Missions Office
News & Notes |
March 5, 2010
Good News
The March edition of our office newsletter.
March 1, 2010
Chile earthquake response
Catholic Relief Services is accepting donations to help those in Chile affected by the powerful earthquake that struck the South American country on Feb 27. CRS will be supporting the relief efforts of the local Catholic Church through Caritas Chile, the social service arm of the Catholic Church in Chile, which is responding with food and other assistance. Individuals can donate online to CRS, directly. Parishes (and individuals) in this archdiocese are asked to send checks for “CRS/Chile” to the Missions Office, 710 9th Ave, Seattle WA 98104.
March 1, 2010
The Catholic Relief Services Collection will be held in all of our parishes this month. Information on the collection, and resources for parishes, can be found at the CRSC web site. Our March column in The Progress newspaper on the collection and its connection to Haiti response. Thank you for your support!
February 24, 2010
"A Call to Transform Our Hearts and the World,” presentation by Jack Jezreel, founder of JustFaith, April 15.
February 27, 2010
HAITI
UPDATE: Haiti Earthquake and Catholic Relief Services. The CRS blog on Haiti.
Parishes in the Archdiocese of Seattle wishing to donate to CRS relief efforts are asked to send checks payable to CRS, at the Missions Office, 710 9th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104, marked "Haiti." As of February 26, over $1,750,000 has been donated to CRS/Haiti from individuals, parishes, schools, businesses and other other organizations in western Washington. Thank you!
Link to Haiti PowerPoint from CRS
Seattle University responds in many ways. Our THANKS to SU students and community for the great fundraiser at the SU Feb. 27 basketball game "netting" over $3,000, and for the presence of CRS board member Connie Proctor at the game.
Prayer, liturgy and educational resources from CRS
Pontifical Mission Societies' Advisory-Haitian Solidarity Fund.
U.S. bishops’ web site on Haiti
Haití fue azotado por un terremoto.
Schools pray, raise funds for Haiti
March 3, 2010
Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center's "Just Video" winners.
February 6, 2010
The Lenten message of Pope Benedict XVI for 2010. Mensaje del Santo Padre Benedicto XVI para la Cuaresma 2010.
January 27, 2010
Health Care Reform action alert
An Action Alert from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urging Congress to continue to work on genuine health care reform.
November 17, 2009
"Hunger is....
the most cruel and concrete sign of poverty. Opulence and waste are no longer acceptable when the tragedy of hunger is assuming ever greater proportions." Benedict XVI, Nov. 16, addressing a special summit of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
More American households had difficulty putting enough food on the table in 2008: U.S. Dept of Agriculture report of November 16. U.S. Bishops' "A Place at the Table" and "For I was Hungry...". State-by-state data on food insecurity (Bread for the World).
UN's State of Food Insecurity 2009
Teaching Hunger and other resources from the UN’s World Food Program.
Note: The World Food Program works with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and other Catholic charities in nearly 40 countries, such as the Darfur region in Sudan.
Food Fast is a widely-used resource from CRS for youth ministry and high schools, focusing on hunger and poverty in light of Catholic social teaching.
List of our Rice Bowl-funded projects in western Washington
Prayer and Quiz on hunger in our office’s October newsletter.
“Those who eat the Bread of Christ cannot remain indifferent before those who, even in our days, lack daily bread." - Pope Benedict XVI
Resource Notices
The U.S. bishops in 1997 issued a statement on global solidarity in which they said,
“Catholic communities of faith should measure their prayer, education, and action by how they serve the life, dignity, and rights of the human person at home and abroad.
A parish’s ‘catholicity’ is illustrated in its willingness to go beyond its own boundaries to extend the Gospel, serve those in need, and work for global justice and peace.
This is not a work for a few agencies or one parish committee, but of every believer and every local community of faith.”
The following resources are offered in the spirit of that statement:
Explore My Mission contest. Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers announce their second Explore My Mission contest. Catholic young people, ages 18-35, with a passion for living the Gospel by helping others can win an opportunity to experience another culture and live the world of mission in another country. Deadline: April 9, 2010.
