Parish Social Ministry Helps Catholics Put Faith into Action

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All parishes share some common traits, including a core group of individuals who are committed to the social mission of the Catholic Church and are ready, willing and able to put their faith into concrete action. During the 2017 legislative session, a few parishes demonstrated that commitment through their efforts in the diocese’s postcard advocacy campaign in support of repealing the death penalty in Utah and opposing an assisted suicide bill.  

For some of the parishes that excelled in the postcard campaign, a Parish Social Ministry (PSM) team was the key to helping parishioners channel their beliefs into legislative advocacy.

At St. Francis of Assisi in Orem, for example, its newly formed bilingual Parish Social Ministry took on the challenge of the campaign and returned more than 200 cards, organized by zip code. The PSM team used the postcards as an educational opportunity, reminding parishioners of Catholic teaching on these issues and our Gospel call to be advocates of morally just policies.

A much smaller but no less committed team at St. Marguerite in Tooele did much the same, printing off additional cards when their first batch ran out. The St. Marguerite team collaborated with other parish ministries to help with the campaign, including chipping in to cover the costs of printing additional cards.  

Christ the King in Cedar City had a different, unofficial PSM team – Msgr. Robert Bussen (now retired) and Father Rick Sherman (now at St. John the Baptist Parish), former and current members, respectively, of the diocese’s Peace and Justice Commission. The pastors traveled their territory, encouraging parishioners in Cedar City and the surrounding missions to sign the postcards. Parishioners welcomed the opportunity to put faith into action, sending back over 1,000 postcards, far exceeding the contributions of even the largest parishes in Salt Lake.

In such ways, the diocesan Peace and Justice Commission and individual Parish Social Ministries help Utah Catholics learn about and live our social mission. They reflect what Pope Francis’ said about faith:

“An authentic faith – which is never comfortable or completely personal – always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better that we found it. … All Christians, their pastors included, are called to show concern for the building of a better world. This is essential, for the Church’s social thought is primarily positive: it offers proposals, it works for change and in this sense it constantly points to the hope born of the loving heart of Jesus Christ.”

On the diocesan level, the Commission brings together individuals from different parishes to promote advocacy efforts, build Parish Social Ministries, support the church’s global efforts through Catholic Relief Services and deepen our understanding of Catholic Social Teaching. Parish Social Ministries do much the same, focusing on the needs of their communities, not just within the parish buildings, but looking more closely at the needs within their geographic boundaries. Through each of these ministries, Catholics find opportunities to “offer proposals, work for change, and point to the hope born of the loving heart of Jesus.”

Parishioners interested in Parish Social Ministry can learn more at the Pastoral Congress in a two-part, bilingual session hosted by Catholic Relief Services. The Peace and Justice Commission will conduct a more in-depth training during the summer of 2018. Watch the Diocesan website, Peace and Justice Commission Facebook page, parish bulletins and the Intermountain Catholic for more information on those sessions.

The diocesan Peace and Justice Commission is currently seeking bilingual members with a recommendation from their pastor. Please send an email to Commission director Jean Hill at Jean.hill@dioslc.org briefly explaining why you are interested in the Commission, your past or current involvement in parish ministries of any kind, and an indication of support for your service on the Commission from your pastor.

Jean Hill is the director of the Diocese of Salt Lake City Peace and Justice Commission.