Shalom News North America
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An instrument of hope, formation, and action
concerning priority matters of social justice.
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Season of Creation
Climate Justice
Respect Life
Teachers
Hispanic Heritage
Dreamers
Indigenous/
Columbus Day
Girl Child
Food & Poverty
Voter Suppression
Death Penalty
SSND & UN
Disarmament
Gospel Nonviolence
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Dear Friend,
In the encyclical Laudato Si’ Pope Francis emphasizes that the social and ecological challenges of our day are interrelated (integral ecology). As you read through this newsletter, and the social and ecological concerns it highlights, consider how these concerns are related to the Laudato Si Goals and SSND becoming a Laudato Si Congregation.
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Shalom North America Contacts
(Click here to download pdf version of newsletter.)
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Season of Creation/Feast of St. Francis of Assisi
October 4 formally ends the Season of Creation, but not the work that Laudato Si’ calls us to. It is a time set apart, however, to contemplate the magnificence of God’s creation. Listen to the Canticle of Creation (below) as Lectio Divina, letting the words wash over and through you anew. Pay attention to the lines or phrases that catch your attention as you hear them and pray them. To what does God call you now? What sister or brother is calling out to you as blessing?
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Let us commit to learning more about our relationship with the earth and all of creation. Let us hear the howling winds, the rushing waters, the migrating birds, the silence of the gardens as they move into fall and winter. Let us make a commitment to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves, hearing both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. Let us commit to listening to the voice of creation, not only in this season, but in the seasons to come. Additional resources for reflection and sharing.
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Environmental Justice Bills - Canada
The climate crisis and environmental degradation are taking their toll on communities worldwide, but some communities are impacted more than others. For decades, polluting industries and landfill sites have ended up in Indigenous, Black, Brown and other racialized communities in Canada, burdening these communities with higher-than-normal rates of cancer, respiratory illnesses, and other chronic health problems. These "sacrifice zones" extend to communities beyond Canada to the Global South – usually poor and often Indigenous – where Canadian mining companies operate, contaminating fresh water sources, and contributing to well-documented human rights violations.
If Canada wants to live up to its reputation as a human rights defender and a just transition champion, it must address environmental racism at home and abroad. Click here to learn about three bills that would help tackle environmental racism in Canada and improve corporate accountability of Canadian extractive companies operating abroad. Click here to let your voice be heard in support of this legislation.
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Bipartisan Climate Action - U.S.
While the Inflation Reduction Act did not receive bipartisan support, two other important climate-related legislative items did. The recently passed CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (CHIPS Act), while mostly touted for its funding to revitalize the American semiconductor industry, could also lead to $67 billion in funding to support climate-relevant research and the growth of zero-carbon industries. That would make the CHIPS Act one of the largest climate bills ever passed by Congress. And it was passed by large bipartisan majorities. Learn more.
The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol was recently ratified by Congress with significant bipartisan support. The Kigali Amendment aims for the phasing down of hydrofluorocarbons which will positively impact the ozone layer and, in turn, global warming. Perhaps climate concerns can ultimately serve as a bridge between the parties instead of a wedge? Click here to send a message to your Senator thanking them for voting to ratify the Kigali Amendment.
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Human Dignity & Integrity of Creation |
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Respect Life Month
In October, the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month, a time to stand in solidarity for the dignity and protection of all human life – from conception to natural death. Of course, humans don’t live in isolation; their lives are interconnected with all living things. So in order to protect human life and dignity, it is essential we also take steps to address the climate crisis and protect the environment - for the well-being of all God’s creation. Let us take time this month to stand for human life and the dignity of everyone, at every stage of life. Click here to read the SSND leadership statement On the Dignity of Life. You can find U.S. Bishops’ Conference materials for Respect Life Month here.
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World Teachers' Day (10/5)
World Teachers’ Day is a day to celebrate how teachers are transforming education but also to reflect on the support they need to fully deploy their talent and vocation, and to rethink the way ahead for the profession globally. "We celebrate the critical role of teachers in transforming learners’ potential by ensuring they have the tools they need to take responsibility for themselves, for others and for the planet,” said UN, UNICEF, and International Labor Organizations leaders. Read more here. How will you celebrate the day and show support for teachers? Prayer resource.
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Harvest of Justice & Hispanic Heritage Month
Harvest of Justice, an annual educational program of the National Farm Worker Ministry that began on Labor Day continues, concluding with World Food Day on October 16. This year’s focus is Child Labor in Agriculture. Resources for reflection and action can be found here. The U.S. celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month continues through October 15. The theme for 2022 is "Unidos:Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation." Learn more and join in the celebration! Prayer Resource.
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Dreamers Need Your Support
Any day now, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit could end protections for nearly 600,000 current DACA beneficiaries, terminating their work authorization and subjecting them to removal from the United States without any regard for their families or the communities that have come to depend on them. For many years, Catholics and many other people of faith have called on Congress to provide Dreamers with the ability to integrate as fully recognized members of our society. Last March, the House of Representatives passed the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6) with broad bipartisan support. Unfortunately, the Senate has failed to take up the bill. Click here to use the SSND Voter Voice tool to let your voice be heard and urge the Senate to take action today.
