Immigration is Abuzz in the Headlines

The United States Supreme Court is set to review the legality of Arizona SB1070, the contentious immigration law that was passed a few years ago. According to BBC, the Supreme Court will review four provisions that were blocked by a lower appeals court:

· requiring officials to check the immigration status of anyone arrested and allowing police to stop anyone suspected of bein an undocumented immigrant

· making it a state crime to reside in Arizona without legal documentation

· banning all undocumented immigrants from working in the state or applying for a job

· allowing police to arrest a person believed to have committed a crime that could lead to deportation, even if the crime occurred in another state

See this BBC article for further details on the Supreme Court case.

While the Supreme Court prepares to hear this case, the Catholic Church in the United States has been doing some prep work of their own.

NETWORK, a National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, along with approximately 50 other civil rights, faith and community organizations filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court urging the court to affirm the blockage of the four provisions. The fifty page report argues that SB1070 will harm U.S. Citizens, misapprehends the federal immigration scheme and cannot be implemented constituionally. For further information click here.

The USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) released news that they, along with other faith leaders, called upon the President and Congress to reassert authority on immigration law. As the Supreme Court is working to review state authority of immigration, the USCCB called upon the President and Congress to enact immigration reform legislation "as soon as possible" in order to secure federal power over immigration policy. For further information click here.

Great examples of putting feet to the Gospel message and a glimpse of the Kindom.

-Elizabeth Fairbairn, St. Joseph Worker & Justice Office Intern

Women's History Month Reflection

As we move into the first week of April, I am called to reflect on March – Women’s History Month.

A single experience of March that comes to mind is the 11th Day Prayer for Peace – Celebrating Women—hosted by the St. Joseph Worker Program. The time spent with friends and in front of the computer for the planning of this event is memorable, and yet what that time provided is what resonates: to learn more about women who have laid the path for me, especially those from the CSJ community.

During the service, we recalled the lineage of women leadership that has come before all of us. Women who fought for the rights we enjoy today, who infuse society with love and passion that we carry in our hearts, and who opened the societal perceptions of women. In the narrative of this lineage, our hope was to name the unnamed sheroes that make up so much of this lineage, especially members of the CSJ Community who have gone uncelebrated and unnamed despite the large contributions provided.

With the help of Jill Underdahl, Mary Kaye Medinger and Mary Kraft, we were able to name and more fully understand three Sisters of St. Joseph from our lineage. Sister Jackie Slater (1934-1984) who integrated her values and relationships within her community as she served three terms on City Council representing the diverse Sixth Ward of Minneapolis. Sister St. Mark Wirtz (1904-1962) who had a deep passion for all of creation and carried this passion into her many positions at the College of St. Catherine as an Ornithologist. Finally, Sister Rita Steinhagen (1928-2006) who’s actions are often recognized within the great lineage of social justice leadership, but we chose to highlight the motivation for her work which was steeped in her experiences and relationships with people.

Several weeks after that beautiful service in the Our Lady of the Presentation Chapel, I still have a burning curiosity for the fullness and depth of the lineage of women which leads to my heart, mind and feet. I encourage everyone to learn a bit more about one woman who has inspired you as a leader-- with the caution that once you learn a little you will be captivated.

--Elizabeth Fairbairn, St. Joseph Worker & Justice Office Intern

The Nobel Peace Prize Forum is an annual event bringing together Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, civic leaders, and scholars together with students and other citizens in an effort to engage peacemaking efforts around the world. The 2012 Forum used a variety of mediums and topics, ranging from “The Ethics of Hip Hop” to an address by Nobel Laureate F.W. de Klerk.

I attended the “Business Day” of the forum at the beginning of this month and was pleasantly surprised by the continual emphasis on the need for the private sector to be involved if peace can prevail on earth. The day was filled with a variety of interests from the private sector epresenting the large field it is-- renewable energy, microenterprise and entrepreneurs, agriculture and food industry, chambers of commerce, economics, etc.

I greatly appreciated all the presentations I attended throughout the day, but the final keynote speaker was astonishing. Saki Macozoma served time on Robben Island during Nelson Mandela's imprisonment and was a business leader throughout the ending of apartheid. He spoke of the South African private sector's collective involvement that kept the debating factions at the table during the ending of apartheid, and the business community’s involvement presently to help decrease unemployment. The key to his presentation was that the South African business community recognizes the benefits from social reform and high quality of life. This is a revolutionary concept. If the worldwide business community supported and understood this we could have a radically different world--one where corporate power could be a term of social change, not greed and corruption.

May peacemaking prevail on earth, and may all of us play a role,
Elizabeth Fairbairn, St. Joseph Worker & Justice Office Intern

For a schedule of the Business Day click here.
Please click here for the video archive of the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize Forum.

Call to Action Conference

The Marriage Amendment: Can Faithful Catholics Vote "No"?

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Registration 9:00; Conference 9:30 (lunch and snacks provided)

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
700 Snelling Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55116
Sponsored by Call to Action

"Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota?" Can Faithful Catholics vote "no"?

"Call to Action acknowledges that people of faith have differences on this issue and offers conference participants an opportunity to consider this issue from a variety of perspectives."
(CTA event brochure)

Conference Music: Donna Pena, composer and performer resding in Inver Grove Heights

Conference Presenters
Lucian "Mickey" Martinez, attorney who drafted a bried on behalf of a national civil rights organization in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States of America on the matter of the U. S. Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy. His topic: "A Holy, Civil Matter"

Patricia Beattie Jung, editor of the discussion text, God, Sex, Science and Gender and Professor of Christian Ethics and Health and Welfare Ministries at Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, Missouri. Her topic: "Marriage Equality and Catholicism"

Project 515 Players, directed by Bryan Gerber, performs vignettes based on the real-life discrimination facted by same-sex couples and their families in Minnesota and highlights many of the 515 discriminatory laws through theatrical presentation and song.

