Bending the Arc

March 25 is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. 

The racialized system of enslavement brutally dehumanized Africans and their descendants for centuries. Its legacy persists to this day. You are invited to take some time to view the short 2023 video messages from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the address by Professor Bryan Stevenson on reckoning with the legacy of slavery and creating a new era of liberation, justice and truth that our world desperately needs.  

On a trip to New York in February 2023, Justice Coordinator, Tracy Abler, visited the Ark of Return memorial on the United Nations Visitors Plaza. This was dedicated on March 25, 2015 and serves as a permanent memorial to the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, which the UN has acknowledged as one of the most horrific tragedies of modern history. Tracy will be in New York again on March 25 and hopes to visit the memorial again in honor of the 9-year anniversary of its installation.

The second annual ‘International Day of Zero Waste’ on March 30 highlights the importance of sustainable production and consumption practices.

The second annual International Day of Zero Waste on March 30 highlights the need to increase waste management globally and recognize the importance of sustainable production and consumption practices. We need to view waste as a resource, recovering materials as much as possible and reducing extraction of limited natural resources. Zero waste initiatives help achieve Goal 11 and Goal 12 of the UN’s Sustainable Development agenda. These goals address all forms of waste including food loss and waste, natural resource extraction and electronic waste.

2024 ‘Water for Peace’ theme hopes to create a positive ripple effect.

Rooted in the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, World Water Day celebrates freshwater and raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. It is all about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. This year’s theme is ‘Water for Peace’, which focuses on the critical role water plays in the stability and prosperity of the world. When water is scarce or polluted, or when people have limited or unequal access, tensions can rise between communities and countries. More than 3 billion people worldwide depend on water that crosses national borders. Yet, out of 153 countries that share rivers, lakes and aquifers with their neighbors, only 24 countries report having cooperation agreements for all their shared water.

Explore resources to learn more and promote engagement.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on March 21.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination commemorated the tragic day in 1960 when police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid. In 1979, the UN General Assembly decided that a week of solidarity with the peoples struggling against racism and racial discrimination should be organized annually in all States (3/21-3/27). Learn more.

Three years ago, UNESCO created this video. It still calls us to:” Read. Observe. Learn. Listen. Keep Quiet is not an option. Take Action!”

In this divided and wounded world, recognizing and addressing systemic racism and racial bias is essential if we are to witness and reveal the oneness for which Jesus Christ was sent. The School Sisters of Notre Dame offer links to other dismantling racism resources.

The March issue of the Alliance to End Human Trafficking’s anti-trafficking newsletter focuses on how child labor and human trafficking taint fish and fish products.

Being disconnected from where our food comes from can leave us unaware of how human trafficking and child forced labor are part of providing what is on our plate. This is especially true when it comes to the fish we eat. Read the stories in the March Issue of the Stop Trafficking Newsletter.

CSA Sisters and Associates celebrated Catholic Sisters Week and Women’s History Month all at once by seeing “Cabrini.”

The movie “Cabrini” chronicles the life and work of Francesca Cabrini, an Italian immigrant nun, who founded one of the largest charitable organizations in the world, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She was also the first U.S. citizen to be canonized by the Catholic Church on July 7, 1946.

Cabrini opened in 2,600 theaters nationwide on Friday, March 8, which was also International Women’s Day. Several CSA Sisters and Associates enjoyed dinner and a movie outing to watch the film together. Sister Diane Bauknecht shares her thoughts on the movie:

“The Cabrini movie is a powerful testimony to the life of a sickly woman who heard and followed a call to serve those in need. The film portrays the inner strength of St. Frances Cabrini who was dauntless in her commitment to improve the lives of children, many of whom were orphaned. Her inner strength superseded the frailty of her body when she persisted against both church and civil authorities who reluctantly/grudgingly gave their approval to her enormous projects.

The only weakness I perceived in the film is that it did not seem to show what sustained Mother Cabrini’s tenacious durability. Only once, at the end, did it show Mother Cabrini in prayer. I suspect that was an oversight because she surely must have found her strength in a Power beyond herself.”  

In a March 11 article by Samantha Smith in Black Catholic Messenger, she shares two themes that stood out most in the film. “The first is how Cabrini’s story feels as true to today’s world as it did in her time. While the cultures of today’s immigrants are different, there are continued efforts from American citizens and government leadership to cast them out of the country and ignore their human dignity. However, America was founded on the idea of immigration—that no matter where you come from, you can come here and live a happy and prosperous life.

