Social Justice - History & Activities

2026

• Support for Sr. Eileen’s Street Ministry

• CONECT – continued support of actions

• Benincasa support/Arc of Noah collection- $ 1,700 collected by the committee/parish matches donation

• Interfaith Prayer Service for Immigration – speaker from Arc of Noah

• Juneteenth Celebration with other churches

• Parish collection for CIRI

• Talk on Fairfield Housing

• Lenten Soup Suppers

• Laundry Love

2025

• Continued work to help the parish join CONECT, which happened in April

• Laundry Love member

• Supported a student’s collection for Operation Smile

• Led Lenten Soup Suppers

• Bulletin notices on racial justice continue

• Parish Volunteer Fair

• Sponsored the movie, “Cabrini”

• Paul Lakeland led a panel discussion of Pope Leo’s DILEXI TE; “What Does Leo Want?”

• Support of marches in Westport and Fairfield regarding issues of justice

• First annual committee retreat at Mercy Center to plan for 25-26

2024

• Committee will hear about The Woven Community at Burroughs Center

• Feb. 27th Tony Cernera will talk on:  Refugees and Migrants in our Common Home:  Reading the Signs of the Times in Light of the Gospel

• The Woven Community from Burroughs Center presenting their wares the first weekend in March and again in December

• Continuing work on educating parish on racism

• Support of Laundry Love

• Leadership of the Lenten Soup Suppers

• Provided lunch at HomeBridge

• Attended fundraiser for Islam Food Pantry

• Members attended the fall assembly of CONECT

• Jeanne, Caroline, Maggie will lead our committee to try and get the parish to support our membership in CONECT

2023

• Presentation at Fairfield University, Rev. Bryan Massingale, “Racial Justice and the Catholic Church”

• Lenten Book Discussion, Fat Luther and Slim Pickin’s: A Black Catholic Celebration of Faith, Tradition, and Diversity, by Marcia Lane-McGee and Shannon Wimp Schmidt

• Presentation and discussion of film, “Going Home Like a Shooting Star: Theo Bowman’s Journey to Sainthood”

2022

• A White Catholic’s Guide to Racism and Privilege by Dan Horan, OFM; Book discussion during Lent

• Diane Geisert talks to us about the group Food Rescue

• Introduction of the group, Laundry Love

• Discussion about racism at every meeting; possibility of bringing the play regarding Fr. Augustus Tolton to St. A.

• Fr. John Mulreany leads an evening on microaggression:  But gee, I didn’t mean to offend you…an exploration of microaggressions

• Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion bulletin notices begin 

2021  

• April a new subcommittee focused on environmental issues is formed – Dan Braccio to chair

• June we regather in person; focus on racism

• Jerry Hemenway starts Resurrection Garden in Fr. John’s honor.  Produce to go to Merton House

2020 

• Awakening the Dreamer: Changing the Dream – Sr. Carmela Garofalo & Sr. Nancy Audette

• Discussions to participate in this program

• Goes from in-person to online due to the pandemic

• The goal is for you to see the possibilities of bringing forth an environmentally sustainability, spirituality fulfilling, social just, human presence on the planet.  And to help you find your role in making that happen.

2019

• Our focus is Inspiration/Awareness/Education/Action

• Tent cards at soup suppers with social justice information

• Social Justice fair in September

2018  

• Fr. John Baran invites interested parishioners to meet regarding their interest in a social justice group.  Over 100 people responded.

• Development of current committee/brainstorm ideas/ Sr. Lorraine LaVigne, RSM facilitated the meeting to focus our group

• Start bulletin notices/prayers of the faithful, DID YOU KNOW…