truth & justice matters
U.S. Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph Issue Statement on Racism
The U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph strongly condemns the police-killing of another black man on the streets of our nation. Our hearts are breaking as we mourn with the family and friends of George Floyd, as well as Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, David McAtee, and all the others who have lost loved…
Read MoreSolidarity with the “dear neighbor”
A post by Betsy Wiest, SSJ Social Justice Coordinator. “Solidarity is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good…
Read MoreWear Blue Day – January 11
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and January 11 is Human Trafficking Awareness Day The U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking invite you to WEAR BLUE on January 11. Blue is the international symbol of human trafficking awareness. Post a photo of yourself and/or your group wearing blue and share it on social media to…
Read MoreHuman Trafficking Coalition — Erie
We have been working with Erie DAWN (Dwellings and Advocacy for Women in Need) and Mercyhurst University Ridge School of Intelligence to start an Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition in Erie, PA. Coalition Force – Erie will gather professionals from community organizations, law enforcement, universities among others who are interested in combating human trafficking locally. The coalition…
Read MoreStop the Inhumanity — Catholic Day of Action
On September 4, Catholics all over the country participated in the second Catholic Day of Action for Immigrant Children as part of the “Stop the Inhumanity” campaign designed to increase pressure on the U.S. government to end child detention. A third Catholic Day of Action is being planned at the border in El Paso, Texas…
Read MoreA moment of grace for refugees
Last evening a group of people gathered at our Community Living Center where Deb Seng, Patrice Swick and I shared our experiences of working with the refugees in El Paso, Texas in May at Annunciation House. We began our presentation with the prayer; A Moment of Grace and observed silence for all of those who…
Read MorePlastic Free July is here!
Plastic Free July is here!! Will you join me and attempt to go Plastic Free for the whole month of July? I certainly hadn’t realized just how much plastic there was in my everyday life until I started to look around. I won’t lie… this is a difficult task but together we can do this.…
Read MoreGreen Apples for our teachers
The Justice, Peace, Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Team developed our “Green Apple” award to recognize teachers in the Erie Diocesan grade schools who encourage their students to learn about the environment. Teachers were asked to submit what environmental issues and projects they addressed in their classrooms. Each teacher was then presented with a “Green Apple”…
Read MoreHuman trafficking—Erie update
Human trafficking happens everywhere—even in Erie. Because Erie is located on the intersection of I-90 and I-79, is two hours from I-80 and the Canadian border, Erie is considered a “pass-thru” city for traffickers. Handlers bring their victims to Erie for short periods of time to be sold multiple times before moving them on to…
Read More