Social Ministry and Thought Leadership

About the Program

Family and Community Services is committed to collaborate with parishes to support their ministries to the poor and vulnerable, encourage community engagement and educate parishioners about the rich tradition of Catholic social teaching. We:

• Convene parish social ministers and provide training and information on social justice principles and issues,
• Provide timely information on resources, events and issues to parish staff, social ministers and other subscribers through the weekly e-mail newsletter, Salt & Light; Open Wide Our Hearts, a newsletter about combatting racism;the Diocesan monthly bulletin, Justice, Peace and Life; and other educational and reflective materials, and
• Serve as the local conduit for Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Campaign for Human Development programs and grants.

The U.S. Bishops articulate the importance of this work in their 1993 document, "Communities of Salt and Light."

Resources

• Communities of Salt and Light – The U.S. Bishops’ letter articulating the importance of Social Ministry in parishes
• Salt & Light newsletter
• Open Wide Our Hearts Newsletter
• JustFaith
• Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) Rice Bowl
  Contact Diocesan CRS Coordinator Kathy Dubel with questions or to order CRS Rice Bowl materials: kdubel@dor.org or 607-734-9784 ext. 2135
• Public Policy Weekend and the Diocesan Public Policy Committee
• Catholic Social Teaching
• Life issues
  For assistance, contact Diocesan Life Issues Coordinator

About the Program

Founded on Catholic principles that call us to respect and preserve the dignity of all people, Catholic Charities Family and Community Services serves all who need our services without discrimination. Those principles are expressed in writings from popes and bishops' conferences and create a foundation for our work of advocacy and outreach.

What the Program Offers

The website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has many resources on Catholic Social Teaching including:

• Key documents of the U.S. Bishops and the Vatican
• Resources, tools and activities
• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has a webpage with Catholic social teaching quotes on a variety of themes

Major Themes of Catholic Social Teaching

Overview of Catholic Charities

Life And Dignity Of The Human Person

"Our belief in the sanctity of human life and the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching." Every person is created in the image of God. Every person is precious. All social laws, practices, and institutions must protect, not undermine, human life and human dignity-from conception through natural death.

Call To Family, Community, and Participation

"How we organize our society-in economics and politics, in law and policy-directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community." We are social beings. We realize our dignity and human potential in our families and communities. The family is the basic cell of society; it must be supported. Government has the mission of protecting human life, promoting the common good of all persons, and defending the right and duty of all to participate in social life.

"We are called to name and dismantle systematic racism within our own organizations, structures and society."

Rights And Responsibilities

"The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met." The Church upholds both personal responsibility and social rights. The right to life is fundamental and includes a right to food, clothing, shelter, rest, medical care, and essential social services. Every person has the right to raise a family and the duty to support them. Human dignity demands religious and political freedom and the duty to exercise these rights for the common good of all persons.

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

"Catholic teaching proclaims that a basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring." The Church does not pit one social group against another but instead follows the example of our Lord, who identified himself with the poor and the vulnerable (d. Mt 25:31-46). Giving priority concern to the poor and the vulnerable strengthens the health of the whole society. The human life and dignity of the poor are most at risk. The poor have the first claim on our personal and social resources.

The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers

"Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God's creation." Workers have rights to decent work, just wages, safe working conditions, unionization, disability protection, retirement security, and economic initiative. The economy exists for the human person; the human person does not exist for the economy. Labor has priority over capital.

Solidarity

"We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences." The Church speaks of a "universal" common good that reaches beyond our nation's borders to the global community. Solidarity recognizes that the fates of the peoples of the earth are linked. Solidarity requires richer nations to aid poorer ones, commands respect for different cultures, demands justice in international relationships, and calls on all nations to live in peace with one another.

Care for God's Creation

"We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation." Good stewardship of the earth and of all its creatures (including human beings) is a complex challenge. Humans are part of creation itself, and whatever we do to the earth we ultimately do to ourselves. We must live in harmony with the rest of creation and preserve it for future generations. We also recognize that it is the poor, marginalized and most vulnerable in our society who bear the greatest burdens of climate change.