St. Ignatius Martyr Parish

About Us

JustFaith is a conversion-based process that seeks to integrate personal spirituality and social ministry. The aim of JustFaith is to empower participants to develop a passion and thirst for justice and, after the program, to express this passion in concrete acts of parish social ministry. JustFaith is a tool that has proven across the country to be an effective strategy for training and forming parishioners to be agents of social transformation.

JustFaith involves a substantial commitment. Participants will involve themselves in a process that includes 30 weekly sessions, two retreats, and four hands-on experiences. In addition, participants are expected to do 2 to 4 hours of reading each week. The program asks a lot. Just like the Gospel. Participants should come ready for the possibility of change.

JustFaith is sponsored by Catholic Charities USA and partially funded by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and Catholic Relief Services.

Mission Statement

As members of the St. Ignatius, Martyr, JustFaith community, we choose to follow Jesus by promoting the need for social justice. Guided by the Holy Scriptures and Catholic social teaching, our journey will be led by prayer and faith; motivated by solidarity, advocacy, and by the love of God and God's people; and nourished by education and direct service to those in need. We will follow the teachings and example of Jesus regarding the excluded / marginalized, the poor and the oppressed. We will use our energies to enhance the commitment of our parish and our civic community to social justice.

We will strive to ignite the parish community into action with us as we:

• give preference to the poor and those who live on the margins of society;
• pray for guidance and strength to meet the challenges of the gospel;
• educate ourselves and our fellow parishioners about the need for justice and the social mission of the Catholic Church;
• stand with those who are oppressed and help them meet their own needs;
• organize effort to help our fellow parishioners put into practice their commitment to social justice;
• act directly to serve the oppressed and those in need of justice;
• advocate for those who have no voice or whose voices are not heard, and change our lifestyles to better reflect these values identified within our mission statement.

Books

• "Doing Faith Justice"
  by Fred Krammer, S.J.
• "We Make the Road by Walking"
  edited by Ann Butwell, Kathy Ogle, Scott Wright
• "The Powers that Be"
  by Walter Wink
• " Ghandhi the Man: The Story of his Transformation"
  by Eknath Easwaran

The following books have a series of questions or a study guide that can be used by Small Christian Communities or other groups interested in deepening your understanding of the Social Justice issues:

• "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger"
  by Ronal J. Sider
• "Prophetic Imagination"
  by Walter Brueggman
• "St. Francis and the Foolishness of God"
  by Marie Dennis, Cynthia Moe-Lobeda Joseph Nagle O.F.M. Stuart Tayler
• "Unexpected News"
  by Robert McAfee Brown
• "Simple Living, Compassionate Life: A Christian Perspective"
  edited and compiled by Michael Schutt

Pamphlets and Statements of Leadership Groups
on Social Justice Issues

Many of the following pamphlets have study guides or questions that can be used by Small Christian Communities and others.

Parish Materials on Justice and Peace

Publications of Catholic Campaign For Human Development
Faith and Human Development Series

• Novena for Justice and Peace
• Way of The Cross for Justice and Peace
• A Justice Prayer Book with Biblical Reflections
• Scriptural Guide
• A Scriptural Rosary for Justice and Peace

Sharing the Tradition Shaping the Future Series

• A Faith Sharing Experience for Christian Communities
• Family, Community, and Participation
• Dignity of the Human Person - Empowerment and Life
• Preferential Option for the Poor
• Solidarity with the Poor

• Principles, Prophecy, and a Pastoral Response - An overview of Modern Catholic Social Teaching
• Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration - A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice
• U.S. Catholic Bishops Statement on Capital Punishment
• The Parish - A People A Mission A Structure
• Communities of Salt and Light
  Parish Resource Manual

Reflections on the Social Mission of the Parish

• Excerpts from Sharing Catholic Social Teaching - Challenges and Directions

Reflections of the U. S. Catholic Bishops Publication of the Holy Cross International Justice Office

• Perspectives - Winter 2002
• Index of the Issue
  Free Trade: A Costly Illusion
  Fixing the Scales: A Theological Reflection
  El Salvador: Monitoring Curbs Labor Abuses
  Indian Farmers - Free Market Casualties
  Kashipur Tribals Resist Displacement
  The Globalization of Resistance
  The WTO in Doha: Development or Disaster?
  Free Trade's "Alphabet Soup"
  What can we do?
  Resources
• Conference of Major Superiors of Men - Justice and Peace