SOCIAL JUSTICE AND
SOCIAL OUTREACH
As Catholics, we are called to be people for others. But what does this mean in practical terms? How do we translate faith into action? To guide us in this endeavor, the bishops of the United States wrote Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, which outlines seven principles of social justice in Catholic teaching. By following these principles, we will discover how to live as people for others.
Dignity of the Human Person.
We are called to ask whether our actions as a society respect or threaten the life and dignity of the human person.
Call to Family, Community, and Participation.
We are called to support the family—the principle social institution—so that people can participate in society, build a community spirit, and promote the well being of all.
Rights and Responsibilities.
We are called to protect the rights that all people have to those things required for a decent human life, such as food, clothing, and shelter.
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable.
We are called to pay special attention to the needs of those who are poor.
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers.
We are called to protect the basic rights of all workers: the right to engage in productive work, fair wages, private property, and the right to organize, join unions, and pursue economic opportunity.
Solidarity.
We are called to recognize that, because God is our Father, we are all brothers and sisters, with the responsibility to care for one another.
Care for God’s Creation.
We are called to care for all that God has made.
Here at Epiphany we recognize our responsibility to honor these principles.
Our Epiphany church home is situated in a neighborhood of great socioeconomic contrasts—people living in very expensive apartments intermixed with a significant poor and homeless population. The Church of the Epiphany reaches out to serve the poor in our midst with:
HUNGER SUNDAYS, our monthly lunchmaking and distribution to the homeless immediately after the Sunday 11am Sunday Family Mass. On those Sundays our vestibule (narthex) hosts a grand sandwich-making and blessing bag assembly line. We make over 100 lunch meals for homeless in our neighborhood and also assemble blessing bags containing socks, deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste and other toiletries for our sisters and brothers living on the streets. Teams of two and three then distribute them to the many homeless in parks and sidewalks around the neighborhood.
For more information about our Hunger Sundays outreach, contact Kim Salvo:scoutsalvo@gmail.com
SANT EGIDIO COMMUNITY MONTHLY FOOD DRIVE
Once a month we ask parishioners to bring donations of specific food items to the church, which we then deliver to the Sant Egidio Community, a wonderful group of people who make and deliver meals for the homeless in our neighbor every Tuesday and Saturday afternoons and evenings.
For more information about our Monthly Food Drive, contact Fr Jim Mayzik SJ jmayzik@gmail.com
CHRISTMAS FOREST OF LOVE
To finance our outreach to the poor, we sell Christmas trees on our church plaza, which are dedicated to loved ones and remain decorated on the plaza for the entire Christmas season. Our Christmas Forest of Love is a beacon to the whole neighborhood of our desire to share Christ’s light to all our brothers and sisters.
For more information about our Christmas Forest of Love, contact Fr Jim Mayzik SJ jmayzik@gmail.com
HOLIDAY/THANKSGIVING DINNER FOR OUR HOMELESS SISTERS AND BROTHERS
In 2018 in association with the Sant Egidio Community, we inaugurated our first Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless of our neighborhood. We invited 125 guests to a lovely dinner, donated, cooked and served by members of the parish, who also visited with our guests during and after the meal. We will continue this new tradition in 2019 and the years to come.
For more information about our Holiday/Thanksgiving Dinners for the Homeless contact Nancy Benedetto nancybenedetto24@gmail.com
SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVITIES
This year we hope to inaugurate some social justice information sessions to inform our parishioners and people in the neighborhood of important legislation that may be of help to improve the lives of our impoverished and unjustly treated brothers and sisters in our nation and in the world.
For more information about our plans for Social Justice Activities, contact Fr Jim Mayzik SJ jmayzik@gmail.com
SERVICE TRIPS
Epiphany will offer service trips to young and old, to be of help to sisters and brothers who live in communities of poverty in our nation and in other countries.
For more information about our plans for Service Trips, contact Fr Jim Mayzik SJ jmayzik@gmail.com