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“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”  Micah 6:8

 

The Social Justice Committee of St. Paul Parish exists to do what the Lord requires, “to do justice”.  The Old Testament prophets make clear that to do justice, we must speak up against the injustice of government and rich people.

 

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At the beginning of the New Testament, Mary, the mother of God, proclaims, “His mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear Him. He has shown the power of his arm, He has routed the proud of heart. He has pulled down the princes from their thrones and the rich he has sent empty away.” Luke 1:39-58

 

There is much injustice in our community to “pull down”: the rights of immigrants are being trampled on, the education of children is being neglected, tenants are being driven out of Pilsen due to high taxes and lack of affordable housing, and, polluters are poisoning our children, seniors, and all of us. Racism, embedded in public policy, makes the lives of those living here difficult and sometimes deadly.

 

Our parish is proud that we give a helping hand to those who need food, clothes, and other necessities. We are proud that, we as parishioners, form a network of caring in Pilsen. The Social Justice Committee wants to be a beacon of justice for Pilsen. We intend to fight for the rights of immigrants, for clean air, for a good education for our children and for affordable housing for our working-class families.

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Currently, we are informing other parishes and organizations in our community about the health hazards we are confronted with being the most air polluted community in Chicago. We are also informing our parishioners and creating a yearlong plan of activities with a focus on bettering the air quality in our community.

 

We meet on the second Saturday of each month at 9:15 am. We engage with one another and with the members of our parish and community, with city agencies, politicians, and businesses, such as, landlords and polluting companies to push for fair and humane practices and decisions.

 

We invite you to join us. You are the eyes and ears for this committee, and it is only what you and we see, hear, breath and experience that informs us about issues we must focus on.

 

For more information, call Mary Gonzales, 312-852-8160 or send her a note.