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THE PHILIPPINES
We have lost brothers, sisters, and friends, and we are in deep grief and sorrow. We are one with their families in this difficult time – for they were also a family to us. Our grief is even greater as the bombing happened at a time when the Holy Mass is being celebrated at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral. Indeed, they have died as martyrs witnessing to their Christian faith as they braved to stay in Jolo despite constant intimidation and risks.
Our sympathy also extends to the men in uniform whose lives were sacrificed in their duty to protect the community. We condemn in the strongest possible terms this treacherous, inhumane, and evil act of violence against the people of Jolo, especially to the Christian community. Such barbaric deed has no place in a civilized society where sacredness of life and human dignity is respected. We therefore implore all concerned authorities to do their utmost duty to bring immediate justice to victims, their families, and the entire community of Jolo who are deeply afflicted by this atrocity.
Over the past decades, our people – Christians, Muslims, and Lumads – have been striving to work together to bring forth harmony, peace, and progress to this land. It is our hope that this tragic incident may not be a source of division therefore, but rather a strong reason to build-up a community that is centered on the values of peace, dialogue, friendship, love, and solidarity that transcends religion, culture, or belief.
Fr. Charlie M. Inzon, OMI,
Provincial Superior,
OMI Province of the Philippines
For nearly a half century, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Migration Week, which provides an opportunity for the Church to highlight the presence and situation of immigrants, refugees, victims, and survivors of human trafficking. The week serves as a time for both prayer and action in support of immigrants and refugees.
Organized by Justice for Immigrants at the U.S. Conference for Catholic Bishops, the theme for this year’s celebration is “Building Communities of Welcome.” It emphasizes our responsibility and opportunity as Catholics to engage and welcome newcomers on their arrival and help to ease their transition into a new life here in the United States. To read more about this observation and to download resources visit Justice for Immigrants’ website or at the link below.
Educational materials and other resources for National Migration Week are available for download at https://justiceforimmigrants.org/take-action/national-migration-week/.
Wishing You God’s Blessings in 2019!
From Us At Missionary Oblates – JPIC
The International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) is Australia’s largest annual mining conference attended by over 6000 mining leaders, policy makers, investors, innovators and educators from over 90 countries. The event this year was held from October 30th to November 1st. The conference presentations centered on exploration, investment, policy, diversity, technology and the future of mining and collaboration.
Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI, participated in multistakeholder conversations on responsible sustainable development that is inclusive and committed to the universal common good, within the People, Projects & Infrastructure track.
The G20 Interfaith Forum took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina from September 26th – 28th, 2018 in advance of the G20 2018. The 2018 theme is “Building Consensus for Fair and Sustainable Development: Religious Contributions for a Dignified Future.”
(The work of the OIP Trust, the Missionary Oblates and the members of the ICCR www.iccr.org was represented on two panels by Rev. Séamus P. Finn OMI)
The Imperatives of Better Governance: Fighting Corruption is a Sine Qua Non for Global Agendas
Panelists from regions throughout the world referenced the teachings of the faith traditions on the ways that corruption is reflected in the lives of individuals and in the institutions and organizations that they rely on each day. It was recognized often in their comments that corruption remains both a deep disorder and disease that operates in all societies across the world.
Generalizations about groups of individuals and specific cultures and particular industry sectors are not very helpful in any analysis of this topic and in fact can be instrumental in profiling and stereotyping groups of people and certain organizations and institutions.
Recent decades have shown a marked breakdown in the trust and confidence that many citizens have in their governments and many customers, clients and investors have in their institutions and organizations. Much of this rupture has been traced to the arrogance, misbehavior and lack of responsiveness of representatives, leaders and managers.
The erosion of this trust and confidence will continue to result in serious consequences for the social bonds that hold a society together and on the many relationships that individuals rely on as they seek to live fulfilling and meaningful lives. The importance of adopting education curricula in all countries that are comprehensive and not hostile to the teachings and experience of faith traditions was emphasized in the formation of individuals and communities that are able to resist the vices that enable and promote corruption.
Religions have an important role to play is helping people and institutions to create and promote cultures that value transparency, accountability and trust while protecting and sustaining institutions that promote the common good and care for Mother Earth, our common home.
Human Rights, Faith and Sustainable Development: Institutional Contributions to Global Priorities.
This panel reviewed the numerous ways that faith traditions have worked to integrate their beliefs and values in the ways that they manage their assets both fixed and liquid. A question that often guides this review is to ask if we know what our money is doing while we sleep or whether our property and institutions are seen as witnessing to the principles that our institutions are founded on. This has often been accomplished by refraining from investments in certain sectors and companies as well as actively engaging the managers of those institutions where investments are held.
The panelists recalled the contributions of the faith traditions to the establishment and expansion of microfinance and microcredit as well as their work on revolving loan funds and community development funds. Much of this work has recently been enhanced by giving priority to “Impact Investing” whereby practitioners are no longer focused on what they want to exclude from their portfolios but on the projects, sectors and funds that they want to support. The Sustainable Development Goals adopted by 193 countries at the UN in 2015 provide a good working framework for those who are committed to “Impact Investing”.
On September 21 Fr Séamus Finn, OMI, visited St Mary’s Star of the Sea, an Oblate parish in the Leith district of Edinburgh, Scotland which falls under the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh. The Oblates have had a missionary presence there since 1849.
September 21 was also the feast day of St Matthew and the day’s schedule included Noon liturgy 
followed by fellowship. Fr. Séamus met with the pastoral team to discuss JPIC issues and programs and to hear about projects the parish is pursuing. They also talked about Faith Consistent Investing and how people of faith, as well as religious institutions, need to continue pushing their financial consultants to help them integrate their beliefs into the investment opportunities and funds that they recommend to them.
St Mary’s Star of the Sea has an active justice, peace and integrity of creation group. They work on practical projects, focusing on a different theme every couple of months. Some of their recent JPIC pursuits include:
- Fairtrade – the parish participated in Fairtrade Fortnight, a two- week annual campaign organized by the Fairtrade Foundation that invites people to consider fair trade options when making purchases, including in the workplace.
- Sanitation –they successfully organized a fundraiser and raised money to purchase 10 latrines for people in a developing country through the humanitarian group Toilet Twinning
The parish also joined Christians worldwide to celebrate the 2018 Season of Creation – www.seasonofcreation.org – which kicked off on September 1 with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. The observance runs from September 1 and ends on October 4, also the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Major Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican organizations have joined to encourage the 2.2 billion Christians worldwide to pray and act on ecological issues.
St Mary’s fairtrade program
St Mary’s Parishioner
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