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Immigration Detention Cancelled - Canada
Nova Scotia’s confirmation that it will terminate its immigration detention contract with the Canada Border Services Agency is another win for migrant and refugee rights. It follows a landmark decision by British Columbia on July 21 to terminate its own contract with the border agency. “Nova Scotia’s decision is a momentous human rights victory that upholds the dignity and rights of people who come to Canada in search of safety or a better life,” said Samer Muscati, Associate Disability Rights Director at Human Rights Watch. “With two provinces now canceling their immigration detention contracts within weeks, the federal government should show leadership by canceling the remaining agreements, which are at the heart of so many rights violations.” Read more here.
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Indigenous Peoples' Day/Columbus Day (10/10)
Indigenous Peoples’ Day became a U.S. national holiday in 2021 to honor Native American peoples, and to recognize their cultures and contributions to our society. It is celebrated on the second Monday in October, the same day as Columbus Day, which falls on October 10 this year. A day to recognize Indigenous peoples was first introduced in Berkley, CA, in 1992 as a counter-celebration of the 500 year anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas. Since then, there has been a growing movement not to recognize an event which ensued the colonization of the Americas, the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the death of millions of indigenous peoples from murder and disease. Currently, 13 states and over 125 cities choose not to observe the federal holiday of Columbus Day. Learn more. Consider how all this relates to the Doctrine of Discovery. Reflection resource.
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International Day of the Girl Child (10/11)
On this tenth anniversary of the U.N. International Day of the Girl Child we celebrate the advances made for and by girls throughout the world to have their voices heard and needs met. But we also acknowledge that there is much work to be done to bring all girls to the fullness of all that God created them to be. Consider this as just one indicator of all that needs to be done: “Up to 10 million girls will be at risk of child marriage. The profound effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are putting girls at higher risk of early marriage due to a combination of economic shocks, school closures and interruptions in reproductive health services.” Read this inspiring story. Learn more and explore ways to take action here.
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Eradicate Poverty Day (10/17)
The theme for this 30th anniversary of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is Dignity For All in Practice. A hallmark of Catholic Social Teaching is human dignity for all, based on our creation in the image and likeness of God. This year’s theme reminds us that it is the practice of dignity, not the theory of dignity for all, that changes lives in poverty. Poverty and inequality are not inevitable. They are the result of deliberate decisions or inaction that dis-empower the poorest and marginalized in our societies and violate their fundamental rights. Read more, consider this video reflection.
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Voter Suppression in the U.S.
Increasingly, obstacles to voting are being put in place in the United States. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, 39 states have proposed laws that could make voting more difficult. These laws disproportionately affect people of color. On September 27, Catholic sisters and Catholic institutions issued a statement on the sinfulness of voter suppression. “Our faith tradition teaches that every person deserves equal access to participate fully in our democracy,” read the statement from Catholic leaders, citing words from Pope Francis and documents from the Second Vatican Council. “Powerful institutions and political leaders are working to rig the system and erect racially discriminatory obstacles to voting and full participation in American life,” the statement continues. “Voter suppression is a sin and silence is complicity.” Sojourners, Catholic Climate Covenant and many other groups offer ways for you to fight voter suppression and promote participation in the upcoming election. Learn more here.
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World Day Against the Death Penalty (10/10)
As Catholics, we are called to live with justice and mercy and uphold the value of all life. Our Catechism states that the death penalty is "inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person" (2267).
The death penalty violates both the Church’s pro-life teaching and the teaching on the inherent dignity of the human person as created in the image and likeness of God. Learn more. Not only does the death penalty target innocent life, but also those with mental illness, intellectual disability, and people of color. It also redirects funds that could be used to help victims’ families harmed by violence heal. Click here to learn more and take action. Prayer resource.
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SSND & the United Nations - Celebrate October 24
In the belief that the renewal of society depended on the Christian family in which the mother, the first educator, had a key role, the Christian education of girls would be the vital service offered by the newly formed SSND community in Bavaria, Germany on October 24, 1833. The United Nations celebrates its own “birthday”, which took place when the UN Charter was officially and fully ratified on October 24, 1945. It was an event that gave many reason to hope for world unity and avoidance of another world war in the aftermath of World War II. Click here for information about the SSND as a UN-NGO, and here for some quotes to reflect upon.
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Disarmament Week (10/24 - 10/30)
October 24 not only serves as the day we commemorate SSND Foundation Day and United Nations Day, it also signals the beginning of Disarmament Week, a time put forward by the UN to promote the awareness and importance of disarmament matters. Since the foundation of the United Nations, disarmament and arms control have played a critical role in preventing and ending crises and armed conflict. Heightened tensions and dangers are better resolved through serious political dialogue and negotiation – not by more arms. Read more here. Join an online conversation (10/5 at 10 am ET) on the role religious can play in promoting diplomacy – click here to register.
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Retreat on Gospel Nonviolence
To conclude our newsletter this month, we invite you to take a few minutes for a short video-based retreat - Gospel Nonviolence: Breaking Barriers, Binding Wounds, Healing Nations – put forward by our friends with Pax Christi International. The video brings together the wisdom of distinguished speakers from many countries with deep experience in the practice of nonviolence as a spirituality and a way of life. Peace to you.
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The SSND 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 - Barb Paleczny, Colleen Kammer, Ethel Howley, Mary Carter Waren, 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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