Human Concerns

For nearly a half century, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Migration Week, which is an opportunity for the Church to reflect on the circumstances confronting migrants, including immigrants, refugees, children, and victims and survivors of human trafficking.

National Migration Week takes place September 19-25, 2022 and will climax with the Vatican’s celebration of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR), which always falls on the last Sunday of September. The primary theme for this year’ WDMR is “Building the Future with Migrants and Refugees”.  

Many times, the voices of migrants and refugees tend to get lost in the news and current political rhetoric. As Catholics, we must remember that the people who are fleeing violence and seeking a better life for themselves and their families, are also children of God. Each person because they are made in God’s image and likeness has inherent dignity. As we approach the Vatican’s 108th World Day for Migrants and Refugees, I would invite parishioners to take the time to get to know a migrant or refugee and listen to their story. One very easy way to do that is to visit the Religion and Forced Migration Initiative page from the Office of Religious Life at Princeton University. This office, in collaboration with the Office of Migration and Refugee Services at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has interviewed and collected the stories of over 160 migrants and refugees that have been resettled into the United States, whose religious and spiritual lives have been consequential to their journey, resettlement, and integration. 

Not sure where to start? I, personally, met and worked with Elena Muller Garcia before she retired from ministry from the Diocese of West Palm Beach, FL. For years, she worked in the very agency that helped to resettle her and her siblings when she came to the United States as an unaccompanied minor from Cuba. While you listen to her story, or others, please pray in a special way with the universal Church for all migrants and refugees.

...we must recognize our grave duty to hand the earth on to future generations…”  —Pope Benedict XVI

WEEKLY RECOMMENDATION
Consider zero-waste options for picnics, BBQ and camping meals. Reusable items add a touch of class, sensibility and significantly reduces waste. Use lightweight reusable plates, utensils, bowls, cups and cloth napkins. Get creative with packaging. Reusable containers? Of course. What about Mason jar deserts? Go heavy on finger foods: cut vegetables and mixed nuts. Wipe off food when finished and use a washable cloth bag to hold used dinnerware for dishwashing later. Reserve a bag for recyclables and a container for compostables. If you must go disposable, use biodegradable paper products instead of plastic. Ditch the straws. Use a large thermos for drinks. Take other beverages in metal or glass containers and recycle. Skipping bottled water saves money and the environment.

The Human Concerns Commission discerns and responds to the needs of the people within the parish, out in the community, and throughout the world. It identifies resources to meet their needs and enlist the active cooperation of parishioners. The members collaborate with the pastor, staff, and other organizations in the following ways: direct service, advocacy, social justice, social bridging, and empowerment of people. Meetings are monthly and discuss a number of topics including the following: 

• Respect Life, which supports the following pregnancy resource centers: 
  • Life's Connection: 494 W. Main St., Waukesha
  • Women's Care Center: 1441 N. Farwell Ave., Milwaukee 53202  
  • Women's Support Center: 2051 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee 53233  //  414-934-8888
• Global Twinning 
  • Missionary Fraternity of Mary (Guatelmala)
  • Working Boys' Center (Ecuador)
• Social Justice
  • Advocacy
    • Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship - is the US bishops' teaching document on political responsibility of Catholics. 
    • Civilize It: Dignity Beyond the Debate - is a year-long civility initiative from the US bishops' so that Catholics can bring our faith to the public square.
      • Racial Justice - please see the response from Wisconsin Catholic Conference in the document section below.
    • USCCB Justice for Immigrants (JFI) website & Jesuit Refugee Services/USA (JRS) site will be on the site soon. These sites are Catholic sources for current immigration information. JFI and JRS are analyzing & monitoring immigration law reform bills and sending action alerts to encourage people to contact their representatives to share their faith based support or not for these proposed changes in immigration law.
• Welcoming and Inclusion
  • Especially for those affected by clergy sexual abuse.  
    This past year, the Human Concerns Commission has committed to being a place of welcoming for those affected by the twin crisis of clergy sexual abuse and the failure of church leadership to properly address it. By hosting listening sessions with Fr. Dan, attending 2019's Lenten Soup and Substance presentation by Supreme Court Justice Janine Geske, and by surveying our parishioners on this topic, we are committed to being a part of the solution to ensure that clergy sexual abuse does not continue to happen.
    • Parish Questionnaire - To better understand the impact of the twin crisis, a questionnaire was conducted to better understand how the crisis affected a person's life as a Catholic and their thoughts on the reasons for the clergy abuse and coverup in the Church. (see document list)
  • Racial Justice - The Wisconsin Catholic Conference recently issued a statement regarding recent unjust killings and subsequest protests. We encourage all parishioners to read the Wisconsin bishops's statement.
  • Gerard Randall was a recent presenter to the commission sharing his personal experience of being African American in Milwaukee. Video of the discussion can be found below: