Mission Statement

The Holy Name Antiracism and Social Justice Committee is a family of neighbors consisting of parishioners, parents, faculty, staff, and students unified and committed to the eradication of racial injustice. Through education, social action, open dialogue, and community work, the Committee will provide opportunities to embrace the uniqueness and beauty in all of God’s children.

Meetings
The Committee meets once a month and meetings are about one hour long. The meetings consist of a period of reflection, discussion items, and action items to further the Committee’s mission statement.

The meetings consist of a period of reflection, discussion items, and action items to further the Committee’s mission statement and in a manner consistent with a Christian worldview and vision of the human person, as well as the mission of the schools of the Archdiocese, which is to “cultivate the virtuous life, nurture Christian community, and nourish a Catholic worldview.” We will be addressing antiracism and social justice through the 7 Catholic Social Teaching Principles

During the meetings, we require the following:

• Please give everyone an opportunity to share.
• Be respectful of others' perspective/story. We’re here to listen and learn from each other.
• So that we may share comfortably, please respect confidentiality. What is shared during the meetings should remain within the group unless permission is granted.

Please contact Angela Mapa for the Zoom link to meetings.

From the Archbishop Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone's Reaction to the Death of George Floyd and the Aftermath from June 03,2020. In part, he states, "But we must understand the need for "systemic" change in the broad sense, for structural change alone will only go so far. we need cultural change, a transformation of the cultural mentality-ultimately a spiritual metanoia. And that change of mind, heart and soul cannot even begin without the admission of sin, personal as well as societal."

The Church's social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. Modern Catholic social teaching has been articulated through a tradition of papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents. The depth and richness of this tradition can be understood best through a direct reading of these documents. In these brief reflections, we highlight several of the key themes that are at the heart of our Catholic social tradition.

Catholic Social Teachings

Life and Dignity of the Human Person

The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching. In our society, human life is under direct attack from abortion and euthanasia. The value of human life is being threatened by cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death penalty. The intentional targeting of civilians in war or terrorist attacks is always wrong. Catholic teaching also calls on us to work to avoid war. Nations must protect the right to life by finding increasingly effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

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Call to Family, Community, and Participation

The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society -- in economics and politics, in law and policy -- directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

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Rights and Responsibilities

The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities--to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.

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Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.

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The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers

The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in Gods creation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected--the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.

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Solidarity

We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers and sisters keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that if you want peace, work for justice.1 The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers. Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.

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Care for God's Creation

We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of Gods creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.

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