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Our Catholic Social Teaching calls on each Catholic to act on behalf of others in practical ways—through direct service (charity) and advocacy (justice). This web page provides a variety of ways in which we can volunteer, contribute, advocate, and help to change the structures which oppress people or keep them on the margins. To learn more about our Catholic teaching on social just, click here.
Our Mission:
Our organization was created to support children who are orphaned by HIV and AIDS.
More specifically, to support the children of Casa Corazón de la Misericordia in Honduras, a home of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.
Bread for the World/The One Campaign
Celebrating 32 years of seeking justice, Bread for the World is a Christian voice for ending hunger. Now numbering more than 55,000 people of faith, including 2,500 churches, BFW members help hungry people by lobbying our nation’s decision-makers on legislation that addresses hunger in our communities around the world.
As individuals, we may volunteer in social ministries and give to our churches’ hunger appeals. But we also know a single decision by Congress or the president can outweigh or multiply our contributions.
Every year during worship services and other events, tens of thousands of BFW members and people in churches across the Unites States offer to God letters we have written to our members of Congress on legislation that is important to hungry people. Many people of other faiths and from secular organizations also join in this high-impact work. Again and again, our Offerings of Letters win significant victories.
Bread for the World has been graciously supported by more than 45 denominations and church agencies – Roman Catholic, mainline Protestant, Evangelical, Pentecostal and Orthodox. We welcome and treasure this rich diversity of theological traditions. People have heard the good news of Jesus Christ, which moves us to create new visions and possibilities for our global family.
Through Bread for the World’s 2007 Offering of Letters, Seeds of Change; Help Farmers, End Hunger, people of faith and conscience will be speaking out for important changes to the farm bill, which comes up for renewal every five years.
St. Mary has an active Bread for the World group that meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm in Room 104/105. We will have our Offering of Letters the weekend of October 20-21, 2007. At this time, parishioners will have an opportunity to write to their congressmen. Please click on the “Seeds of Change” link below for additional information on the 2007 Offering of Letters.
If you have any questions, contact Valerie Takacs at 330-650-4245.
We invite your membership, we welcome your voice.
The Catholic Worker Movement, founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933, is grounded in a firm belief in the God-given dignity of every human person.
Today over 185 Catholic Worker communities remain committed to nonviolence, voluntary poverty, prayer, and hospitality for the homeless, exiled, hungry, and forsaken. Catholic Workers continue to protest injustice, war, racism, and violence of all forms.
In February, Catholic Worker acquired a vacant building in Inner City Akron not far from the Catholic Worker houses. Not too long after, Joe May, local Director of the Catholic Worker Movement, Sandy Gray, Bruce Mlakar, and Jerry Szostek met with Fr. Ed and Joe presented his ideas to Father. Joe would like to see one or two parishes underwrite and provide volunteers for this "drop in mission." We are committed to making this happen here at St. Mary. The "drop-ins" will be treated to a warm meal and fellowship by volunteers. The volunteers will all attend a four hour non-violence training session (like the volunteers at St. Bernard's Hunger Center). The Center will be open on a limited basis at first until the needs of the community for this type of mission are assessed.
If you are interested in being involved in this endeavor and would like more information, contact Sandy. She and Jerry Szostek would like St. Mary Parish to help this wonderful program come to fruition. Please give her a call (330-650-0571) so that together we can make this happen for the homeless and downtrodden people of our area --doing God's work here on earth.
Please click on the “Peter Maurin” link below for further information on how you can become involved along with other St. Mary parishioners.
NETWORK is a progressive voice within the Catholic community that has been influencing Congress in favor of peace and justice for more than 30 years.
Through lobbying and legislative advocacy, we strive to close the gap between rich and poor and to dismantle policies rooted in racism, greed and violence.
NETWORK’s membership, which includes both individuals and organizations, represents more than 100,000 people. This vast constituency is committed and active. When our national office puts out the word that Congress needs to hear from our members on critical legislation, our members respond by calling, writing, emailing or visiting their Senators and Representatives, and by mobilizing others to take action as well.
Since our founding in 1971 by 47 Catholic sisters, NETWORK has been faithfully answering the Gospel call to act for justice. We invite you to join us.
Purpose: As the social action arm of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, the Commission is involved with public policy issues at all levels of government, community development and education and training, promoting and defending the dignity of human life across the continuum of life spectrum and providing social justice education to parishes.
Population Served: Provides advocacy and empowerment on behalf of and along with low-income individuals and families and other vulnerable populations.
Criteria: Summit County parishioners may serve on the 30-member Commission, and/or committees and task forces.
Fees: Minimal fee for the Sowers of Justice training program.
Major Funders: Catholic Charities; annual dinner fundraiser; donations; grants.
More Social Justice Links:
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