REGISTRATION

Before March 31: $35 per person

After March 31: $45 per person

Young Adults (under 30) $10 per person

Adults traveling two hours or more $20 per person

PLEASE REGISTER EARLY to help with food count

Please make checks payable to CTA-MN, P. O. Box 19406, Minneapolis, MN 55419

Conference Contact Person

Art Stoeberl 651.278.6630 artstoeberl@yahoo.com

March is Minnesota FoodShare Month

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Consociates collected over $300 to support the work of Minnesota FoodShare. Friday, February 24, Joanne Tromiczak-Neid, Justice Coordinator and Ginger K. Hedstrom, Justice Associate presented the check to Sara Nelson-Pallmeyer for the March Minnesota FoodShare Campaign 2012.

Nelson-Pallmeryer expressed gratitude to the sisters for their support of Minnesota FoodShare. She also cited examples of the sharp increase in hunger across Minnesota: 2008-2010 visits to food shelves increased 62% statewide and 97% in the Twin Cities area; and 36% of visitors to Twin Cities Area food shelves reported having at least one working adult in the household. Hunger Facts

Each March, Minnesota FoodShare directs the March Campaign, the largest food drive in the state and restocks 300 food shelves across Minnesota. It recruits thousands of congregations, companies, schools and civic groups to run local food and fund drives to aid in the effort.
Minnesota FoodShare organizes a statewide media campaign to promote food shelf donations. It produces and distributes free promotional and educational resources for food drive organizers. It acts as a clearinghouse for cash donations and distributes the funds to participating Minnesota food shelves. Throughout the year, Minnesota FoodShare advocates on behalf of hungry Minnesota families with both state and federal lawmakers and educates the public about hunger in Minnesota. http://www.mnfoodshare.gmcc.org/

The Catholic Spirit
100 percent to food shelves
“The March campaign raised approximately half of that,” Nelson-Pallmeyer said. “The beauty of the March campaign is that when there are donations to Minnesota FoodShare — general donations or donations from corporations during the month of March — we turn around and give 100 percent of those funds back to the food shelves. We don’t keep any for administration.” The Catholic Spirit

Nelson-Pallmeyer hopes Minnesotans will strongly support the March Minnnesota FoodShare Month Campaign and remember hunger needs in Minnesota do not end on March 31, hunger is a reality 365 days a year and our support of Minnesota families is needed all 365 days.

March is a good time to make a commitment and become involved as an individual, parish, congregation or organization. Visit Minnesota FoodShare Become involved.

We can make a difference and we can do it now.

Imagining a Just Economy

Last Wednesday night, the Eliminating Poverty Task Group hosted "Imagining a Just Economy" facilitated by Carol Gariano, CSJ Consociate and Terin Mayer from TakeAction Minnesota.

The event was a success! It was a wonderful collaboration between two organizations, and an exploration into the possibilities of our world. The two hour agenda was full of engaging activities, I found two to be most valuable.

We were given a timeline of past economic policies and recognized different policies that have impacted us. As Terin reminded us several times, the economy is not like the weather--we, as a society, shape and affect our economic future.

The second activity was the actual imagining of a new economy--a just economy. We first discussed our envisioned purpose of the economy: to foster success, for all to recieve bread and roses, to emphasize economic & societal relationships, to name a few.

Next we discussed what needs to change for the proposed economy to exist. We walked through different aspects of society - government, work, banks...we could have gone all night through the different areas. We had both tangible ideas (ending corporate personhood; adjusting current political campaign system; creating a liveable wage; etc) and ideas that truly rock the boat (ending individualism; changing the definition of success; etc).

I left feeling hopeful while skeptical of how immense some of our ideas were. I also felt liberated in the ability to have this conversation and the recognition of our knowledge and power in the situation.

I was pleasantly surprised while reading the newspaper this past Sunday. A few of our proposed changes are already being tried and tested by individuals. There is hope for our society, and a great need for continued imagining.

Star Tribune articles regarding just economic strategies:

"Company Prospers, and so do Workers"

"Serving those with Smaller Nest Eggs"

Interested in continued work on creating a just economy and world? Check out the current events from the Justice Office of the Sisters of St. Joseph

-Elizabeth Fairbairn, St. Joseph Worker & Justice Office Intern

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Breakfast

BUIDING PEACE & UNITY WITHIN

THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY

The 22nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Breakfast main event was held at the Minneapolis Convention Center, with community breakfasts held at four locations in Saint Paul (sponsored by the St. Paul Area Council of Churches) as well as Duluth and River Falls, WI.

The theme was lived powerfully throughout the event, beginning with the reminder that Dr. King spoke often of the "beloved community" in which truth, forgiveness and reconcilliation are alive and well.

Naomi Tutu, third child of Archbishop Desmund Tutu was keynote speaker. In her stirring speech, she repeatedly used the African word "omboto" which means humanity - shared humanity. She encouraged us to follow the guidance of Dr. King whose non-violent work helped guide the people of South Africa peacefully to an end of apartheid in 1993.

MS Tutu reminded us that the "true celebration is not this breakfast, the celebration begins when we step out of these doors and reach for justice."

Community Breakfast: Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, Saint Paul
Cheryl Steeves, Consociate Candidate, Director, Sarah's...an Oasis for Women (pictured above) introduced Sarah's to those present at Mt. Olivet. In celebration more than $600 was collected to be donated to Sarah's.

Andria Canty, Consociate Candidate served on the planning committee and Mari Ann Graham, Consociate, participated in the program inviting all present to carefully consider how each will carry this celebration in our lives and communities.

Posted by Ginger K. Hedstrom, Justice Associate