Building up the Body of Christ with welcoming arms, loving hearts and joyful worship.
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Who We Are
The Holy Archangels Parish Social Outreach Ministry team is the overall umbrella leadership team which encompasses all of the community outreach ministries at the parish to ensure that all are working together to strengthen one another’s spiritual, physical and emotional being and serving the greater good of our parish and community.
Parish Social Outreach Ministry MissionTo help parishioners understand and act on Catholic Social Teaching. It does this by organizing teams of leaders in the four ministry areas of direct service, global solidarity, legislative advocacy, and community organizing and development. Those leaders, in turn, invite and recruit the rest of the parish to participate. Finally, all the activity is reinforced through formation and education in Catholic Social Teaching.
What is Catholic Social Teaching?
The Church's social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. Catholic Social Justice teaches us that all people are made in the image of God and so possess an equal and inalienable worth. Because of this essential dignity, each person has a right to all that is needed to allow him or her to live their full potential as intended by God.
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Four Ministry Areas of Focus
1. Direct Service (Charity and Outreach)
- Providing the basic necessities to help people survive in the existing system.
- Examples: Food pantries, clothing centers, visiting the elderly, shut-ins, prisoners, providing cultural opportunities for disadvantaged youth, emergency financial assistance, job banks/assistance, food baskets, St. Vincent de Paul, etc.
2. Global Solidarity
- Living with and for the oppressed, empowering the oppressed and provoking personal conversion.
- Examples: Justice and peace activities, sharing parish/sister communities, sponsor a family, live among the poor, world hunger, environmental projects, Catholic Relief Services, etc.
3. Legislative Advocacy
- Speaking for those who have no voice.
- Examples: Lobby for funding for needed programs, educate the public on policy issues, write or speak to legislators on current bills, voter registration, Catholic Charities, etc.
4. Community Organizing and Development
- Puts into practice our Christian beliefs in the rights and responsibilities of persons, especially powerless individuals, families, and communities, to fully participate in decisions that affect the quality of everyday life.
- Examples: One-on-one relationship building, grassroots fundraising, grassroots issue identification and action, leadership training, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, etc.
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Parish Social Outreach Ministry Vision
- Provide an organized outlet for the parish community to respond to our baptismal call to actively participate in bringing about the reign of God.
- Provide direct human service for individuals and families suffering the pain of poverty.
- Organize and join with those individuals and families to change the conditions that cause or exacerbate poverty, keeping in mind and acting on the fact that we are a part of the larger world in these matters.
- Initiate planned efforts to identify, train, and develop parish leaders, especially new ones.
- Create formation opportunities, ensuring that the social ministry work remains rooted in scripture and Catholic Social Teaching.
- Establish a good communication system that keeps the entire parish and community connected.
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Want to find out more?
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What is Catholic Social Teaching?
Catholic Social Teaching applies Gospel values such as love, peace, justice, compassion,
reconciliation, service, and community to modern social problems. It continually develops through observation, analysis, and action. Here are the seven themes or principles of CST. Click here to learn more.