Work for the Common Good

Transcription

1 Contents: Work for the Common Good (Article from our Director) Fall Board Meeting less than a month away! Elections/Appointments Thou shall not toss food Interfaith Teach-In on immigration Sept. 13th in New Orleans Bread or Stones featured article in the Catholic Connection magazine Offering thanks to our recent contributors - we couldn't make it without you all! Dates to calendar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Work for the Common Good Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Book of Common Prayer Sometimes it requires a new law or change in public policy to cause people and the institutions and economic entities they lead to do the right thing. Most of us are hearing that the ranks of the unemployed are decreasing with the unemployment rate as low or lower than it s been in years. Yes, there are jobs available, but not everyone is prospering because wages are for millions of people the working poor at the Federal Minimum wage of $7.25 per hour or lower. That salary annualized does not meet the federal poverty level for a family of four. The Common Good refers to the public good: to the advantage of everyone. (Merriam Webster). To work for the Common Good is the task of creating a good life for all members of society. We work for this

2 goal recognizing that it may never be fully realized. Often, we in the Churches may think our work is done when we have prayed for those struggling on the edges and margins of society. We may feel that we ve helped by sympathizing with those barely making it financially. Those are good and helpful actions, but as disciples of Christ there is more to do. So, we must continue to work for the Common Good. What can we do to grow the Common Good in Louisiana and the region? It will take public funding, but we need to advocate for monies to provide adequate day care for working families and their young children. Louisiana doesn t have its own minimum wage and the federal minimum wage only allows a person to survive. What we need is to help in creating living wages for workers enough to live somewhat comfortably; to have money for a few extras. There is also a significant gender pay gap between women and men. If women were paid equal pay for equal work in Louisiana, that action alone would help Louisiana move down several points from its current place as a state with one of the highest poverty rates in the nation. People of Faith are called to be advocates to work for the common good of Louisiana s citizens. On this Labor Day and beyond let us work together to find ways to make a better life for all Louisiana s citizens. Fall Board Meeting less than a month away! The LIC Fall Board Meeting will be held on September 24-25, 2018 at the St. Charles Retreat Center in Lake Charles. The working theme is: Living out the Word through Advocacy You are invited to join us at the beautiful St. Charles Retreat Center for presentations on the role of the church in public policy advocacy. We also invite you to join us for an Ecumenical Worship Service at the Chapel on the same grounds. Guests are invited to ALL presentations with the public schedule as follows Monday, September 24, 2018: 3:15 pm 5:30 pm 1st presentation, with break time about mid way through, & an opportunity for dialogue. Monday, September 24, 2018: 7:30 pm Evening Ecumenical Worship Service. The Rev. Edward Alexander of the Louisiana Missionary Baptist State Convention will give the homily. Tuesday, September 25, 2018: 9:00 to 10:00 am final presentation & dialogue; break; and then 10:15 11:00 am conversation with Legislators.

