News Archives » Fr. Seamus Finn
OMI JPIC – Most Viewed Stories in 2020 January 19th, 2021
Want to know which stories received the most attention on OMI JPIC’s website and Facebook page in 2020? Click the link for the list and happy reading!
http://omiusajpic.org/2020-most-viewed-stories/(opens in a new tab)
Introducing the Lavista Learning Garden June 17th, 2020
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Since its inception in 2001, La Vista Ecological Learning Center has taught that how we eat determines, to a great extent, how we care for creation. That is why we were aligned with the Community Supported Garden at La Vista for 15 years. Since that project ended in 2019, we have established La Vista Learning Garden under the umbrella of the Oblate Ecological Initiative.
MISSION
The Learning Garden will be a model and gathering place for novices and area participants to learn and practice:
- sustainable gardening skills like creating a garden plan organic soil preparation and fertilization crop rotation choosing vegetables and their planting times methods for harvesting vegetables growing fruit trees native flower propagation a variety of composting methods
- raising and caring for chickens
- backyard beekeeping
- cooking and nutrition
- hand-carving kitchen utensils
- DIY recycled garden decorations
STAFF
Vernon DePauw is our head gardener and teacher. He is a nationally known wood carver as well as a backyard gardener, poultryman, and beekeeper. Vernon has been a presenter at the Learning Center for several years. Vernon is faithfully supported by his wife Kathy who is also a volunteer.
Sister Maxine collaborates with Vernon to plan, organize, advertise and execute programs.
Volunteers – A small group of volunteers contribute their skills.
This project has been made possible with the support, encouragement and help of Seamus Finn, OMI, and OMI Novitiate Leadership: Pat McGee, Frank Kuczera and Humphrey Milimo.
[Novices and Vernon with hives built by Vernon and painted by novices.]
The Mission of Jubilee USA Network Remains Critical April 15th, 2020
As the world’s major trade blocs and financial institutions convene over the next few days to deal with the growing coronavirus crisis, many of the largest religious institutions are urging them to protect the world’s poor by providing debt relief and additional resources.
In recent days, OMI JPIC joined 80 national religious institutions, congregations and partners in a letter organized by Jubilee USA Network to confront the coronavirus crisis. The letter was delivered to the White House, G20 and IMF.
Signers of the letter join calls from Pope Francis, the US Catholic Bishops and 165 world leaders encouraging additional resources, aid and debt relief to ensure all countries can withstand the crisis.
On a positive front, earlier this week the International Monetary Fund approved $500 million to cancel six months of debt payments for 25 of the world’s most impoverished countries: Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Togo and Yemen.
While applauding this move, Eric LeCompte, executive director of Jubilee USA Network is pushing for an expansion of this list to include more countries where people live in extreme poverty.
Also reacting to this week’s events, Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI, Missionary Oblates JPIC director remarked, “the chains of financial indebtedness have imprisoned millions around the world for too many years. We need to continue to press on this critical issue which we have dodged consistently over the decades.” “This crisis may be providing us with ‘no other choice’ scenario as we recognize that we are all in this together,” he adds.
The Missionary Oblates were founders of Jubilee USA and have been active members over the years.
Read more about Jubilee USA Network’s recent actions by visiting their website.
2020 Joint Meeting of the General Mission Committee & General Service of JPIC February 28th, 2020
The Joint Meeting of the General Mission Committee & General Service of JPIC (February 24-28) Rome, Italy
On February 25, Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI, was the resource person of the day. He is the Chief of Faith Consistent Investing, OIP Investment Trust; and past Chair of the Board of Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR).
Among the pictures, you will find the translation booths where Bonga Thami, Diego Saez Jean Marie Sene help the participants with translations.
(L to R) Fr. Daniel Leblanc, OMI & Fr. Fernando Velazquez, OMI
Putting Treasure Where the Heart Is February 12th, 2020
Review by Kirsten Snow Spalding, rector of the Church of the Nativity in San Rafael, CA & senior director of the Investor Network on Climate Risk and Sustainability at Ceres, a non-profit advocacy organization
Fr. Séamus Finn , OMI authors chapter on human dignity, trafficking & investing in newly-released book,” Faithful Investing, The Power of Decisive Action and Incremental Change.”
Faithful Investing, edited by James Murphy, explores a range of perspectives on why and how congregations have used investment practices to address issues important to people of faith, including human rights and human trafficking, tobacco, gun control, climate change, gender diversity, pay equity, poverty, and immigration.
The collection includes essays written by investment professionals; faith leaders with long experience in corporate governance work and investment strategies; and advocates who work with a variety of institutional investors. Unlike many resources on this subject, Murphy’s collection offers alternative approaches, without taking a hard line about one “right way” to address these issues.
Each of the authors uses plain language to explain the rationale behind a particular investment approach — divesting or negative screening; engaging with companies through direct dialogues; collaborative engagements with other investors; filing proxy resolutions and voting on them; incorporating ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors into investment decision-making; taking a “best-in-class” fundamentals approach to building a portfolio or investing for impact in one or multiple asset classes. For someone new to the field, Faithful Investing suggests the critical questions that need to be asked before recommending a particular strategy. Read the full review here.
Book can be purchased online from Amazon.
This unique collaboration of voices from multiple Christian denominations include James W. Murphy, Byrd Bonner, Tim Brennan, Sister Patricia Daly, The Rev. Séamus P. Finn, Bobbi Hannigan, Lisa Hinds, Joseph M. Kinard, Kathryn McCloskey, The Rev. Aimee Moiso, Mark A. Regier, Greg Rousos, Carsten W. Sierck, The Rev. William Somplatsky-Jarman.
