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JUSTICE JOTTINGS
April 2026
| | MSJC EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES | | |
A Marianist Family Prayer for Ecological Conversion —
In Celebration of Earth Day
O God, Creator of all, we praise you for the beauty of our common home. You have entrusted us, your children, with the care of this sacred gift.
In the spirit of Blesseds William Joseph Chaminade, Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon (Mother Marie of the Conception), and Venerable Marie Therese de Lamorous, we turn to you as a
family, united in Mary's mission, to build a global community where no one is left out.
We ask for the grace of ecological conversion. Help us to hear the cries of the Earth, the poor, and our youth. Free us from a throwaway culture and a mentality of indifference. Guide our hearts to a new way of living justly, sustainability, and with respect for all Creation.
Empower us, like the servants at Cana, to "do whatever You tell us” from the smallest daily acts to our collective actions. Mary, walk with us and embolden us with courage and hope as we advocate for the protection of our common home and all who depend on it.
In each encounter, may we, your Marianist Family, be instruments of your peace and healing as together we build a resilient future for generations to come.
We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus, and with the intercession of Mary, the mother of all Creation, and our Marianist Founders, Amen.
- Prayer by Laura Koonce, MSJC/MEEC Integral Ecology Team; Art: Guadalupe Breakthrough by A. Brian Zampier, SM
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THANK YOU:Giving Day Update
Because of your incredible generosity, MSJC's 2026 Giving Day was a tremendous success!
Together, we raised $7,200 from 45 donors, including 6 new supporters and surpassed our goals. We are immensely grateful for this community's commitment to advancing justice and making a meaningful impact. Your contribution will directly support transformative programs across all of MSJC's Justice Teams. Together, we’re united for justice and working toward a more just and compassionate Church and world.
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MSJC's Race Equity Plan
Over the past year and a half, hundreds of members of our community shared their voices through surveys, focus groups, and listening sessions as part of a comprehensive race equity assessment of our organization. We are deeply grateful for the honesty, vulnerability, and commitment that made this process possible.
We are now excited to share MSJC’s Race Equity Plan, developed in response to the Race Equity Report & Recommendations created in partnership with Just Roots Consulting in fall 2025. Shaped directly by the insights of our community and partners, this plan outlines a path for how we will continue growing as an antiracist organization over the next six years, grounded in our Marianist charism and Catholic Social Teaching. This work will also be integrated into MSJC’s broader Strategic Plan (2026–2031), which we look forward to sharing soon.
As you explore our Race Equity Plan, we invite you to take a moment to reflect:
- What resonates most?
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Where do you see yourself—and MSJC—already living into this work?
- Where might you or your communities be called to grow or take action?
- How might you participate more actively in advancing this commitment?
This is a living commitment—one that calls all of us to ongoing learning, reflection, and action—and we will continue to share updates in Justice Jottings. Don't hesitate to contact us at info@marianistsjc.net if you have any questions, comments or ideas as you read through the plan. Also, the link below is an abridged version, but here is a link to the full tracker with detailed goals, timelines, and progress updates if you want to really dive in.
| | Racial Justice In-Person Event | | |
When: Saturday, May 2 from 10am-2pm in Cincinnati, OH
What: We’re still hoping to gather for a special in-person experience at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center—but we need your help to make it happen! This event will include time to explore the museum together, share lunch, and engage in a facilitated conversation reflecting on how the museum’s message calls the Marianist Family more deeply into the work of racial justice.
At this point, we have a small group registered and are looking for at least 15 participants by the end of the day on this Sunday, April 19 to move forward as planned. If we’re not able to reach that number, we will simply reschedule for a later date.
MSJC will cover museum admission and lunch. Free-will offerings will be accepted to help offset costs. Spots are limited, so if you’re interested, we encourage you to sign up ASAP!
| | MSJC REFLECTIONS, RESOURCES, & CALLS TO ACTION | | |
As you may know, the International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) is celebrated annually on March 31. Although the day has already passed this year, it's worth noting the reminder it provides that, as Max Kuzma writes in this NCR article, 'the dignity of any society is measured by how it treats those who are most vulnerable within it.' Let's all resolve to treat with justice our trans neighbors and friends whose humanity is as ordinary as our own.
| | DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE | | |
Recognizing and Acting Upon the Burning in our Hearts
Reflection by Team Member Bro. Tom Redmond, SM
In this Easter season, when hope can feel both close at hand and just out of reach, Brother Tom Redmond, S.M., invites us to reflect on the familiar story of the road to Emmaus in a deeply personal and timely way. What does it mean to recognize the Risen Christ walking with us in moments of despair? And how might that encounter stir something within us, a “burning in our hearts”, that calls us to act?
