News

Program promotes change

By Heather Chrudimsky
Compass Correspondent

Living justly What: JustFaith, a small-group program of prayer, reading, viewing videos, discussions, retreats and visits to social action ministries to increase awareness of Catholic Social Teaching. When: 30 weekly sessions Where: Participating parishes Sponsor: JustFaith Ministries with the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services Cost: $250 for a parish, includes planning materials and e-mail and telephone support Information: Br. Steve Herro, O.Praem., diocesan social concerns consultant and director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development; (920)272-8299 or 1-877-500-3580, ext 8299; or sherro@gbdioc.org.

What responsibility do Catholics have for those who are less fortunate? How do we become a people who really care for and act on behalf of the poor and the vulnerable?

To help members of St. Thomas the Apostle in Newton answer those questions, the parish is offering JustFaith, an adult faith formation program emphasizing church teaching on social justice.

The aim is to "empower them to become voices for the voiceless and agents of change in an unjust world," said Jean Rausch, St. Thomas parishioner and JustFaith co-facilitator.

"We come to a point in our lives where we try to determine what the next step is with our faith," Rausch said. "JustFaith helps you simplify your life - both physically and emotionally. It can also help you reexamine your lifestyle and reform your faith."

JustFaith combines prayer, reading, viewing, discussions, retreats and visits to social action ministries to increase their understanding of social justice, said Br. Steve Herro, O.Praem., the Green Bay Diocese's social concerns consultant.

In addition to 30 weekly meetings, participants take part in "border crossing experiences" - typically, face-to-face contact with people on the margins of society.

Rausch said "the program helps each participant look at several questions, including: Who is God? What is my role as a Christian in the world today? What is the responsibility of Catholics towards the poor? How do we become people who really care for and act on behalf of the poor and vulnerable?"

St. Thomas parishioners became interested in JustFaith after hearing Jack Jezreel, national director of JustFaith.

That is typical, Br. Herro said. "Dioceses or individual parishes often fly him in for a one-day presentation to explain the program to parishioners interested in starting JustFaith groups."

The Green Bay Diocese is working to have Jezreel speak Oct. 6-7 at the Gathering at St. Norbert College, Br. Herro said. "I was fortunate to spend a few days with Jack Jezreel at the Social Action Summer Institute in July 2005."

"One of my favorite Jezreel quotes is: 'I am sick and tired of the tyranny of low expectations!'," Br. Herro said. "JustFaith is living proof that committed adult Catholics are hungry for substantive formation in our Catholic social tradition. When participants commit to three retreats, reading about 13 books, and two hours of discussions and faith sharing for 30 weeks, you know that people are searching for something extra in their faith lives."

JustFaith is offered in hundreds of U.S. parishes, but St. Thomas the Apostle in Newton is the first parish in the Green Bay Diocese to participate. Both St. Matthew in Green Bay and St. Bernard in Appleton are considering starting JustFaith.

At Newton, there are 12 JustFaith participants - the optimal sized group - ranging in age from 40 to 80, Rausch said. "We have people from all walks of life - nurses, teachers, homemakers and a former police officer, among others."

"JustFaith places a heavy emphasis on group conversation and community building," Rausch said. "If a group size get too large, the ability of a group either to bond or to include everyone in the conversation is much more difficult."

Because of that, some parishes form two JustFaith groups rather than one large group, Rausch said.

The Newton group is about halfway through the program and should have their final retreat at the end of May. The first half of JustFaith program focused on local issues - helping with Habitat for Humanity in Manitowoc and the NEW Community Shelter in Green Bay.

The Newton JustFaith group spent part of a weekend retreat at the Norbertine Spirituality Center and at the NEW Community Shelter where they learned how the shelter works, helped serve meals and listened to stories of the people there, Rausch said.

The next part of the program will focus on world issues and will include a speaker discussing his recent trip to Haiti and the life of Haitians, she said.

"Doing something creates a much deeper understanding about a problem then just giving money," Rausch said. "I have become much more aware of the great differences between our way of life and those who struggle with poverty, and what our Catholic faith calls us to do about it."

The Green Bay Diocese bought the JustFaith videos for use in parishes. The documentary videos explore issues related to poverty, world development and immigration.

Books used in JustFaith include Crossing the Racial Divide, Unexpected News, Toward a Spirituality for Global Justice, Cloud of Witness and Challenge and Spirituality of Catholic Social Teaching.

"You really get in emotionally with the books," Rausch said.

Br. Herro is available as a resource person to help parishes set up their groups and plan and conduct JustFaith retreats and other activities.

"I am happy to help individual JustFaith groups in whatever way that I can," Br. Herro said. JustFaith "provides a theological foundation for adult Catholics on the Catholic social tradition. Many persons have not tapped this area of knowledge. It builds a sense of community for a parish's social justice seekers" and helps build social justice leadership in parishes.

As co-facilitators, Rausch said, she and parishioner Karen Vater are not experts. "We are learning too," Rausch said. "Learning along with the others in this program helped me to understand issues easier. It provided an experience of a faith community that I had been seeking for a long time."

Rausch hopes St. Thomas will start another JustFaith group after this one ends. She writes weekly reflections on JustFaith for the parish bulletin so parishioners can keep track of what the group talked about at its weekly meetings and what they got from their readings and videos.

"We have been marketing it," Rausch said. "There have been many questions. The hardest part is making the commitment, but after awhile it becomes just another part of your weekly schedule."