they do not know what legal rights they have, or even that they have any rights.

We recently met with representatives from the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota and are working with them to offer a legal information session aimed at helping immigrants know their legal rights.  This even will take place sometime in September and will be open to all parishioners.  In the meantime, here are some things everyone should know:

• If an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer comes to the residence, the individual may refuse to open the door until the officer presents a warrant. The individual can ask the officer to slide the warrant under the door.
• Individuals have the right to remain silent and do not have to answer the officer’s questions.
• Individuals can demand to speak to their legal counsel and can refuse to sign any documents until they have spoken with their attorney.

Source:  How Faith Communities Can Assist Immigrants and Refugees – Archdiocese of SPM

Click here to access the Share the Journey Webpage.

Click here to access the USCCB’s Justice for Immigrants Webpage.

Click here to access How Faith Communities Can Assist Immigrants and Refugees (Archdiocese of St. Paul/Mpls.) 

Click here to access the Minnesota Catholic Conference’s Migration page.

DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES:

Immigration Law Center of Minnesota Pamphlet (English)

Immigration Law Center of Minnesota Pamphlet (Spanish)

Helpful Information & FAQ’s Regarding Immigration

Know Your Rights – Conoce tus Derechos

Phone Numbers for Immigration Law Attorneys – Información Oficinas de Inmigracion

Nine Ways to Protect Yourself (English)

Nueve Maneras de Protegerse (Espanol)

Immigration Agency Referral List – Minnesota

2018 OSJ Policy & Advocacy Framework

Staff members from Catholic Charities of Saint Paul & Minneapolis‘ the Office for Social Justice recently held a Policy Briefing event at Risen Savior.  All are encouraged to download a copy of the 2018 OSJ Policy & Advocacy Framework as a way to inform their consciences and respond to our call to speak up on behalf of the vulnerable in our society.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States (Full Text)

The Challenge of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship Part I: Our Call as Catholic Citizens

The Challenge of Forming Conscience Part II: Making Moral Choices & Applying Our Principles

Contacting Your Elected Officials

Civil Dialogue

What is Conscience?

The Two Feet of Love in Action

Key Principles of Catholic Social Teaching

In addition to the resources provided by the USCCB, we highly recommend taking a look at what the Office for Social Justice has to offer on their website.  Click here to access the site.

Also, we recommend reading Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit by Parker J. Palmer.  Click here to access a synthesis of his major themes from the book, “Five Habits of the Heart that Make Democracy Possible.”

Social Justice & Outreach Commission

Church of the Risen Savior

Purpose and Responsibility Statement

Purpose:  The Social Justice & Outreach Commission is a group of dedicated Catholic individuals who gather together in their common concern to promote hope, compassion and respect for all people through the ongoing formation of parishioners and fostering participation in justice issues within the Risen Savior faith community and the wider community.

Key Responsibilities:

To heighten the awareness of social justice issues and offer opportunities for parishioners to engage in actions and activities, which address these issues.

To inform, educate, and foster energy and passion in parishioners on the connection between social justice issues and Catholic Social Teaching.

To be a resource and a source of support for all of the committees which fall within the scope of the Social Justice & Outreach Commission.

To meet monthly to accomplish the responsibilities and stay focused on the purpose and mission of the Commission.

Meetings:

The commission meets on an as-needed basis. The meeting is typically attended by representatives of our various committees (who are doing the “hands on” work) in an effort to ensure good communication and collaboration is taking place. However, our gatherings are open to anyone with an interest in furthering the social mission of the Catholic Church. Click here to access the minutes from our most recent gathering.