Sacred Justice
“We strive to build relationships with our sisters and brothers to advocate for sacred justice for all people.” This is the mission statement for Sacred Justice, a parish committee formed in 2022. Sacred Justice focuses on changing unjust laws through legislative advocacy, working with other community organizations and areas such as the Floreciente neighborhood, the City of Moline, and the local school boards.
We begin each meeting with the following prayer:
“My parish is composed of people like me. I help make it what it is.
It will be friendly, if I am. It will be holy, if I am.
Its pews will be filled, if I fill them. It will do great work, if I work.
It will be prayerful, if I pray.
It will make generous gifts to many causes, if I am a generous giver.
It will bring others into its worship, if I invite and bring them.
It will be a parish of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and faith, of compassion, charity, and mercy, if I, who make it what it is, am filled with these things.
It will be filled with God’s Holy Spirit, if I am filled with the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, with the help of God, I now dedicate myself to the task of being all the things that I want my parish to be. Amen”
The Sacred Justice committee meets on the second Wednesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. We invite anyone interested in working for a just society to join us.
We are offering Good News People this summer/fall. It is a 14-week program that focuses on the problems of many people today and what our Church teaches us in response to current issues, such as homelessness, lack of health care, access to education, racism, etc. But most importantly, it is based in scripture and prayer. What does Jesus tell us about the issues we face today? Watch the bulletin for more information regarding this upcoming program.
Here are some of the reasons committee members participate in Sacred Justice:
“…what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me” Matthew 25:45. Sacred Justice is the way I can advocate for the needs of others.
Christie Coverdill
Grassroots and community action are terms I equate with the mission of the Sacred Justice Committee. Mother Teresa once said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across water to create many ripples.” I am grateful to be part of a collective voice to advocate for the needs of people in our community. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I am confident there will be “ripples.”
Janet Hunt
Sacred Justice here at Sacred Heart Parish gives me the opportunity to work with other like-minded parishioners to help carry out Jesus’ call to address the unjust issues which we are all facing. Working for social justice is following Jesus’ teachings to each of us.
Anne Lilius
“Throughout the New Testament, Jesus talks about the poor, the disenfranchised, those who are in need and without, (the widow, orphan, and stranger) and calls us to be in relationship with them, to reach out and offer hope. Sacred Heart has many charitable outreaches, but this committee is focused on legislative advocacy. I want to help change unjust laws, to be a voice for the voiceless.”
Barb Roedel
If you have any questions, feel free to contact any committee member. Please prayerfully consider joining us on Wednesday, June 14, at 6:00 p.m. in Culemans Hall.