JUSTICE JOTTINGS

September 2026

MSJC UPDATES & EVENTS

Living Water Season of Creation Event: An invitation to active hope

Wed, September 30 at 5pm PT | 6pm MT | 7pm CT | 8pm ET

The international ecumenical Season of Creation begins on September 1st and extends through October 4th. This year’s theme, “Living Water,” draws from Ezekiel 47:1–12, a vision of sacred, flowing, life-giving waters that restore barren lands, revive waters, and sustain flourishing ecosystems. 

Our featured speaker, Blair Nelsen, Executive Director of Waterspirit, will draw from her international and Atlantic coast experiences to facilitate our learning about our interconnections with water. We'll explore water in our Christian tradition, threats to water quality, access and affordability; and the environmental impacts of the rising use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)I on data centers' water and energy consumption.

This free Zoom event hosted by the MSJC/MEEC Integral Ecology Team will be a time of learning, prayer, reflection and conversation about regional and global water justice concerns and hope-filled actions we can take to care for our common home. 

About WaterSpirit & Blair Nelsen: Sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, Waterspirit.org educates, advocates, and collaborates in order to promote the individual transformations and systemic changes needed to sustain water and all life on Earth. Blair Nelsen received a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale Divinity School and BA in Environmental Studies from Brown University.

Communion Film Screening & Discussion

Monday, November 9 from

4-6pm PT | 5-7pm MT |

6-8pm CT | 7-9pm ET

Join us for a special screening of Communion, followed by a live conversation with writer and performer Matthew LaBanca. Following its acclaimed Off-Broadway run, Communion tells the true story of a gay Catholic school teacher whose marriage to his husband cost him his job and reshaped his relationship with the Catholic Church. Through storytelling, music, and humor, the film explores faith, identity, and belonging.

This event will invite participants into meaningful conversation about faith and LGBTQ+ inclusion and is co-sponsored by MSJC's LGBTQ+ Initiative and Retreat to Broadway.

Coming in October: A Special Election Edition of Justice Jottings

Be on the lookout for a special edition of Justice Jottings coming your way in early October! We hope this special edition will offer helpful resources for reflection, discernment, and faithful civic engagement as November approaches.

MSJC REFLECTIONS, RESOURCES,

AND CALLS TO ACTION

LGBTQ+ INITIATIVE

What I Learned from my Involvement with PFLAG

Reflection by team member Bro. David Betz, SM

In his latest reflection, Bro. David Betz shares a personal story of coming to understand his identity as a gay man and Catholic religious, and how his journey led him to walk alongside parents seeking support for their LGBTQ+ children. Drawing on his experience with PFLAG, Bro. David reflects on human dignity, authenticity, and what it means to recognize the image and likeness of God in every person. We invite you to read Bro. David’s reflection below.

IMMIGRANT JUSTICE

Support a Just Solution for TPS Holders and Dreamers

The USCCB is encouraging US citizens to write or call their representatives about two timely legislative actions:



1) At the start of the 119th Congress, the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 1589) was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill has passed in the House on a bipartisan basis on multiple occasions during previous congresses and has long enjoyed support from a wide cross-section of the American public. Up to this point, it has not passed in both the House and Senate, but it continues to have bipartisan support.

2) Haiti is facing a multifaceted humanitarian catastrophe. The U.S. State Department maintains a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory for the country, and the Federal Aviation Administration currently prohibits any commercial flights from the United States to the capital of Port-au-Prince. In January, Bishop Brendan Cahill, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, and Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, made clear “[t]here is simply no realistic opportunity for the safe and orderly return of people to Haiti at this time.”

INTEGRAL ECOLOGY

Season of Creation Resources

Prayers, background information and videos in many languages prepared by the International ecumenical team and national Catholic organizations are assembled annually by Catholic Climate Covenant. These include Pope Leo's message and the new "Mass ​for the Care of Creatio​n/Misa por el cuidado de la creación" prayers recently approved by the US​ Bishops.

Action Requested: Proposed WOTUS Change

In November 2025, the USEPA and Army Corps of Engineers proposed a new definition of "Waters of the United States" which defines which waters (rivers, streams, wetlands, etc.) are under federal jurisdiction. This proposed definition came after court cases such as Sackett vs EPA as well as the Trump Administration's initiatives. On September 4th, after the initial comment period with various options about how to go about defining "perennial" in regards to continuous water flow and which "waters" would come under federal jurisdiction, the proposed rule is to use a very narrow definition of "perennial". The new proposed definition of perennial will narrow what waters come under federal protection even further, especially in our western states where water resources are already extremely stressed. 

Please see this USEPA fact sheet for more information.

One way you can help is to comment on the Federal Register for this proposed rule. The comment period closes on October 9th. Thank you for your help in preserving our previous water resources, especially during this "Living Water" themed Season of Creation!