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"Peace, justice and the preservation of creation are three absolutely interconnected themes, which cannot be separated and treated individually . . ." - Laudato Si' (92)
Thank you for all you do to promote peace, justice and care of creation in the SSND spirit of Shalom. May the resources in this newsletter help you in your efforts.
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Shalom North America Contacts
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Click here for a simplified, printer-friendly (pdf) version of this e-newsletter.
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Integrity of Creation
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Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (10/4)
"Francis, go repair my house; you can see it is falling into ruins," Francis of Assisi heard these words from the cross in a neighboring abandoned church. He and a few friends restored the church building and later on Francis realized he was called to do more when he met several lepers along the roadside. He listened to them, hugged one of them and this changed the focus of his life. Afterwards he traveled to the far east to meet with a Muslim Sultan for the beginnings of inter-faith dialogues. Today, his namesake Pope Francis is calling us to repair the planet, our common home, as we hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. Download Catholic Climate Covenant's 2020 Feast of St. Francis program.
| | Feast of St Francis Video Reflection | |
| Feast of St. Francis 2020 |
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Integrity of Creation
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2020 Living Planet Report
In the 14th century, Dominican priest and theologian Meister Eckhart wrote, "Every Creature is a WORD OF GOD." Given how all of creation - every creature - is encoded with the Spirit of the Living God, how do we understand the extreme loss of biodiversity on our planet in the last 50 years? The 2020 Living Planet Report shows an average 68% fall in monitored populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish between 1970 and 2016. Biodiversity matters; it is a measure of overall ecosystem health. Learn more, read report summary.
| | The Living Planet Report Canada | |
| Living Planet Report 2020 | WWF |
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Human Dignity
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October is Respect Life Month
Every life is sacred, from the moment of conception until natural death. Every person is made in the image and likeness of God, and so each and every person has inherent dignity. This year's Respect Life month theme is, 'Live the Gospel of Life,' inspired by the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's encyclical, The Gospel of Life. Consider this thoughtful reflection on the upcoming election and dignity of life concerns by Cardinal Blasé Cupich, view USCCB respect life month resources here.
| | Life and Dignity of the Human Person | |
| On Truly Being 'Pro-Life' |
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Human Life and Dignity
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JFI Migration Policy Webinars
To commemorate the 15th anniversary of the USCCB Justice for Immigrants Campaign, the Department of Migration and Refugee Services is hosting a series of webinars exploring some of the current hopes and challenges of trying to influence immigration-related public policy. Webinars will be held each Wednesday at 2:00 PM (Eastern) from September 30 - November 12. Learn more, register for webinars.
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Human Life and Dignity
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World Teachers' Day (10/5)
This year's theme is "Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future." The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly added to the challenges faced by already over-extended education systems throughout the world. Now more than ever, we must work with teachers to protect the right to education and guide it into the unfolding landscape brought about by the pandemic. Learn more, prayer resource.
| A day in the life of a teacher during the pandemic |
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Human Life and Dignity
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Day of the Girl (10/11)
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Human Life and Dignity
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Indigenous Peoples/Columbus Day
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A conversation with Native Americans on race
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| The Standing Rock resistance and our fight for indigenous rights |
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Human Life and Dignity
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World Food Day
World Food Day organizers are calling for global solidarity to help all populations, and especially the most vulnerable, to recover from the COVID-19 global health crisis, and to make food systems more resilient and robust so they can withstand increasing volatility and climate shocks, deliver affordable and sustainable healthy diets for all, and decent livelihoods for food system workers. Learn more, take action.
| | World Food Day 2020 | |
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Human Life and Dignity
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International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (10/17)
The focus this year is on the challenge of achieving social and environmental justice for all. The growing recognition of the multi-dimensionality of poverty means that social and environmental justice are inseparably intertwined. Social justice cannot be fully realized without aggressively rectifying environmental injustices at the same time. Learn more: Child Poverty Canada, America's Children, COVID-19 Child Poverty.
| | 2020 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty | |
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Peace and Non-Violence
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United Nations' 75th Anniversary
The UN is marking its 75th anniversary at a time of great disruption for the world, compounded by an unprecedented global health crisis with severe economic and social impacts. COVID-19 is a stark reminder of the need for cooperation across borders, sectors and generations. Our response will determine how fast the world recovers, whether we achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and how well we handle the climate crisis, pandemics, inequalities, new forms of violence, and rapid changes in technology and in our population. Learn more, take the UN75 survey, read the preliminary UN75 Report.
| Pope Francis' UN Address, English Translation, September 26,2020 |
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Peace and Non-Violence
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International Day of Nonviolence (10/2)
The UN General Assembly established this day as an occasion "to disseminate the message of nonviolence through education and public awareness" and "to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and nonviolence." The date was chosen in recognition of Mahatma Gandhi whose birthday is October 2. Gandhi was a leader of India's independence movement and a pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of nonviolence. Learn more. Take time to reflect on this SSND Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace corporate stance, and this SSND International Solidarity Reflection prayer resource.
| Relevance of Mahatma Gandhi in the Contemporary World |
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Peace and Non-Violence
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Webinar - Nuclear Weapons an Absolute Evil?
The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies is offering a webinar, Are Nuclear Weapons an Absolute Evil, on October 5 at 6:30 pm (Central) featuring Archbishop Joseph Mitsuaki Takami (Nagasaki), President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan. He will offer personal reflections on the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as his perspective on the moral and policy challenges of pursuing a world free of nuclear weapons. Learn more, register. Read - Former World Leaders Urge Ratification of Nuclear Arms Ban Treaty.
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Peace and Non-Violence
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Webinar - On Pope Francis' New Encyclical (10/5)
On Sunday, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis will release his encyclical on human fraternity and social friendship, Fratelli Tutti. On Monday (10/5) at 12:30 pm (Eastern), Georgetown University's Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life will host a virtual dialogue on the themes of the encyclical and Pope Francis' call to recognize that we are all brothers and sisters, a call that is more important than ever during this time of a global pandemic, economic crises, and a U.S. presidential election. Learn more/register here.
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The SSND International Shalom Network witnesses to the Gospel with audacity and hope as we collaborate to build just relationships and respond to the urgent needs of our times.
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Shalom News North America is an e-publication of the Shalom North America Contacts (SNAC) of the School Sisters of Notre Dame - Arlene Flaherty, Ethel Howley, Jeanne Wingenter, Kathleen Bonnette, Rose Mary Sander, and Tim Dewane. Your comments, suggestions, and feedback are always welcomed. Email us at tdewane@ssndcp.org.
Please only print this e-publication if necessary.
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