Drawing from Scripture and his work with the Death Penalty Abolition & Restorative Justice Team, Brother Tom connects the disciples’ journey to our own world today, where injustice can feel overwhelming, yet signs of hope persist. His reflection challenges us not only to notice where our hearts are stirred, but to respond—to speak out, to accompany others, and to take meaningful steps toward justice. We invite you to take a few minutes to read and pray with this powerful reflection.
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Earth Day is next Wednesday, April 22nd and this year's theme is Our Power, Our Planet. The very first Earth Day was in 1970; since then, Earth Day Network has been mobilizing over 1 billion people annually on Earth Day, and every other day, to protect the planet. Environmental progress doesn’t depend on any single administration or election. It’s sustained by daily actions of communities, educators, workers, and families protecting where they live and work. To find an event near you, register an event, or find resources, click here.
The Catholic Climate Covenant has a packet on Energizing our Faith for the Earth Day season. Download it here.
Laudato si Week 2026 is May 17 through 26 with the theme of Hope Into Action. In the Laudato si encyclical, Pope Francis wrote, "Hope would have us recognize that there is always a way out, that we can always redirect our steps, that we can always do something to solve our problems." For ideas on how you can contribute, click here.
The Marianist ALIVE magazine spring edition features three stories of Integral Ecology at St. Mary's University, Chaminade-Madonna HS & the Marianist Environmental Education Center (MEEC). For even more about how Marianist communities and institutions are living Integral ecology (responding to the cries of the earth, poor and youth) visit https://marianistencounters.org.
| Fr. Oscar Vasquez, SM, provincial, blesses the solar panels at Mount Saint John in Dayton, Ohio, in June of 2023. | | |
Retreats For Our Refugee Sisters & Brothers
Starting in 2023 the Marianist Family Retreat Center Cape May Point, NJ and Inter-Faith Rise have sponsored bi-annual weekend retreats for families and individuals from various parts of New Jersey who have arrived here via the various refugee protection programs sponsored by the United States government. The goal of these events was to give hope and support to these folks as well as an opportunity for a bit of rest and relaxation at the Jersey Shore.
Most recently in March, 35 folks (9 families including 7 children) from Haiti and Latin American countries living in various parts of New Jersey attended. The program included family, peer group, and spiritual activities based on the “Rooted In Hope” theme of this year’s program, as well as time to relax and recreate. This program, offered free of charge to all participants, is staffed and funded by volunteer lay Marianists and other supporters of the Marianist Family Retreat Center. Many of our Immigrant Justice Team members helped facilitate the retreat!
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Faith in a Time of Genocide: Seminarians in Solidarity with Palestine
When: Friday, April 24 at 12:30pm ET | 11:30am CT | 10:30am MT | 9:30am PT | 6:30am HT
What: Join many partnering organizations for a conversation with Christian student activists, seminarians, and Palestinian liberation theologians exploring the intersection of theological formation, faithful witness, and (campus) advocacy. This webinar invites emerging Christian leaders to discuss tangible ways to engage questions of justice, solidarity, and peacemaking in Israel/Palestine from within their theological commitments.
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50th Fast & Vigil to Abolish the Death Penalty
When: June 29 to July 2, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (virtual and in-person opportunities)
What: The Fast and Vigil to Abolish the Death Penalty will continue for its 33rd consecutive year this summer outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC. Death penalty abolitionists from around the country will gather to call for an end to capital punishment in the United States. The week includes elements of grassroots training, advocacy, action, community, and education. An ‘Abolition Teach-In’ starting at 6pm ET each evening will feature murder victim families, death row families, exonerees, state-level advocates, national organizers, faith leaders, and more; this will also be live-streamed for remote participation. More information about the event history, schedule, and registration is available on this website.
This year is a monumental one marking 50 years of executions, as July 2 is the anniversary of the Gregg decision in 1976 which brought back executions in the U.S. Even if you are not able to attend yourself, MSJC's Death Penalty Abolition and Restorative Justice Team hopes that you will spread the word that the Fast and Vigil is happening and that registration is now open.
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Formational Podcasts from NACMS
Looking for a meaningful way to deepen your Marianist formation this Easter season? We invite you to explore two recent podcast episodes from the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS) that bring the Marianist story to life through the powerful witness of Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon and Marie Thérèse de Lamourous. Through engaging conversation, Sr. Laura Leming, FMI, and Jessica González Uhlig reflect on the dynamic partnership at the heart of the Marianist Family and the enduring model of “relational leadership” these women embody. Their stories—marked by courage, creativity, and a deep commitment to accompaniment—offer practical wisdom for how we collaborate, lead, and build community in today’s world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration for ministry, leadership, or daily life, these episodes offer a rich invitation to grow in head, heart, and hands.
Listen here:
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Episode 53: Cigars, Chateau, and Conviction - Adèle and Marie Thérèse
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Episode 54: One Heart, One Mind - Relational Leadership Lessons from Adèle and Marie Thérèse
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