Social Justice at St. Anthony’s

“The Social Justice Committee at St. Anthony’s attempts to answer what ‘doing justice’ means for Catholics in our current times. Our ongoing efforts have hopefully helped the parish learn more about the need for charity, service, and advocacy in the greater community. All three responses are necessary as we strive to love our neighbors and grow closer to God.”                    Margaret Mary Fitzgerald, Parishioner

Charity & Service

St. Anthony’s has a rich tradition of charity and service to others, as seen through activities such as a monthly food collection for the Thomas Merton Family Center in Bridgeport; annual Giving Tree contributions for Sr. Eileen Boffa’s street ministry; the annual AutumnFest fair, which donates a percentage of the proceeds to Merton Center; construction of houses with Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County; and more.

Social Justice: Putting Faith into Action

But what about the issues underlying our social structures that are the root causes of poverty, inequality, and racism? The Social Justice Committee works together to address these issues, and to engage the parish and community. People of all beliefs are often moved to put their values into action when they become aware of the inequities faced by their neighbors—locally, statewide, and across the country.

One way we at St. Anthony’s have chosen to act is by joining CONECT.

CONECT: Congregations Organized for a NEw CT

What is CONECT?

  • CONECT is a collective of 35-plus churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and civic organizations in Fairfield and New Haven counties, founded in 2011.

  • It identifies and researches the most critical social, racial, and economic issues facing our most vulnerable residents.

  • CONECT then brings these issues to local and state leaders, school administrators and/or religious heads to work toward actionable solutions, often including policy or legislative changes.

  • Members of CONECT are collaborative, non-partisan, racially diverse—guided by the desire to enhance the common good together.

    Click for an Overview of CONECT

Social Justice - Our Mission

St. Anthony’s Social Justice Committee is grounded in the long and rich history of Catholic Social Teaching. It is comprised of parishioners concerned with issues of social justice—the distribution of opportunities, privileges, and wealth—in the Catholic Church and, more broadly, in our society. We prayerfully consider how our faith encourages us to act in the face of such inequities.

Our main goals are to:

EDUCATE To foster the connection between liturgy and social justice by examining the root causes of issues that adversely affect the general welfare; e.g. poverty, human migration, systemic racism, environmental degradation, and more.

INSPIRE To enlighten others on what we have learned in our studies: fellow parishioners, students, friends, and colleagues, and our local community.

EXPLORE To search for effective solutions that can be put into practice on a local level, by our own efforts, and/or in cooperation with other like-minded faith-based organizations.

ACT Finally, to become actively involved in such outreach efforts, and welcome other St. Anthony parishioners to do so, when personal preference, time, and opportunities allow.

Feel free to share what’s on your mind with our Social Justice Committee members, listed below.
They welcome your input and feedback. The committee meets the first Tuesday of each month.

Carol Becker, Sr. Eileen Boffa, Nora Bradley, Danny Braccio, Maggie Casciato, Tony Cernera, Lindsay Clayton, Sr. Joan Compango, JoAnne Fabry, Margaret Mary Fitzgerald, Brian Kelahan, Jeff Kiernan, Paul Lakeland, Jeanne Mathews, Al May, Beth Palmer, Melissa Quan, Barry Ryan, John Santa, Eleanor Sauers, Donna Spigarolo, Maryann Welch, Dave Welch, Caroline Wetzel

For more information about the Social Justice committee, email Donna Spigarolo.

Click here to see History & Activities