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Catholic Social Teaching in Action
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May & June 2024
Rights & Responsibilities-
What are Rights?
According to Catholic tradition, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. These rights include the right to food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and rest as well as social services to provide these things when a person's work or family cannot.
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What are Responsibilities?
Our responsibilities as Christians are paired with each person's right to life and to have their basic needs met. Because we believe in the common good, we all have the responsibility to do what we can to ensure that everyone - no matter who they are - has a right to life and to food, shelter, medical care, rest, etc.
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How can I live out my responsibilities so that everyone has access to their basic needs?
The easiest way to live out our responsbility to ensure that everyone's basic needs are met is by getting involved in one of St. Austin's Ministries of Charity:
Outreach to Persons in Need
St. Vincent de Paul Society
Gabriel Project
Micah 6
St. Austin Service Days
Christmas Basket Project
Below, you can also see what other organizations in our community are doing and how to get involved in their efforts.
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Advocate for the Common Good
In addition to sharing our time, talent, or treasure locally to work towards the common good, we are also called to advocate on the local, national, and global scale to make sure people around the world have their basic needs met.
Check out our advocacy page for 4 ways to advocate for basic needs that can make a difference right now.
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What organizations meet basic needs in our community?
Click on the links to get involved.-
Shelter
Casa Marianella welcomes displaced immigrants and promotes self-sufficiency by providing shelter and support services.
The Other Ones Foundation offers humanitarian aid, case management, and low-barrier work opportunities to people experiencing homelessness in Austin.
Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center offers pathways to housing for people experiencing homelessness through wraparound services and programming that engages our communities and leads system-wide transformation. -
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Affordable Housing
Foundation Communities creates housing where individuals and families succeed.
Saint Louise House provides housing and essential services in Austin to homeless women with children.
Mobile Loaves & Fishes' Community First! Village provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for the disabled, chronically homeless in Central Texas.
Austin Habitat for Humanity helps families with affordable home ownership, home repairs, and more. -
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Food, Clothing, etc.
Trinity Center is open 6 days a week serving those experiencing homelessness in the downtown Austin area with breakfast, case management, and more.
The Open Door homeless ministry of University United Methodist Church provides food, water, hot coffee, bus passes, as well as clothing and toiletries through their Fig Leaf Store every Saturday morning. -
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Medical Care
El Buen Samaritano, an outreach ministry of the Episcopal diocese of Texas serving the Latino community of Central Texas, is committed to recognizing the dignity of all by ensuring access to healthcare, education and essential needs that lead to healthy, productive, and secure lives.
Manos de Cristo empowers low-income individuals and promotes dignity and self-reliance by meeting basic needs with food and clothing, providing essential oral care, and furthering educational development.
CommUnityCare Health Centers works to strengthening the health and well-being of our communities, while breaking down barriers to equitable access to care, including the patient’s insurance status or ability to pay.
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April 2024
Care for God's Creation-
Care for Creation
We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.
Visit our Care for Creation page for more prayers and ways to take action this month and beyond.
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Prayer and Action for Environmental Justice
Week of April 28:
Jesus calls himself the "true vine" and his Father the "vine grower" in this Sunday's Gospel. The images of fruit and pruning remind us of our connection to nature. Part of Jesus's call in the Gospel to "remain in me" is to do as he did and offer that same level of care to all of God's creation as the vine grower offered his vine and the fruit.
Learn more about how our faith compells us to act for environmental justice in section 2 of our Care for Creation page.
Week of April 21:Jesus calls himself the "good shepherd" in this Sunday's Gospel. The images of protecting his sheep from wolves reminds us of our call to care for both people and animals, living our faith in relationship with all of God's creation.
Week of April 14:
In the Gospel, Jesus shows the disciples his hands and feet and reminds them that he has flesh and bones like they do. We show respect for our Creator - who had flesh and bones like we do - by our care and concern for others and by our stewardship of creation. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God's creation.Week of April 7, Divine Mercy Sunday:
We ask God's mercy for the times we have failed to care for creation as individuals and as nations.
O God, our hope for the world. We pray for planet Earth, a tiny speck in the vast universe, yet precious and holy in your sight. Help the leaders of the world to make the right decisions that will create and sustain good living conditions for all beings. Help each of us to embrace the sacrifices that are necessary to treat our planet as the beautiful and incredible home you have made for us. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.
