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The Cry of the Earth is the Cry of the Poor: the New Faces of Poverty August 4th, 2017
*Event will be streamed live on St. Paul University’s website. Stay tuned for more information.
The Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC) offices of OMI USA and OMI Lacombe Canada are pleased to invite you to attend a Symposium entitled “The Cry of the Earth is the Cry of the Poor, the New Faces of Poverty.”
This event will be held on Wednesday, August 30th, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m:
St Paul University
223 Main St.
Laframboise building Rm 120
Ottawa, CANADA
It will be an opportunity to engage in the work of the Church and the Oblate order to tackle poverty and fight for social justice and environmental protection.
The day will include panel discussions entitled:
- Oblates are called today to embrace the new faces of the poor
- “Evangelii Gaudium” and “Laudato Si” as a true ecological and social approach to the new faces of poverty
- Responses to the demands of the new faces of the poor from the spirituality of “Laudato Si”
The presentations will highlight the relationships between poverty, ecology and climate change, the quality of the social condition and the responsibility and role of the church and other religious groups in promoting social justice.
There will be formal opportunities for questions and discussion.It would be an honor for us, if you could join us for this important event.
Note: There is no cost to attend this event; however donations will be accepted. Parking is limited and available at $10 for the day and lunch will be provided.
DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAM SCHEDULE HERE
Visit St. Paul University’s website.
July 30, 2017 is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons July 27th, 2017
Every year, millions of children, women and men fall into the hands of traffickers, lured by fake promises and deceit. Human trafficking has become a global multi-billion-dollar enterprise, affecting nearly every country in the world.
On the 2017 World Day against Trafficking in Persons, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) calls on all to ‘act to protect and assist trafficked persons.’ The theme highlights the impact of conflict and natural disasters and the multiple risks of human trafficking that many people face. It addresses a key issue concerning trafficking responses: that most people are never identified as trafficking victims and therefore cannot access most of the assistance or protection provided.
On the 2017 World Day against Trafficking in Persons remember the victims of this crime and show your support.
Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Learn more about the issue at this anti-trafficking website.
In her book Stolen, Katariina (Kat) Rosenblatt, Phd, writes about her personal experience of being a survivor of sex trafficking, her escape and subsequent work with American children.
Read a book review I Have a Voice – Trafficked Women – in their own words by Mary O’Herron
Visit the UN Office on Drugs and Crime for more information and ways to get involved
Missionary Oblates Join National Catholic Campaign To End The Use Of The Death Penalty July 18th, 2017
The Missionary Oblates JPIC office has joined and signed a Pledge to Educate, Advocate and Pray for an end to the use of the death penalty in the United States. The National Catholic Campaign To End The Use Of The Death Penalty calls on Catholic faithful and organizations to promise to Educate, Advocate and Pray for an end to the use of the death penalty.
The pledge drive is organized by the Catholic Mobilizing Network as part of the United States Catholic Bishops Conference. Catholic Bishops were among the first to sign the National Catholic Pledge to End the Death Penalty during the launch in May 2017.
The Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty is part of the Missionary Oblates JPIC Consistent Life initiative. In this campaign, JPIC office provides resources and faithful action suggestions to Oblates and associates reflecting the teaching of the Catholic Church to end the use of the death penalty in the United States.
In response to Pope Francis’s call, pledge to educate, advocate, and pray for the end of the death penalty. Get more information at National Catholic Pledge to End the Death Penalty here:
https://catholicsmobilizing.org/action/pledge
U.S Oblate Novices Support Garden Fundraiser & Concert at La Vista July 18th, 2017
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Pictures from the 2017 Pollinator Garden Fundraiser/Concert, Godfrey, IL |
La Vista is a part of Oblate Ecological Initiative, a ministry of the US Oblates Province efforts on priority for the Integrity of Creation.
The pollinator garden is one of three restoration projects of La Vista. It aims to offset threats to the monarch butterfly migration, assure a diverse food source throughout the season, and provide herbicide-free nectar for a variety of pollinators.
The pollinator garden was created in 2014 in response to threats to the monarch butterfly migration and bee colony collapse. Volunteers weeded and seeded a 6,000 square foot area. An Eagle Scout troop made four benches for the garden. The garden continues to be developed each year.
Since pollinators are responsible for every third bite of food we eat, and because their disappearance creates a hole in the ecosystem, we consider this effort important in contributing to the integrity of creation.
Monarch butterflies are migrants traveling from the North to Mexico and back yearly.
Read more about the work of the Oblate Ecological Initiative at http://www.lavistaelc.org/
Action Alert: Urge Congress to Continue to Protect Trafficking Victims July 12th, 2017
The U.S. House of Representatives may be considering H.R. 2200, the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Act of 2017. We urge you to voice your support!
H.R. 2200 would reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). The TVPA, the original foundational anti-trafficking legislation in the U.S., was created in 2000 and has been reauthorized four times by overwhelmingly bipartisan votes. H.R. 2200 was introduced by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ-4) and Representative Karen Bass (D-CA-37) on April 27, 2017.
Supporting H.R. 2200 is an important step the United States can take to demonstrate our nation’s continued efforts to eradicate human trafficking and assist human trafficking victims. H.R. 2200 ensures critical funding for both domestic and international anti-trafficking programs. Reauthorizing the TVPA helps ensure that victims are able to continue to access programs and services that recognize the importance of dignified care.
Take Action by sending the following message:
Dear Representative,
As a concerned Catholic, I urge you to support H.R. 2200. I firmly believe in the dignity of the human person and this belief calls on me to protect the most vulnerable, including victims of human trafficking. H.R. 2200 is important, as it reauthorizes the TVPA, providing service provisions that will aid victims. Supporting H.R. 2200 will ensure that our nation’s efforts to eradicate human trafficking and assist human trafficking victims continue.
I thank Congress for its long-standing commitment to confront modern-day slavery. As a Catholic, I stand ready to support victims and appreciate your work to eradicate human trafficking.
Send the message from this link:
http://www.capwiz.com/justiceforimmigrants/issues/alert//?alertid=78157626&type=CO
Click here to read the US Bishops’ letter of support for H.R. 2200.
