The Two Feet Newsletter

Much will be required of the person entrusted with much. - Luke 12:48

Social Action Director to Receive National Award
(Rights and Responsibilities)

Congratulations to Kent Ferris, Diocesan Director of Social Action and Catholic Charities, for his selection as the 2019 Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Award winner. Kent, a member of the Secular Franciscans, will receive the award at their national executive council meeting on October 13.
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The Lampstand - Effective Civil Discourse
By Glenn Leach
(Rights and Responsibilities)

We are heavily into the campaigns. When we speak with candidates we need to frame the issues in a way that is compelling. We want to present things in such a way that they are positive, non-attacking, and based on common values. One technique presented at an immigration forum goes like this:

Present a value we all hold, such as fairness and opportunity for all.
State the problem in simple terms that echo the value being damaged.
Propose a solution.
Present the action you want the candidate to take.

As an example:

Value: America is a nation of values founded on the idea that all are created equal in seeking opportunity and prosperity.
Problem: Instead, we have a variety of anti-immigrant laws and actions that violate our values as a nation and divide our communities with their impractical and costly conditions.
Solution: It is our legislators’ job to guide our state toward opportunity and prosperity. Instead of feeding anti-immigrant sentiment, we need common sense approaches that respect our national security and enhance our economic security through fairness, equal treatment, and due process.
Action: We need you (candidate) to reshape our immigration policies in ways that respect our values as a nation and focus on fixing our state’s real problems.

I think if we follow this formula in our public presentations (including letters to the editor and social media posts) we will be more effective in delivering our message in a way that others can accept.

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Recommended Viewing

(Life and Dignity of the Human Person)

Deconstructing White Privilege (20 min) - Dr. Robin DiAngelo talks directly to white people about their implicit bias and white privilege. If you just felt uncomfortable or even a bit piqued reading that first sentence, please click the image below to watch this 20 minute video. Dr. DiAngelo stresses neither of these make us good or bad people, and in fact, this binary point of view prevents us from directly facing the issues. We need awareness first in order to confront systemic racism.

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Support the Dignity and Rights of Workers
(The Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers)
In the annual USCCB 2019 Labor Day statement, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, calls us to work together to support the dignity and rights of workers. He encourages us all to address the persistence of low wages and inequality in our workplaces. In addition, the USCCB has made available a primer of church teachings related to labor, Selected Quotations from Catholic Social Thought on the Rights and Responsibilities of Workers and Labor Unions. Each of these resources is well worth reading.

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Call to Action

(Option for the Poor and Vulnerable)

Catholic Relief Services is working to help families affected by Hurricane Dorian. To donate, click here.

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Expand Your Horizons

(Care for God's Creation)

From Iowa Interfaith Power and Light - On October 26th, Iowa Interfaith Power and Light will host a statewide interfaith gathering in Hiawatha, Iowa. The event will be held at Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Iowa college students of faith are organizing this event around the question, "As I discern my calling, how does faith invite me into climate action?" For more information, click here.

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For a complete list of upcoming events see the Social Action Calendar.

You're Invited - Pacem In Terris Award Ceremony

(Rights and Responsibilities)

Bishop Emeritus Munib Younan, a Lutheran church leader from the Middle East committed to cultivating peace by building bridges among religions, has been chosen to receive the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award. The award ceremony will be held Tuesday, September 24, 2019 at 7:00 PM in the Ascension Chapel in Founders Hall at Augustana College, 820 38th St. Rock Island, Illinois. You’ll find more information in this recent Catholic Messenger article. This event is free and open to the public.

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Learn Something New
(Care for God's Creation)

From Catholic Climate Covenant: The Amazon rainforest is on fire. So far this year, 74,000 fires have been spotted — an 83% jump from the same period last year - imperiling survival of one million indigenous people and jeopardizing the ecosystem which generates more than 20% of the world's oxygen and 10% of the world's known biodiversity.

When the Special Synod of Bishops on the Amazon convenes this October (6-27) in Rome, issues affecting the Amazon Basin and other rainforests (deforestation, resource extraction, climate change, integral ecology, and the role indigenous communities play in protecting critical ecosystems) will be front and center. Your parish, school, or religious community can also place these issues front and center. Download the free 2019 Feast of St. Francis educational program, “We Are All Connected: Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor” and your community can accompany and walk in solidarity with the Amazonian Synod participants.

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Note: Project Rachel Ministry is a confidential, post-abortion healing ministry of the Catholic Church offering hope and healing to women and men hurting from past abortions. The Office of Social Action has three banners for parishes to use to help promote Project Rachel Ministry. If you would like to reserve them for your parish contact Esmeralda Guerrero, 563-888-4210.
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Save the Date

Kerry Weber: "Mercy in the City" - Novak Lecture at the Newman Center, Iowa City. This talk, sponsored by the Louise Wolf-Novak Service and Social Justice Endowment, will be held Wednesday, October 23, 7:00 – 8:00 PM. Kerry Weber is a Mercy Associate and managing editor of America Magazine. She is an alumna of the Mercy Volunteer Corps and of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Kerry is the author of Mercy in the City, a book about how to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the imprisoned, and keep your day job.

Diocesan Social Action Saturday - St. Ambrose University, Davenport. The fourth DSAS will be held October 26, and our focus will be pray, learn and act, a mantra of social justice work. Professor Ella Johnson will present on prayer and Catholic Social Teaching. Professor Micah Kiell, who has a new book, Reading the Bible in the Age of Francis, will talk about learning in relation to justice issues. More information to come.

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