Holy Childhood Association’s annual National Prayer Week
takes place March 14-21, 2010. During National Prayer Week, HCA kids in the United States remember their brothers and sisters in the Missions by saying a special HCA prayer as often as possible for five consecutive days. Prayers and materials were shipped to every parish and school by the HCA office in New York. Kids can pray online.
Social Ministry Resources to Engage Your Parish Community
Catholic Charities USA has announced (March, 2010) a new online resource library to assist parish leaders as they engage in the work of parish social ministry. Topics include conversion, poverty reduction, social transformation, and running a social ministry program in a parish. A number of the listed resources are available through the Missions Office. Note: Catholic Community Services/Catholic Housing Services is a member agency of Catholic Charities USA.
“Peacebuilding for the 21st Century,” the 24th Annual Social Action Summer Institute, August 1-4, 2010, at Santa Clara University (San Jose, California).
Catholics Confront Global Poverty
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) invite Catholics throughout the U.S. to join this campaign. Read (and write) at the CCGP blog.
Youth (Grades 7-12) Multi-media arts contest on “Empowering communities, Uprooting poverty.” Sponsored by Catholic Campaign for Human Development and the Missions Office. Local deadline- March 17, 2010.
 Shopping with CRS Fair Trade means you are supporting artisans, bringing beautiful items into your world and strengthening the Fair Trade movement! Through the Work of Human Hands program, Catholic Relief Services and its partner, SERRV, offer you the chance to buy high quality, fairly traded handcrafts and gourmet food items from disadvantaged producers all over the world. Consider hosting a sale at your parish this Fall! CRS also partners with SERRV and Equal Exchange on fair trade coffee and chocolate. The Missions Office can assist with support, speakers and educational materials.
Education for Justice
A well-received, appreciated resource in our communities. A membership-based resource for parishes and schools from the Center of Concern.
Catholic African Connections is a collaborative project among parishes in Western Washington intended to share experiences, knowledge, and resources with others working in Africa or planning to start partnerships in Africa.
Save the date: April 24, 2010 for the next conference for our communities with partnerships in Africa, with special invitation to those from Africa serving in our parishes and archdiocesan ministries.
Holy Childhood Association’s Resource Guide for K-8 classrooms and programs for 2009-2010 is available online from HCA.
Poverty in America: A Threat to the Common Good, a policy paper from Catholic Charities USA. Please consider endorsing CCUSA's Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America.
Social Justice Resource for elementary/middle school: PovertyUSA Student Action Project materials from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development provide age-appropriate resources for use with grades K-8 in schools and religious education programs to raise awareness about poverty in the United States and our Catholic response.
Social Justice Resource for high schools and parish youth ministries: Ending Poverty in Community (EPIC), A Toolkit For Young Advocates. Available at the CCHD website. After reviewing the resource, please contact us in the Missions Office for more information on local implementation.
FoodFast materials for grades 8-12 from Catholic Relief Services, helping to feed the hunger for connection to the world through faith-filled action.
Mission Resource for K-12 classes and parish youth ministries: Maryknoll Magazine classroom program.
Education and advocacy resources and statements on global and domestic issues from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development.
Catholic Relief Services responds to Emergencies Around the World
Note to Archdiocese of Seattle parishes and schools: For any donations for CRS work, please send the check to the Missions Office, marked "CRS/[name of country or need]." Thank you! Visit the CRS website to view the list of current and ongoing emergencies.
And more Catholic social teaching resources can be found at our colleague's web site (Director for Adult Faith Formation for Catholic Social Teaching and Family Life).
The Pope's intentions for March:
General: That the world economy may be managed according to the principles of justice and equity, taking account of the real needs of peoples, especially the poorest.
Missionary: That the Churches in Africa may be signs and instruments of reconciliation and justice in every part of that continent.
Throughout its website, the Missions Office provides links to other websites solely for the user’s convenience. By providing these links, the Missions Office assumes no responsibility for, nor does it necessarily endorse, these websites, their content, or their sponsoring organizations.
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