Faith requires us to serve inside
and outside our parish

By Kim Wadas

	Kim Wadas

In July I attended the 21st annual Social Action Summer Institute at Marquette University, hosted by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. This annual event, sponsored by several national Catholic organizations including Catholic Charities USA, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the national association for Diocesan Social Action Directors, unites people within the church dedicated to furthering justice, human dignity, and the common good.

Conference attendees usually work for parish or diocesan offices that develop programs, events, and activities designed to advance the principles of Catholic teaching through social action.

Like me, many of the participants were new staff attending their first Summer Institute. We attended Track 1, a professional development track that focused on the fundamentals of Catholic social teaching.

The week started with theologians reviewing the teaching of the Catholic Church and its foundational concept: Every person has a unique dignity as a creation in God's image. From this human dignity flows a host of rights and duties that all members of society possess, regardless of background, education or faith. As Catholics, our duty is to protect and promote these rights for all.

There was also a second track of workshops for "veterans" of the Institute. Track 2 traditionally concentrates each year on a different area of public policy relevant to the church's social action focus. This year, Track 2 focused on "Climate Change and Care of God's Creation." Attendees learned how changes in the environment are affecting children's health around the world, and how minor changes in climate are severely affecting the work of farmers, fishermen and others, in addition to the environment.

The track system ended after the first few days. Participants then chose from a host of workshops concentrating on topics that included increasing parish and diocesan participation in social action activities and working with other faith-based groups and organizations. Many workshops explained how to better engage various groups within the church, such as Latinos or teens, and how to foster cooperation among different advocacy groups within the church, such as those engaged in pro-life and pro-justices activities.

Conference participants heard individuals' social action success stories. We heard from those who live their faith by fostering programs that assist farmers, immigrants, the poor, single-parent families, individuals with disabilities, the incarcerated and newly released, and the hungry. Each workshop included time for questions, and many involved a review of best practices to assist those new to social action departments. Participants further shared their faith throughout the week in daily Mass, Morning Prayer, social events and meals.

At the Social Action Summer Institute, I was reminded that our faith requires that we serve those both inside and outside our parish community: To do as we are commanded at the end of every Mass - to "go in peace to love and serve the Lord."

I met people at the parish, diocesan, state, and national levels who have devoted their lives to promoting the common good. Their example and instruction left me, and everyone who attended, better equipped to deal with the difficulties that arise when facing this daunting task.

I encourage those interested in learning how to better advance the social ministry of the church to consider attending the Social Action Summer Institute next year in Atlanta.

(Wadas is associate director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, the civil arm of the state's five diocesan bishops.)