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:
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 Kim Salvo scoutsalvo@gmail.com
Hunger Sunday
HUNGER SUNDAYS, our monthly lunch making 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
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 shepherd2@epiphanychurch.nyc
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 every year.
For more information about our Holiday/Thanksgiving Dinners for the Homeless contact Nancy Benedetto nancybenedetto24@gmail.com
JUST FAITH
Social justice advocacy and action are integral components of our mission, driven by our Christian commitment actively seek social justice for our sisters and brothers, and working towards creating a society that promotes fairness, equality, and dignity for every individual. We also recognize our responsibility to promote and practice care for God’s creation, of which we are a part—and its stewards.
Some activities in the Just Faith Ministry are
Presentations on the Catholic Church’s rich social justice teaching and mandates
Guest activists who offer their expertise and provoke discussion on current social justice and environmental efforts locally, in the US and the world.
Advocacy programs that invite parishioners to use their citizenship ‘tools’ to lobby for legislative and administrative action on justice and environmental issues relevant to the city, state and nation
Service opportunities related to the marginalized and neglected in our neighborhood, and related to the climate crisis as it effects New York
For more information about our plans for Social Justice Activities, contact Fr Jim Mayzik SJ shepherd2@epiphanychurch.nyc