CONTACT:  Delis Alejandro  |  310-566-1530  | 

JustFaith is an intensive and successful model of justice education and spiritual formation that consists of weekly meetings, and employs books, videos, speakers, discussion, prayer, retreats, and hands-on experiences. The intent is to provide a tapestry of learning opportunities that emphasize and enliven the remarkable justice tradition of the Catholic Church. This is a demanding course of study over seven months that exposes the participants to the privilege of becoming community with others and sharing a journey of faith and compassion that is both life-giving and challenging.

St. Monica is complying with LA County Safer-at-Home Restrictions.

The JustFaith Team is currently utilizing Zoom and other video conferencing platforms for our JustFaith courses. For more information about future courses contact Team Coordinator, Dennis Hardwick at

Upcoming Activities of Interest

Fifth Anniversary of Laudato Si'

May 17 marks the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home, the landmark encyclical authored by Pope Francis on the environment. Join the parish community as we celebrate and honor God's gift of creation and the Church's teaching on the environment with this special presentation.

The St. Monica Green Team will be hosting:
Celebrating the Environmentalist You Already Are
Sunday, May 17 at 7:00pm

For more information, check out the St. Monica Green Team page: CLICK HERE 

2019–20 Program & Schedule

The introductory course for JustFaith 2019–20 will be presented at St. Monica Catholic Community in three phases beginning Oct. 2018 through June 2019. Participate in any one or all three!

 

CONTACT:  Delis Alejandro  |  310-566-1530  | 

JustFaith is an intensive and successful model of justice education and spiritual formation that consists of weekly meetings, and employs books, videos, speakers, discussion, prayer, retreats, and hands-on experiences. The intent is to provide a tapestry of learning opportunities that emphasize and enliven the remarkable justice tradition of the Catholic Church. This is a demanding course of study over seven months that exposes the participants to the privilege of becoming community with others and sharing a journey of faith and compassion that is both life-giving and challenging.

 

St. Monica is complying with LA County Safer-at-Home Restrictions.

The JustFaith Team is currently utilizing Zoom and other video conferencing platforms for our JustFaith courses. For more information about future courses contact Team Coordinator, Dennis Hardwick at

 

Upcoming Activities of Interest

Fifth Anniversary of Laudato Si'

May 17 marks the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home, the landmark encyclical authored by Pope Francis on the environment. Join the parish community as we celebrate and honor God's gift of creation and the Church's teaching on the environment with this special presentation.

 

The St. Monica Green Team will be hosting:
Celebrating the Environmentalist You Already Are
Sunday, May 17 at 7:00pm

 

For more information, check out the St. Monica Green Team page: CLICK HERE 

  

2019–20 Program & Schedule

The introductory course for JustFaith 2019–20 will be presented at St. Monica Catholic Community in three phases beginning Oct. 2018 through June 2019. Participate in any one or all three!

 

Phase 1 - Journey to Compassion

Oct. 2–Nov. 20, 2019

gently challenges participants to live out Scripture’s command to care for the poor among us. This phase examines root causes of poverty, particularly emphasizing the interplay between poverty and environmental degradation, and guides participants in discerning how to most faithfully, and effectively respond.

Phase 2 - Journey to Justice

Jan. 15–Mar. 11, 2020

awakens participants to the realities of racial and economic inequalities in the U.S., with the ultimate goal of introducing new and creative choices for a more just and faith-filled life as individuals and a community of faith.  Through its focus on the U.S. criminal justice system and income inequality, it challenges participants to revisit how our faith informs our responsibility to each other.

Phase 3 - Journey to Peace

April 15–June 3, 2020

emphasizes the role of violence in keeping people in poverty, introducing participants to nonviolent resistance as a means of Kingdom-building and poverty alleviation. It invites participants to explore new and creative ways to embrace a nonviolent lifestyle.

 

Requirements

The program requires a significant commitment and one that needs to be entered into with some prayerful discernment and the ability to make space in your life for personal enrichment. The program consists of:

• Four phases, each with six 2.5 hour sessions that contain prayer, discussion, and ritual. There are about two hours of reading per week. The books we will read in the course in 2017-18 include:
  The Joy of the Gospel
  Tattoos on the Heart
  Solidarity Will Transform the World
  Compassion
  Beyond Empowerment
  I Shall Not Hate
  Rising to Common Ground
  Bread for the World Hunger Report
  The True Cost of Low Prices
  Visions & Voices from the Margins
  
• Each phase contains an immersion experience where you will have the opportunity to interact with those in the community who are living in poverty. These experiences are usually held at a local nonprofit on Saturdays.  One experience will be volunteering at the Thanksgiving Dinner & Clothing Boutique at St. Monica.
• A retreat is held in the first and last phases to allow for you and your group members to learn more about each other and explore a topic in more depth.

Background on JustFaith Ministries

 

JustFaith Ministries is series of programs created to help bring awareness of Catholic Social teaching, our faith’s call to justice, and prepare individuals and parishes for the work of social ministry. Founded by Executive Director Jack Jezreel, M.Div. in 1989, JustFaith works in partnership with the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services and Bread for the World. The Catholic Social Teaching Ministry has hosted several programs at St. Monica with the express purpose of acquainting our parishioners with our rich heritage of Catholic Social Teaching. JustFaith is used in over 1,000 parishes and churches involving 20,000 people. Go to http://justfaith.org for more information.

 

Please note: In addition to this program, there are additional outings, service opportunities, speakers, and worship experiences scheduled throughout the year by this ministry for the entire community.

2019-20 Schedule

 

Phase 3: Journey to Peace

Apr. 15-Jun. 3, 2020

Sessions meet at 7:00 p.m. You must be registered to attend and commit to the listed requirements above. 

 

Please note: Attendance is required for all JustFaith sessions and activities.

 

Journey to Peace emphasizes the role of violence in keeping people in poverty, introducing participants to nonviolent resistance as a means of Kingdom-building and poverty alleviation. It invites participants to explore new and creative ways to embrace a nonviolent lifestyle.

 

Phase 3: Journey to Peace

4/15/20 - Session 1:  Dividing Walls

4/22/20 - Session 2:  Intro to Nonviolent Resistance

4/25/20 - Opening Retreat

4/29/20 - Session 3:  Witnesses for Peace: Civil Rights Movement

5/06/20 - Session 4:  Witnesses for Peace: St. Oscar Romero & Nonviolence in Latin America

5/13/20 - Session 5: Economic Peace & Personal Wealth

5/20/20 - Session 6: Practicing Peace in Our Communities

5/27.20 - Session 7:  Nonviolence toward Creation

6/03/20 - Session 8: Seeking Peace in Today’s world

Closing Retreat – Saturday 6/6/20

 

The books that are used for Phase 3 are:

I Shall Not Hate                                                    Izzeldin Abuelaish                  

Laudato Si (On Care of Our Common Home)    Pope Francis

Strength to Love                                                   Martin Luther King, Jr.