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February & March 2024
Solidarity-
Solidarity
We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. Solidarity means that we are our brothers and sisters keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that if you want peace, work for justice. The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers. Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.
Learn more in the video Solidarity (under 4 min).
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Invitations to Grow in Solidarity
Week of March 24:
Throughout the ongoing immigration debates, our faith challenges us to have the same compassion and concern for vulnerable people as Jesus did. Over spring break, some St. Austin parishioners traveled to the Texas-Mexico border to stand in solidarity with migrants who have fled their homelands in search of a better life. Please keep the people they encountered at the border in your prayers, and read the Easter bulletin for a reflection on their time at the border.
Week of March 10:
Celebrate International Women's Day (March 8) by watching "Cabrini". This new film tells the story of Mother Frances Cabrini, the first American saint, who fought for humane treatment, better living conditions, and increased compassion for immigrant orphans at the turn of the 20th century. Find showtimes and learn more about the film.
Week of March 3:
Learn how you can stand in solidarity through Georgetown University's "Catholic Sisters Working to Erradicate Human Trafficking" online discussion panel on Wednesday, 3/6 at 11:30am. RSVP here.
Week of February 25:
Learn more about the role of black women in the evangelization misson of the Kingdom through Catholic Theological Union's Tolton Lecture "If Not for the Women" on Wednesday, 2/28 from 4:30pm to 7pm. Click HERE to register.
Week of Feburary 18:
Join in the local conversation around race in Austin at this month's Courageous Conversations, held on Zoom on Tuesday, 2/20 at 6:30pm. Email Kristen to receive the link.
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January & February 2024
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers-
Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
When we think of work, we as Catholics believe that the economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation.
If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected. These basic rights include the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.
A major, modern-day challenge to the dignity of work and to workers rights is human trafficking. Victims of human trafficking are exploited in a variety of ways, including commercial sexual exploitation, debt bondage, and involuntary servitude. Traffickers keep their victims from seeking help through confiscating identification documents, threats of violence against the victim or their family, and physical or psychological abuse. Learn more on our Human Trafficking webpage.
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Weekly Calls to Take Action against Human Trafficking
Week of February 11: Pray for an end to Human Trafficking.
Week of February 4: Learn about the relationship between the Super Bowl (next weekend) and Human Trafficking.
Week of January 28:
Save the national trafficking hotline number in your cell phone: 888-373-7888.
Week of January 21:
Read the Myths & Facts of Human Trafficking
Week of January 14: Learn the signs of Human Trafficking
Week of January 7:
Participate in #WearBlueDay on Thursday, January 11 - wear your favorite blue clothes or accessories!
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November & December 2023
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable-
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
A basic moral test of our society is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a nation and world where the divisions between rich and poor continue to widen, our Catholic Christian tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has more bible verses and church teaching on the Option for the Poor and Vulnerable.
Everyone has a right to the basic necessities of life – food and drink, clothing and shelter. We call this the Universal Destination of Goods. The rich and bountiful resources of the Earth are God’s, intended for the good of all people and not merely a select few.
As Catholics, we are called to give preferential treat to those who are poor and vulnerable. This is not referring to acts of mercy, valuable as they are, but beyond mercy to acts of justice. Those of us who are wealthy (that is, those who have more than what is needed) owe a share of our wealth to those of us who are poor (that is, those who do not have their needs met). The sharing is a requirement that is made clear in the Gospel. -
Fighting Poverty and Hunger
As we enter the holiday season, we remember that poverty and hunger often go hand in hand. Here are some ways to learn and take action on poverty and hunger this season:
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Pray with our weekly quote (below) from a saint, pope, or modern-day Catholic as we consider how to live out Jesus' call to care for the poor and the hungry in our community and around the world.
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Check out our Poverty page for prayers, Catholic teaching on poverty, and ways to take action to reduce poverty.
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Parishioners donated non-perishable food and diapers to our Epiphany Food Drive at all Masses the weekend of January 6 & 7. Food donations supported our Micah 6 Food Pantry and diaper donations helped families served by our Gabriel Project ministry. Here was the list of most needed food items, and sizes 4, 5, and 6 diapers were our primary need.
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Our Christmas Basket Project ministry supported over 200 families this year through presents and gift cards.
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Around Thanksgiving we collected new or gently used coats to benefit Coats for Kids through St. Austin Catholic School. Call 512-477-3751 for details on this drive.
