CPJ Newsletter October 2007

Milwaukee's Catholics for Peace and Justice posted its newsletter for October 2007. [8 pp. pdf]

They report the results of the recent membership meeting. [see this earlier post]

Many, many thanks to the 28 people who attended the General Meeting on September 6. ... Literally pages of ideas and strategies were generated in the initial large group and subsequent breakout sessions. ...

In the first phase 22 issues were generated by the group.

They're talking about this like it's a good thing.

In general the issues brought forth focused around two main areas of concern
- Global and Local Economic Justice
- Issues of War and Peace

Catholics for Peace and Justice members, it turns out, are primarily concerned with peace and justice.

NEXT STEPS:
First because so many ideas and strategies were generated it is clear that we will need to work through them and evolve with them over a period of time. We are in the process of doing that.

Here's their Mission Statement. Looks like they might well have already lost hold of even those generalities, and now will wander in "process". The first step is another meeting.

Wednesday, October 24 from 6 pm to 8 pm, we will be hosting “Pizza with a Purpose” in the Church Center at SS. Peter and Paul parish [stats D13 13th 29%] located on 2490 N. Cramer Street in Milwaukee.

Sr. Virgine Lawinger reported on participating in a September 27, 2007 "die-in" at the U.S. Capitol.

Tom Moore pitches JSOnlying.com, which alleges "deceptive editing" by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That's so harsh; maybe the paper's just aligning reporting with its editorial positions, as it did with Deep Tunnel.

CPJ members will "stand for peace" on a downtown corner for an hour Friday evenings for the next month.

The Midwest Regional Rally and March to Stop the War is October 27th in Chicago.

[Rev. G.] Simon Harak reminds us that If we are to work for peace, we must first be the ball. No, wait, that's Chevy Chase as Ty Webb in Caddyshack. [Rev. G.] Simon Harak reminds us that "If we are to work for peace, we must first become peace." That's in connection with a Gandhi's birthday Mass for Peace at the St. Joan of Arc Chapel at Marquette University. The Gandhi/Joan connection is, I suppose, If you want peace, Work for just getting the English out.

On their Engage! program,

Communities of Salt and Light is a 20 minute film that can be shown in conjunction with a short presentation on Catholic Social Teaching at any regular Human Concerns Committee or Parish Council meeting. The short presentation and film is presented by a member of Catholics for Peace and Justice education team. All you need to do is get this important message on the agenda at your parish.

Then the Parish Council can check it off and go on to the next item. They also plug Parish Social Ministry Regional Training in November.

Milwaukee is one of a half a dozen archdiocese hosting this training. We are especially fortunate to have Tom Ulrich do two sessions on "Building a Responsive Parish Social Ministry". With this kind of shared information we can build His kingdom on Earth!

If only the Lord had come up with this program 2,000 year ago!

Myanmar (formerly Burma) has been in the news.

Rev. Tonen O’Connor, a Buddhist priest from Milwaukee will present “Buddhism Today” on Monday, October 15 at 7 - 8:30 pm and again on Monday, November 19 at 7 – 8:30 pm at St. Sebastian’s Church [stats D12 11th 24%] Hall, 55th and Washington Blvd.

I'm so old I can remember when a Milwaukee priest named O'Connor might be Catholic.

On the arts scene, October 15th at Marquette University,

Hector Aristizabal performs “Nightwind” and “IN-TEA-RRO-R-GATOR”. These one-man performances are based on Hector’s true story of arrest and torture by US supported military in Colombia.

On Global Warming,

the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change [CCCC] was formed with the support of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the generous funding of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment. ... The website is intended to complement the USCCB’s current climate change website

And the Interfaith Conference has a series of Faith & Ecology conferences.

Marquette University's [Rev. G.] Simon Harak also keynoted the recent Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice Annual Assembly. I don't see CPJ among the WNPJ member organizations. Maybe the dues are paying for the free pizza, instead.