Catholic Social Teaching & Ministry

“The joys and hopes, the sorrows and anxieties, of women and men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way oppressed these are the joys and hopes, the sorrows and anxieties, of the followers of Jesus Christ.” (Gaudium et Spes, 1965)

This is the heart of Parish Social Ministry.  The Catholic Church has a rich history in her social teaching as outlined by the USCCB. It can be broken down into seven themes which are founded upon the inherent dignity and sacredness of all human life, both personally and socially.

No matter what we call our committees, Social Justice, Justice and Peace, Social Concerns, Parish Social Ministry, Outreach, we are all Catholic.  We are all doing the work of Christ for our neighbors, in love.

The Office of Ministries and Social Concerns would like to hear your stories; your successes, your frustrations, and those things that may not have turned out the way you might have thought.  We would like to build a “database” of initiatives so we don’t always reinvent. When we work together, we can make even more of an impact.

See our current Directory of Parish Social Ministries initiatives, and some profiles of people living out the call to love of neighbor.

To share what you are doing, or if you have questions, contact the Office for Ministries and Social Concerns at (608) 791-2664.