3 Our keynote speaker will be Mr. Rob Tasman, Executive Director of the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops, who represents the Louisiana bishops at the State Capitol during legislative sessions focusing on bills which involve such issues as social justice and family life. Mr. Tasman received his bachelor s degree from Boston College. He received his master s in theology from Boston College in 2004 and a law degree from LSU in There is no charge for attending the sessions outlined above. However, if you d like to join us for the evening banquet (from 6 to 7pm on Monday, 9/24/18), you will find an option on the guest registration form which lists a nominal dinner fee of $ Please return the registration form (and dinner fee if applicable) no later than September 5, 2018, as this will be necessary for providing a timely count for seating and/or meals to the St. Charles Center. We sincerely hope that you can join us as we welcome another Fall to Louisiana and enjoy the beauty and serenity of this retreat center in Lake Charles! Remember, the public is invited to all speaker sessions at no cost. Hope to see you there! Elections/Appointments Mr. Kelley Fr. Mangum Fr. Nsambu Welcome New Board Members! Mr. Kyle Kelley was recently selected by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Louisiana as their new coordinator following the retirement of Rev. Mike Massar earlier this summer. Mr. Kelley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker by profession and is retired from the public-school system. He is very active in the formation of the new Church for the Highlands in Shreveport. The Very Reverend Peter B. Mangum, JCL, JV will serve as Diocesan Administrator for Shreveport, following Bishop Michael G. Duca's appointment to Baton Rouge. Father Mangum is the current Rector at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans. He served at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Shreveport and St. Paul's in Minden. He was ordained in The Rev. Jean-Marie Nsambu has been appointed by Bishop Fabre to be the new Designate to the LIC representing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. Fr. Nsambu is the Associate Pastor of the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. He was ordained on June 3, Fr. Nsambu has already registered for the Fall Board Meeting. We look forward to meeting him! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4 Source: June 2018 Bayou Catholic Magazine Bishop Shelton J. Fabre now serving as chair of the USCCB s Ad hoc Committee Against Racism Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, appointed Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux to serve as Chair of the USCCB s Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism. The appointment was made following the resignation of Bishop George Murry, S.J., of Youngstown, previous Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee, after his diagnosis with a form of acute Leukemia. Bishop Fabre will serve as Chair of the committee for the remainder of Bishop Murry s term. Bishop Fabre currently serves as Chair of the USCCB Subcommittee on African American Affairs. He has been a member of that committee since 2010 and a member of the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church since Bishop Fabre became the Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux in 2013 and is a 4th Degree Knight of St. Peter Claver and a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus. Thou Shall Not Toss Food Americans waste an unfathomable amount of the food. Pope Francis once said, Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry. Little changes can make a big difference, such as the non profit organization AmpleHarvest.org encouraging home gardeners to donate their backyard bounties to food pantries. Since 70 percent of food pantries are located in houses of worship, AmpleHarvest.org launched the religious education campaign, Food Waste Weekend. From Sept , 2018, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other religious clergy will deliver sermons on the moral responsibility to avoid food waste and alternative options for combating hunger in their local communities. Note that if that weekend conflicts with already planned programming, the sermons can be given on another weekend the resources remain online all year. AmpleHarvest.org worked alongside many religious leaders to develop Food Waste Weekend materials. Click here for the Christian sermon (clergy may modify the materials). Reverend Jacob Bolton of New York said, Food Waste Weekend addresses the complex, global issue of food waste and overconsumption, with tangible, local, and spiritually cultivating practices that any faith community can undertake. Rabbi Joshua Ratner from Connecticut echoed his sentiments, "I think this is a fantastic opportunity for people of all faiths to actualize the biblical injunction to share the gleanings of our fields with those in need. Food Waste materials are available online for free, unrestricted use. To review sample sermons and to receive event alerts, click here. Additional information on sharing information about Food Waste Weekend with clergy of all faiths is available at FoodWasteWeekend.org/launch. Food Waste Weekend is a public education program of AmpleHarvest.org.

5 Interfaith Teach-In on immigration Sept. 13th in New Orleans The Teach-In will feature story circles where local immigrants will share their migration stories and opportunities to pray together. Register for this event at or call JSRI at (504) Our immigrant sisters and brothers live in constant fear that their families will be torn apart by detention and deportation. The Goals of the Sept. 13th Interfaith Teach-In on Immigration are to: 1) Provide an opportunity for people of faith to encounter, listen, and learn from local immigrants why they fled poverty and violence in their home countries and the challenges they face under the current administration; 2) Learn what our faith traditions teach about migration; 3) Discern what role one might play in the local interfaith sanctuary movement. Bread or Stones featured article in the Catholic Connection magazine In July, Bread or Stones was featured in The Catholic Connection, which is a magazine published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport. The article was written by Samuel Rottman. Here is the online link: content/uploads/2012/04/0718lr.pdf (scroll to page 18). We invite you to check it out!

6 Offering thanks to our recent contributors we couldn't make it without you all! The majority of the LIC operating income is contributed through the leadership of our member Judicatories, whom we deeply appreciate and depend upon. Additionally, we offer our sincere thanks to our ministry partners who have contributed as listed below. Contributions received from July 31, 2018 through August 30, 2018: Bread or Stones Children's Anti-Poverty Initiative: A donation sent through the LA Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Friends and General Operations: Roman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport. Thank you all! Please pray for this ecumenical ministry. If you would like to help financially, please mail contributions to: Louisiana Interchurch Conference, 527 N. Blvd., 4th Floor, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, or contribute online via PayPal at Dates to calendar Monday, September 3, 2018, Labor Day Have a safe and happy holiday!! Sunday, September 9, 2018, National Grandparent s Day Sunday, September 17, 2018, Constitution Sunday (231st Anniversary) Wednesday, September 26, See you at the pole - A time of prayer. More info. at: syatp.com Annual Assembly meeting dates: 2019 March 11-12, Lafayette 2020 March 2-3, Baton Rouge 50 th Annual Assembly don t miss it!! Fall Board meeting dates: 2018 Sept , Lake Charles 2019 Sept , Monroe To live the faith we hold in common President: The Rev. Cynthia Fierro Harvey; President Elect: The Rev. Dr. Timothy Jones; Executive Director: Fr. Dan Krutz