PARISH SOCIAL MINISTRY
Catholic Charities is reaching out to parishes across the diocese to form a deeper relationship with pastors and the parish families throughout Northwest Florida. A new parish-based program called JustFaith is the vehicle to deepen this relationship and successfully respond to the needs ot the most vulnerable in each region.
JUST FAITH
Our Christian faith and Biblical tradition extend an extraordinary invitation to each of us and our faith communities to become agents of God’s compassion and healing in a wounded world. The Good News of Christ is both a comfort and a promise for the poor and, at the same time, a call to those of us who are not poor to be linked with God’s vision of justice and reconciliation. The Church’s history shines with examples of the courage and commitment of those who dedicated themselves to the needs of their most desperate sisters and brothers.
At JustFaith Ministries we are helping ordinary people become shining examples of this vision within their own communities. We are helping faith communities become shining examples of this vision to the world. Simply put, we are helping to fill the world with humble, faith-filled people who act with courageous justice and love with profound tenderness.
PEACE AND JUSTICE COMMISSION
The works of the Justice and Peace Commission are rooted in Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium. As part of his covenant with the Chosen People, God called them to lift the yoke from the shoulders of the oppressed and to work for justice and peace. In the beatitudes, Jesus bade hid disciples to become peace makers and to serve the poor in spirit.
To fulfill the mandate of the Christian Gospel, one must be committed to prayer and action. “How can a man who is richly clothed turn his back on his brother who has none?” (James 3:15)
The ministry of Justice and Peace is substantially linked to the tradition of Catholic Social Teaching as advanced from Pope Leo XIII to Pope John Paul II.
Our Vision: To develop solidarity for human dignity throughout the diocesan area.
Our Mission: To strive for every Catholic community to know, to affirm and to act on the social dimensions of the Gospel.
We endeavor to achieve this through short term and ongoing actions of:
- Education
- Communication
- Evangelization
- Organization
In collaboration and partnership with organizations such as The Department of Social Development and World Peace of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, The Roundtable (The National Association of Diocesan Social Action Directors), Social Justice Network, Pax Christi, Bread for the World, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida, activities under the above actions will be periodically reviewed and amended as currency of Justice and Peace issues would be appropriate.
Let not your heart be troubled.
John xiv. 1.