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Blessed John XXIII Parish JUSTICE, DEVELOPMENT & PEACE Committee Logo

JUSTICE, DEVELOPMENT & PEACE COMMITTEE (D&P)

Our regular meetings are the first Tuesday evening of each month, September through May, at ACC.

Our Committee's Pamphlet

Prayer for the Success
of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission

Oh God, we praise and thank You
for the blessings of life in Canada
from your natural bounty and from the work of human hands.

We ask you to open our ears
to the truths about our collective history
being recorded at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
by survivors of residential schools.

We ask you to open our minds
to the complex and subtle ways
that past mistakes, arrogance, misuse of authority, and even sinfulness
have damaged our social fabric
in ways we have barely begun to redress.

We ask you to open our hearts

that we may continue to listen
even when the truth challenges us;
that we may understand
that we are heirs to a system
that has shown itself capable of domination and cruelty,
whether or not we personally contributed to building it that way;
that we may commit ourselves in all humility
to do what we can
and support the efforts of others
to restore our ruptured social fabric.

We pray with confidence
that by Your grace
we may grow into your Kingdom
of love and forgiveness.

Prayer in PDF format

Solidarity Garden:

Solar Power irrigation project in Benin: courtesy www.bobfreling.com

Our Parish’s Justice, Development, & Peace (JD&P) Committee, along with St Chad’s Mission & Service, have planted a Solidarity Garden on the south side of the ACC. The project’s coordinator, Laura Radons, is a new JD&P member who is taking Development Studies at Canadian Mennonite University. She says the garden is intended to show solidarity for small-scale farmers in the Global South, who attempt to feed their families on small plots like these. The produce from the Solidarity Garden will go to ACC’s own Winnipeg Harvest distribution centre, which provides nutrition to local families every second Wednesday. If you’re interested in helping with the work of the Solidarity Garden, please leave your name and phone or email address with Kitty in the office.

At the end of Mass recently, JD&P showed parishioners a short video on “food sovereignty” in the Global South – farmers’ ability to exercise more control over their land and crops. The video is available for loan if you missed it or would like to see it again. [2010-05-22]

Disaster Relief Info

Disaster Relief contributions through Development & Peace (D&P): Founded by the Canadian Catholic bishops in 1967 as the “Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace” D&P is the Canadian arm of Caritas Internationalis, the official worldwide umbrella agency for Catholic development organizations. Because D&P is part of this extensive network, you can choose to earmark your contribution for any particular country or disaster around the world. D&P specializes in long-term development projects, which happen to have the effect of making poor communities in the Global South more robust and resilient in the face of both economic pressures and natural or ecological disasters. (Compare, for example, the chaos and damage in Haiti, with the efficient recovery process in the much more affluent and developed Chile, when a stronger earthquake struck the latter shortly after Haiti's). When disaster does strike, however, D&P and its partners are expert in the hard, long-term process of reconstruction, respectfully letting stricken communities decide how best to rebuild. D&P strictly follows the Catholic Ethic of Life; it is experienced and efficient; and amongst development agencies, it spends one of the very lowest percentages of revenue on administration. D&P operates under close supervision from the Canadian bishops and they have recently reinforced and confirmed its mandate. D&P is recognized as a leading development agency by the Canadian Government (see CBC’s website) and takes maximum possible advantage of government funds-matching opportunities. For Canadian Catholics who value loyalty to the Church’s institutions, D&P should be the agency of choice to express Christian solidarity with those in need around the world. Special earmarking envelopes are available in the office; they may be placed in the collection basket at Mass or handed back to the office. Please make all cheques payable to Blessed John XXIII Parish. The Parish issues income tax receipts, and ensures that Development & Peace directs your contribution to the area(s) you choose.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY: Over $12,000 from our Parish through the end of March 2010 in Disaster Relief Contributions to Haiti through D&P (96% of which was donated in time to be matched by the Canadian Government): With Caritas, D&P was on the ground in Haiti long before the current crisis; since it specializes in both emergency assistance and long-term reconstruction, it will be on the ground long after many other agencies are gone. For detailed information about Haiti relief, please see D&P newsletter or Caritas Internationalis Haiti blog .

Other Links
Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace - Home Page
Catholic Relief Services (D&P's US Counterpart) - Home Page
Sojourners - Home Page
US Bishops' 1986 Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching