3450 West Ray Road
Chandler, AZ 85226
(480) 899-1990

• home
• mass times
• location
• bulletin
• calendar
• help wanted
• donate

Social Ministry

Parish Social Ministry at St. Andrew the Apostle supports the integration of Catholic Social Teachings into all ministries and parish life by providing resources, training and information.

Principles of Catholic Social Teaching Made Simple

• All people are holy, made in the image of God.
• People are both holy and social; when one suffers, we all suffer.
• People have a basic right to life, food, shelter, health care, education and work.
• The "Jesus" test of a community or society is how it treats its neediest members.
• Money, work and business exist to serve people, not the other way around.
• We are called to work for justice for all people.
• We care for God's creation.

Bi-National Posada

Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 3:00 PM
Mariposa Port of Entry, (Exit 189—truck port of entry)
Download the flyer

La Posada will take place on the Mexico side of the Port. A festive meal will follow the Posada with prayers and songs. Members of St. Andrew the Apostle Parish will carpool. Families are welcome. If you are interested in participating or need more information, contact Cathy Olds 480-899-1990, ext. 130 /cathy.olds@standrew-cfc.org or Lisa Laliberte, Diocese of Phoenix—602-354-2125/ llaliberte@diocesephoenix.org.

Just Faith Ministries

JustFaith is an opportunity for parishioners to experience a spiritual journey into compassion. It provides a lively and challenging format to read, discuss, pray, experience and be formed by the our Catholic justice tradition that changes lives, inspires faithful witness, and transforms the world through love and service.  This program is now offered in hundreds of parishes across the country and will be offered here at St. Andrew the Apostle beginning in January 2010 if a few more parishioners will join us. JustFaith Ministries works in partnership with the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services.  You can read more about JustFaith on the web site at www.justfaith.org.

Voices that Challenge

Peace

…justice, right reason, and the recognition of man's dignity cry out insistently for a cessation to the arms race. The stock-piles of armaments which have been built up in various countries must be reduced all round and simultaneously by the parties concerned. Nuclear weapons must be banned. A general agreement must be reached on a suitable disarmament program, with an effective system of mutual control.
— Pope John XXIII, Peace on Earth – 1963 encyclical.

• Read Baltimore Archbishop Edwin O'Brien's address at the 2009 Deterrence Symposium, 7/29/2009
• Read the US Bishop's 1983 Pastoral Letter The Challenge of Peace
• Papal encyclicals, and the Pope's World Day of Peace messages are available at www.vatican.va
• Suggested books include:
  • Chacour, Elias — Blood Brothers: The Unforgettable Story of a Palestinian Christian Working For Peace in Israel, Chosen Books 2003
  • Ferguson, John — The Politics of Love: The New Testament and Nonviolent Revolution Fellowship of Reconciliation, Surry, England 1977
  • Dear, John — Put down Your Sword: Answering the Gospel Call to Creative Nonviolence Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2008

Migration

Christian commitment to immigrants draws strength from Christ's love, which is Good News for all human beings. Thus, the Church works to ensure that every person's dignity is respected, the immigrant is welcomed as a brother or sister, and all humanity forms a united family which knows how to appreciate with discernment the different cultures which comprise it.  Jesus reminded us "I was a stranger, and you welcomed me."
— Pope John Paul II, Message for World Migration Day, 2000.

• Read the US Bishop's Letter – Strangers No Longer – published in 2003 or Bishop Olmsted's immigration letter, You Welcomed Me at the Diocese of Phoenix website.
• Read about the five principles of immigration reform from the U.S. Bishops.
• Other resources can be found at Catholic Charities AZ and Justice for Immigrants.

Poverty

From a Judeo-Christian perspective, poverty means that the covenant with God has been ruptured.  Our relationship with God is not in right order, and the injustice of poverty and extreme inequality cries out for change.  Among the moral values that should govern our analysis of poverty are the following: human dignity, the common good, human rights, and the option for the poor.

'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'
— Matthew 25: 40

• Visit Catholic Charities USA to find publications about poverty in the U.S.

Things You Can do to Address Poverty

1. Pray for those whose lives are impacted by poverty.
2. Use scripture to deepen your understanding of poverty.
3. Familiarize yourself with Catholic social teachings on the poor.
4. Educate yourself about poverty in your community and in the United States.  Read Poverty in America: A Threat to the Common Good and other facts.

Social Justice Web Links

• Diocese of Phoenix, Office of Peace and Justice assists parish and school communities in understanding and acting on Catholic social teaching.
• Information and links to the Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform sponsored by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
• Two thousand Catholics and other people of faith have gathered in over 40 states to develop a Platform for the Common Good that articulates shared principles about building a culture of life, promoting economic justice and peace, establishing foreign policy rooted in global solidarity and caring for God's creation. The Platform was ratified on July 12, 2008 in Philadelphia during the Convention for the Common Good.
• Equal Exchange offers fair trade coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa and snacks.
• Catholic Relief Services provides information and resources on relief work around the world.
• Office of Social Justice for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and  Minneapolis
• Catholic Campaign for Human Development.
• Bread for the World Institute provides policy analysis on hunger and strategies to end it. The Institute educates its advocacy network, opinion leaders, policy makers and the public about hunger in the United States and abroad.
• Network, a Catholic leader in the global movement for justice and peace educates, organizes and lobbies for economic and social transformation.
• Word & World is a school, a celebration, a movement. Through week-long gatherings, each rooted in a different city, this "moveable institute" seeks to provide education, training, and capacity-building for Christian disciples dedicated to the work of social transformation.
• The Community of Saint Egidio.
• Catholic Charities USA Campaign To Reduce Poverty – Poverty in America is a moral and social crisis that threatens the health and well-being of our country.  It's time to renew our commitment to action on behalf of the poor and vulnerable.
• Justice section of the online Theology Library of Spring Hill College includes documents on social issues from the Vatican and U.S. Bishops as well as articles on social issues.