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Quotes on Poverty and Hunger from Popes, Saints, and Modern-Day Catholics
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St. Louise de Marillac
"I beg you for the love of God to show great tenderness to the poor." — St. Louise de Marillac
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Pope Benedict XVI
"Jesus taught his disciples to pray by asking the Heavenly Father not for 'my' but for 'our' daily bread. Thus, he desired every person to feel co‐responsible for [their brothers and sisters] so that no one would want for what [they need] in order to live. The earth's produce forms a gift which God has destined "for the entire human family”. — Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, November 12, 2006
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St. Ambrose of Milan
"It is not from your own possessions that you are bestowing alms on the poor, you are but restoring to them what is theirs by right. For what was given to everyone for the use of all, you have taken for your exclusive use. The earth belongs not to the rich, but to everyone. Thus, far from giving lavishly, you are but paying part of your debt." — St Ambrose of Milan
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Dorothy Day
“The Gospel takes away our right forever, to discriminate between the deserving and the undeserving poor.” ― Dorothy Day
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Pope John Paul II
"A consistent theme of Catholic social teaching is the option or love of preference for the poor. Today, this preference has to be expressed in worldwide dimensions, embracing the immense numbers of the hungry, the needy, the homeless, those without medical care, and those without hope." — Pope John Paul II, Solicitudo Rei Socialis (1987), paragraph 42
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USCCB / St. John Paul II
"The needs of the poor take priority over the desires of the rich; the rights of workers over the maximization of profits; the preservation of the environment over uncontrolled industrial expansion; the production to meet social needs over production for military purposes." — United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Economic Justice for All, no. 94 citing St. John Paul II's Address September 14, 1984
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Pope Francis
“But the Eucharist does not end with the partaking of the bread and blood of the Lord. It leads us to solidarity with others. The communion with the Lord is necessarily a communion with our fellow brothers and sisters. And therefore the one who is fed and nourished by the very body and blood of Christ cannot remain unaffected when he sees his brothers suffering want and hunger.” — Pope Francis, Video message to participants of National Eucharistic Congress of India, November 12, 2015
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St. Theresa of Calcutta
"Make us worthy, Lord, to serve our fellow [humans] throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger. Give them through our hands this day their daily bread, and by our understanding love, give peace and joy." — St. Theresa of Calcutta, Where There Is Love, There Is God: A Path to Closer Union with God and Greater Love for Others
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USCCB
"The obligation to provide justice for all means that the poor have the single most urgent economic claim on the conscience of the nation." — United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Economic Justice for All, no. 86
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October 2023Life and Dignity of the Human Person
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The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.
Examples of persons whose dignity is undermined or threatened are:unborn babies
children in foster care
persons experiencing homelessness
incarcerated persons
civilians intentionally targeted in war
refugees and asylum seekers
poor and vulnerable communities around the world who are negatively impacted by climate change
persons experiencing domestic violence or other forms of abuse
those who are charged with the death penalty
Our St. Austin community strives to promote the dignity of each person through our ministries as well as our justice and advocacy efforts. Check out the topic we are highlighting each week for more details!
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Weekly Highlights
October 29: Racial Justice
October 22: Immigrants, Asylum Seekers, and Refugees
October 15: Domestic Violence
October 8: Homelessness and Affordable Housing
October 1: St. Austin's Gabriel Project Ministry -
October is also Respect Life Month
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September 2023Call to Family, Community, and Participation
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This month, we're diving into the Catholic Social Teaching principle Call to Family, Community, and Participation. As our parish school year is underway and we continue to settle into our new building, we want to remember that we are one St. Austin community - church AND school.
As Catholics, we believe that we all have a right and a duty to participate in our parish community and in society at large. Together we seek to promote the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable. -
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"We are one body, individually members one of another." ~ Romans 12:4-8
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Ways to Participate in and Build Community at St. Austin
Looking for ways to get involved or build community at St. Austin? Here are just a few ideas:
Sing and say the responses at Mass.
Greet the people sitting next to you at Mass and introduce yourself.
Check out St. Austin's many ministries and learn about one or two to get involved in. We have ministries that serve during Mass, grow spiritually together, help with religious education for children or adults, support our school, serve people in need, advocate for justice, and more!
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Check back regularly as we add all seven Catholic Social Teaching principles throughout this school year.
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