JUSTICE JOTTINGS

December 2025

MSJC EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES

In faith and quiet strength

Mary’s yes birthed Love Incarnate

the Son of Peace for our world

May the serenity and love of the Holy Family

fill your heart and home this Christmas season

And renew your hope throughout the coming year

A Call to Courageous Action on the Climate Crisis

Responding as a Marianist Family to this urgent sign of our times

in the spirit of Mary and our Founders.

We are completing the 2025 Jubilee Year as Pilgrims of Hope in this critical time for our world. Over the past year, the MSJC/MEEC Integral Ecology Team prayed, reflected and shared our concerns about the undoings of environmental protections and their impacts on the vulnerable. We also spoke about the potential of our Marianist Family collective voice. This Call to Courageous Action on the Climate Crisis emerged as an expression of hope in action. Inspired by Mary, bearer of hope and justice for the marginalized, we launch it this third week of Advent and Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We invite you to read the statement and use the reflection questions for your personal prayer and sharing in communities and workplaces. May Mary walk with us, individually, communally and collectively as we reflect on the actions she is impelling us to take in the months and years ahead. (Artwork above titled Guadalupe Breakthrough by A Brian Zampier, SM)

This statement is part of MSJC’s growing commitment to raise our voices in collective advocacy. Other Justice Team statements:

• Immigrant Justice: Call to Action Letter and Resources (Educators)
• LGBTQ+ Initiative: Standing in Solidarity with the Transgender Community: A Marianist Call to Action
• Racial Justice: Calling the Marianist Family to Renounce the Sin of Racism
• Women & Justice (Affirmation Statement): Women & the Diaconate Marianist Sign On

In the months ahead, there will be events and opportunities for dialogue, sharing reflections and learning about resources for next steps. Mark your calendars for Wednesday evening, February 25th, and stay tuned to MSJC, MEEC and MarianistEncounters.org.

MSJC REFLECTIONS, RESOURCES, & CALLS TO ACTION

DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

Pilgrims of Hope and the Jubilee of Prisoners

In an unprecedented action on December 26, 2024, Pope Francis opened a special Holy Door at Rome’s Rebibbia Prison. He designated December 14, 2025, as a special “Jubilee of Prisoners” to focus on the millions worldwide who are incarcerated, detained, or awaiting execution. These steps were part of the

2025 Jubilee Year, which he proclaimed as a “Jubilee of Hope” through his papal bull Spes non confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint), which began on Christmas Eve 2024 and continues until January 6, 2026.

Pope Francis challenged us with these words:

“In every part of the world, believers, and their Pastors in particular, should be one in demanding dignified conditions for those in prison, respect for their human rights and above all the abolition of the death penalty, a provision at odds with Christian faith and one that eliminates all hope of forgiveness and rehabilitation.”

The following information and action ideas are based largely on a Jubilee of Prisoners Resource Guide by Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition (CPMC). Nearly two million people in the United States are incarcerated, detained, or awaiting execution. Pope Francis invited us to visit those who are incarcerated, encounter Jesus in one another, and open our hearts to the liberating power of God’s infinite love and mercy. He called on governments worldwide to undertake initiatives to restore dignity to prisoners that “go hand in hand with a concrete commitment to respect for the law.”

In solidarity, born from our shared dignity as children of God, we are called to participate in a ministry of restorative practices which seek to make whole all people impacted by crime and the carceral system—former prisoners reentering society, families of incarcerated persons, victims of crime and their families, prison staff and volunteers, and legal professionals working in criminal justice. Consider one or more of the following actions:



• Become a Pen Pal with someone who is incarcerated.
• Volunteer with a diocesan prison and jail ministry, and/or supporting a local reentry organization.
• Support legislation that promotes rehabilitation over punishment.
• Pray regularly for prisoners and their families.
• Include prison ministry (and death penalty abolition groups, including MSJC) in personal charitable giving.
• Fast in solidarity with those who are hungry in prison.
• Study Catholic social teaching on criminal justice.
• Advocate for humane prison conditions.

Each of the ideas above is a way to respond to the Gospel imperative: “I was in prison, and you visited me.” May this Jubilee help each of us to recognize the dignity of every person who is affected by incarceration, and to bear witness to God's mercy in a profound way.

INTEGRAL ECOLOGY

Protect Our Waters: Stop the polluted water rule



The EPA has proposed a Polluted Water Rule, which eliminates more streams and wetlands protected under the Clean Water Act. This rule hands corporate polluters a license to damage our country's streams and headwaters. 



The proposed rule cuts protections for 80% of wetlands and 5 million miles of streams. Major rivers and lakes cannot be effectively protected from pollution if the small streams that flow into them are unprotected. This rule ignores science and puts our drinking water at risk for millions of people. 

IMMIGRANT JUSTICE

US Bishops Statement On Immigration – What It Really Means!



The recent USCCB Statement on the US Immigration Policy provides a clear message about Catholic teaching on this issue. Unfortunately, there has been “pushback” on the message from many sources. In this YouTube video by Fr. Case Cole, OFM provides a historical perspective in the form of scripture, the Catholic Catechism and encyclicals and other writings from the Holy See supporting this policy statement. 

LGBTQ+ INITIATIVE

Experiencing Inner Freedom During These Turbulent Times: Embracing Hope and Belonging

Reflection by Team Member Bradley Leger

In the personal reflection linked below, Brad Leger shares a deeply reflective and timely meditation on what it means to seek inner freedom, hope, and belonging amid the turbulence of our current moment. Drawing from his experience co-presenting an interfaith retreat this fall for LGBTQ+ persons, their families, and allies, Brad weaves together the wisdom of contemporary spiritual leaders, personal discernment, and the contexts and practices that help cultivate inner freedom rooted in God's love and community connection. Read an excerpt below:

At the beginning of November, I had the great privilege of serving as a co-presenter at a retreat weekend for LGBTQ+ persons and our loved ones. The theme was “Experiencing Inner Freedom During These Turbulent Times: A Sacred Interfaith Gathering of Hope and Belonging for LGBTQ+ Persons, Their Families, and Allies.” Our planning team was very intentional about the selection of the theme, because we know that our society is experiencing tumultuous times, particularly affecting members of marginalized groups. This includes migrants who are being rounded up and terrorized by masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)/Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents wearing military uniforms and bearing weapons...Along with this, thousands of people across our country who are already in economic strife are set to lose access to SNAP, Medicaid, and other health benefits. And, as we all know too well, years of progress on LGBTQ+ rights are being stripped away by a tidal wave of new laws and policies on the state and federal levels. Our transgender siblings are particularly being singled out. 

During the retreat, participants were asked to consider how fear and turbulence shows up in their lives during these times. They were then invited to reflect on where they are being invited to experience true inner freedom and how can they cultivate a sense of hope and belonging. Many beautiful and poignant thoughts and feelings were on display and much wisdom was shared by this lovely intergenerational group. This process certainly provided much encouragement and food for the journey for fellow participants...

BEYOND MSJC

Peace be with you all:Towards an "unarmed and disarming" peace

On December 18th, The Vatican released Pope Leo’s Message for the 59th World Day of Peace, January 1, 2026.  Each year, the  papal peace message is part of the  Marianist Environmental Education Center’s Solstice sunrise prayer for peace, this year on Saturday December 20th.   Pope Leo is inviting each of us to embody the prophetic witness of the “Peace be with You” ancient greeting as Christ’s disciples. Let us unite in prayer through this season, and especially on the Feast of Mary Mother of God, January 1st, that our lives may radiate Christ’s peace and love.