"The second is how Church leadership has not always been on the right side of progress or the needs of its community. The archbishop in the film plays the 'safe' route—determined not to stir the pot or anger the mayor. And while Pope Leo XIII eventually supports Cabrini and her mission, he didn’t start out that way in the film. As lay Catholics, we can empathize with Cabrini’s challenges to the Church, to push it closer to its mission of helping those in need. Her story serves as motivation to continue that work now.”

You can read the full article here.

If you’ve seen the movie and would like to share your experience, please add a comment to this post!

National Farmworker Awareness Week is March 25-31. It is a call to action for communities to help raise awareness of the millions of essential workers that plant, raise, grow, handle, harvest, pack and ship the food we consume. It emphasizes the important and essential contributions they make to the food supply chain. You are invited to take time to read this very inspiring article about the Fair Food Program and the difference it is making for farm workers. Additional resources for awareness building and engagement are available from the Equitable Food Initiative and on the National Farm Worker Ministry website.

Click here for prayer resources.

In her introduction to UNANIMA International (UI)'s quarterly newsletter, Executive Director, Jean Quinn, DW shares this reflection: 

“March brings us a tapestry of cultural celebrations worldwide, from the colorful Holi in India and Nepal, to the green festivities of St. Patrick’s Day, and the empowering Women's Day. These celebrations help our global community to embrace unity, diversity, and renewal through these joyful events. International Women’s Day, which serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle for women’s rights and achievements. Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias and discrimination.

UNANIMA International, with NGOs, Civil Society, the UN, and Member States can and must work together in the following key areas that need action:

Investing in women, a human rights issue

Ending Poverty and Homelessness for women and girls

Implementing gender-responsive financing

Shifting to a green economy and care society

As an organization, UNANIMA International-with 25 communities of women in over 100 countries working at the grassroots-are committed to making sure women and girls everywhere are not left behind. Throughout 2024, UI will continue to celebrate women of courage locally and internationally, who have taken the lead to sho9w the importance of the need to change and good practices.

We honor and celebrate all our UI Women at the grassroots, nationally, and internationally.

Sincerely,

Jean”

Read the newsletter online to learn the many ways UI is making a difference.

CSA is one of the 25 member congregations in UNANIMA International. Justice Coordinator, Tracy Abler, represents the congregation on the Board of Directors. The Board will be meeting in New York later this month and request your prayers for safe travels, guidance in planning, and health and energy to carry out the mission.

This election, faith-filled voters have the opportunity to choose community over chaos. This April and May, join NETWORK Advocates from across the country for a four-part series to dig deeper into what it means to be a multi-issue Catholic voter, learn strategies to engage people in challenging conversations and build hope-filled narratives that inspire people to care about important issues, and explore concrete actions you can take to influence the election.

You’ll notice that each workshop session has multiple time slots–you only need to sign up for one since the content will be repeated. You do not have to sign up for the same time slot each week. It is hoped that you can attend all four workshops in the series, but your participation is welcomed in any! REGISTER HERE.

Watch NETWORK’s February 2024 Policy Update: Choosing Community Over Chaos

Join Women for Women International’s art competition between now and March 18 for a chance to win a goodie bag and a voucher to get yourself more art supplies! 

How to Enter: 

• Create a piece of art on the theme #SheDares. You can use any creative medium you’d like.
• Enter a post on social media and share what the piece means to you - who or what inspired your art?
• Submit your piece by March 18, 2024.
• The winner will be announced on March 29.

LEARN MORE HERE.

Not an artist? There are many other ways you can celebrate this month. View this page to read stories, register to attend virtual events, receive book recommendations or tune into podcasts.

In honor of Women’s History Month, CSA’s JPIC Office made a donation to Women for Women International to help women struggling to regain their lives and their dignity as they recover from the ravages of war. You can also make a donation here.

According to a newly released report, conservatives and liberals agree on how to restore trust in our elections.

Braver Angels began a campaign in October 2022 to build trust in the integrity of our elections. Last month, a report of their results was published and is now being disseminated. You can help get the word out in a number of ways. These suggestions and the full report or a summary of it can be found here. 

In short, the report focuses on three principles: 

1. Voting should be easy. Cheating should be hard. 
2. “Every citizen should have an equal say in who will govern them; this is done through free and fair elections. 
3. The American government will fail if candidates refuse to accept any outcome other than victory.

Matthew 25: Ministries in Blue Ash, Ohio helps the poorest of the poor and disaster victims throughout the United States and around the world. They accept monetary donations and product donations of misprinted, slightly damaged, over-stocked or gently used supplies from corporations, organizations and individuals nationwide.

