Mission Statement (developed in 2008)

The Social Concerns Team acts as a resource to connect, promote and support social ministry within the parish and the wider community. We do this by inviting parishioners to experience Catholic social teachings through education, liturgy, witness and engagement.

Vision Statement (developed in 2009)

The Social Concerns Team exists to make every parishioner at Blessed John XXIII University Parish intimately familiar with the social teachings of the church and provide ways for them to incorporate these teachings in their daily lives.

Goal: Educate parishioners about the plight of our neighbors.

Objective 1: Gather information on social justice issues from local, state, national and global sources.
Objective 2: Through bulletin inserts, handouts, bulletin board, web page, etc. distribute information to the parish along with recommendations of how individuals and groups can help.
Objective 3: Create a web page for the Social Concerns Team.
Objective 4: Monitor, maintain & update the web page.

Sharing Catholic Social Teaching

Far too many Catholics are not familiar with the basic content of Catholic social teaching. More fundamentally, many Catholics do not adequately understand that the social teaching of the Church is an essential part of Catholic faith. This poses a serious challenge for all Catholics, since it weakens our capacity to be a Church that is true to the demands of the Gospel. We need to do more to share the social mission and message of our Church.”

This is a statement by the U.S. Catholic Bishops in their Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions. Below are the key themes the Bishops outline as the heart of our Catholic social tradition:

Life and Dignity of the Human Person
Call to Family, Community, and Participation Rights and Responsibilities
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
Solidarity
Care for God’s Creation

 Minutes: January, 2010