Since March 2023, Matthew 25: Ministries has been accepting donations of empty plastic pill bottles for inclusion in shipments of medical supplies. Their pill bottle program fulfills the dual needs of improving medical care in developing countries and caring for our environment. Learn what is acceptable and how donations are handled here: m25m.org/pillbottles/

Looking for other ideas to reuse your pill bottles at home? A search on Etsy will provide ideas for reusing your bill bottles to hold anything from Q-tips to M&Ms, match sticks to paint brushes.

Of course, we are all challenged to avoid single use plastics whenever possible, and start converting our household items to plastic-free packaging. What’s the problem with plastics? Aside from an aggravating reminder of our wasteful society, plastic is a growing hazard to our health and the environment. Read this short article or any of the ones listed below:

1. Sam Meredith, "Just 20 companies are responsible for over half of 'throwaway' plastic waste, study says," CNBC, May 18, 2021.
2. Hannah Ritchie, Veronika Samborska and Max Roser, "Plastic Pollution," Our World in Data, last accessed February 19, 2024.
3. Justine Calma, "Amazon generates millions of pounds of plastic waste," The Verge, December 15, 2020.
4. Steve Mufson, "Amazon plastic use soared in 2020, environmental group says," The Washington Post, December 15, 2021.
5. "2023 Global Brand Audit: The Coca-Cola Company is once again the top global plastic polluter," Break Free From Plastic, February 7, 2024.
6. Holly Thompson, Steve Blackledge and Matt Casale, "The Whole Foods Plastic Problem," PIRG, March 2, 2023.
7. Jenn Engstrom, "Statement: Amazon to phase out single-use plastic padded shipping bags," PIRG, July 19, 2023.
8. "Costco makes new commitments to reduce plastic use," PIRG, October 12, 2023.
9. "Chick-fil-A's new chicken sandwich shouldn't come with a side of plastic waste," PIRG, August 16, 2023.

Follow PIRG's Beyond Plastic page for ongoing updates and action ideas. 

In Fall 2020, the Black Catholic Messenger was formed among a group of Black Catholic laypeople and allies who agreed that the Catholic media landscape was missing something: an online publication for Black Catholics. They decided to change that.

Visit their website to enjoy a variety of Opinions, Events, Poetry, Reviews and more or enjoy a subscription at blackcatholicmessenger.org

The CSA JPIC Office recently made a small donation to support the mission of Black Catholic Messenger (BCM) and the many services that help bring Black Catholic media to the world. 

Additionally, National Catholic Reporter has designated a page to BCM stories, which can be found here: www.ncronline.org/authors/black-catholic-messenger

Outreach is an LGBTQ Catholic resource that offers news, essays, resources, and community for LGBTQ Catholics and those who minister with them in the Catholic Church worldwide.

The Outreach website features original articles from theologians, scholars, church leaders, family members and many others, both lay and clergy. It also provides information about our conferences and gatherings.

Outreach operates under the auspices of America Media, a Jesuit ministry, and is rooted in the love of Jesus, who reached out to all those who felt excluded. James Martin, S.J. is the editor at large at America Media and founder of Outreach. He is also a consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication and a member of the Synod of Bishops. Learn more at https://outreach.faith/

The CSA JPIC Office made a small donation to Outreach to support their work. You can, too!

17,000 children of Gaza have been orphaned or separated from their parents.

You are invited to watch a short video of 11-year-old, Dareen al-Bayaa. As you consider her suffering and the suffering of other children, also reflect on the thousands of innocents killed and the million plus people displaced living in poverty and at risk of famine and disease. 

This is far beyond too much. Our hearts and their spirit challenge us to stay vigilant with our prayers and calls to stop the violence. Our message must not waver. Silence the weapons, now. Bring in the aid and take care of the displaced, now. Secure freedom for the captives and do the hard work of negotiating a just peace, now.

The U.S. has a particular responsibility to make sure this gets done. You are invited to use the SSND Voter Voice tool to urge President Biden and members of Congress to do all they can to stop the bloodshed and move all involved to a just and lasting peace. Letters to the editor are also an effective tool for communicating messages. Click here for assistance in putting one together.

On March 4, Vice President Kamala Harris demanded an immediate ceasefire to allow for humanitarian efforts. Some criticize her message as long overdue, watered down, and hypocritical as the U.S. continues to provide Israel with military aid. What do you think? What are you planning to do about it?

International Forests Day is March 21. This year’s theme is Forests and Innovation - New Solutions for a Better World.

Learn more about the Collaborative Partnership on Forests’ vision for meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.