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Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation
On this pages, you will find articles about creating justice for all, spreading peace and caring for Mother Earth and all creation.
World Water Day: March 22, 2010
--Associate Jim Vogel
The theme for this year's World Water Day is: "Communicating Water Quality Challenges and Opportunities."
At a United Nations meeting early in the New Millennium of 2000, the following goal was identified: "provide safe drinking water and proper sanitation to every person on this earth." As a follow-up in 2005, the UN declared a "Decade of Water" with the slogan, "Water for Life 2005-2015," to attempt to bring this goal to reality.
Here at St. Francis Convent in Little Falls, Minn., we have a committee in place called "Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation" (JPIC). My wife Alice and I have been part of that committee since 2000. The issues of "Sister Water" were one of the topics the committee addressed. About the year 2005 a joint committee was formed, collaborating with the Benedictine Sisters of St. Joseph, Minn. Early on in this joint endeavor, it was decided that "water" was of such importance that a subcommittee should be established to focus on water issues. Thus, the "Water Subcommittee" was formed, consisting of Sister Mariterese Woida, OSB; Sister Mary Zirbes, OSF; and me.
We have been faithfully involved with worldwide water issues through our study and research. Each year we have a special project to present on March 22, World Water Day. This year we are publishing a list of resources and information on Water Education Materials, Ideas for Water Awareness, Water Conservation Ideas and Water Projects for citizens, students and groups. We hope by means of this publication that we can get much of the awareness and knowledge we've discovered into the hands of interested people, further fostering the care of "Sister Water."
I personally feel blessed for having the opportunity to participate on the JPIC Joint Committee and especially for working so closely on a regular basis with such holy, knowledgeable, experienced and caring sisters on our little Water Subcommittee.
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The theme for this year's World Water Day is: "Communicating Water Quality Challenges and Opportunities."
At a United Nations meeting early in the New Millennium of 2000, the following goal was identified: "provide safe drinking water and proper sanitation to every person on this earth." As a follow-up in 2005, the UN declared a "Decade of Water" with the slogan, "Water for Life 2005-2015," to attempt to bring this goal to reality.
Here at St. Francis Convent in Little Falls, Minn., we have a committee in place called "Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation" (JPIC). My wife Alice and I have been part of that committee since 2000. The issues of "Sister Water" were one of the topics the committee addressed. About the year 2005 a joint committee was formed, collaborating with the Benedictine Sisters of St. Joseph, Minn. Early on in this joint endeavor, it was decided that "water" was of such importance that a subcommittee should be established to focus on water issues. Thus, the "Water Subcommittee" was formed, consisting of Sister Mariterese Woida, OSB; Sister Mary Zirbes, OSF; and me.
We have been faithfully involved with worldwide water issues through our study and research. Each year we have a special project to present on March 22, World Water Day. This year we are publishing a list of resources and information on Water Education Materials, Ideas for Water Awareness, Water Conservation Ideas and Water Projects for citizens, students and groups. We hope by means of this publication that we can get much of the awareness and knowledge we've discovered into the hands of interested people, further fostering the care of "Sister Water."
I personally feel blessed for having the opportunity to participate on the JPIC Joint Committee and especially for working so closely on a regular basis with such holy, knowledgeable, experienced and caring sisters on our little Water Subcommittee.
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Childhood Poverty Increases in Minnesota
New information from the "Kids Count Data Book 2009" indicates:
The number of children living in poverty in Minnesota has gone up from 114,000 in 2000 to 140,000 in 2009. The current poverty rate is 11% of all children. The child poverty rate is currently higher than that of the general population.
Racial disparities exist for children living in poverty. In 2007, Minnesota had the highest poverty rate in the nation for Asian children at 24%; for Black children, Minnesota ranks 40th in the nation with 41% living in poverty.
33% of all Minnesota K-12 students (270,247) qualified for free and reduced-price school lunch in 2007. The percentage has been steadily increasing since 2000.
There were 88,000 uninsured children in Minnesota in 2008, nearly a 12 percent increase since 2001.
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Franciscan Family Supports Health Care Reform
The Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls joined Franciscan Action Network (FAN) and many Franciscan religious congregations in a recent letter to Congress supporting health care reform. In part, the letter reads:
"We write to you as leadership from the Franciscan Family in the United States. Many of the men and women whom we lead and the persons whom we serve are engaged in the ministry of health care. In addition, thousands of Franciscans in their daily ministry provide a healing presence to all who struggle and are afflicted by the wounds of poverty and injustice.
We urge the 111th Congress to pass sustainable health care reform. We find it unacceptable that our country has over 47 million people without access to insurance, that people endure the hardship of the risk of losing insurance, and that health care is becoming increasingly more expensive and inefficient.
18. 3% of all Catholic Hospitals in the United States are sponsored by Franciscans, not to mention the untold thousands of Franciscans who care for the sick. We heartily support the attached statement provided by the Catholic Hospital Association of the United States of America which advocates for health care reform that promotes
•· Human Dignity
•· Concern for the Poor and the Vulnerable
•· Policies that Exercise Justice
•· Policies that Promote the Common Good
•· Policies that Encourage Stewardship of Health Care
•· Policies that Reflect Pluralism
As Franciscans we add our passion to care for the outcast and a faith grounded in the charitable stewardship of life.
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The Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota, is a community of Roman Catholic women religious who follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ, walking in the footsteps of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi. We welcome those who wish to join us as sister, associate, volunteer, transfer sister, friend and donor. We live lives of prayer in community and in service to the poor as we seek to build a more peaceful world and to care for the Earth. We sponsor the St. Francis Music Center and St. Francis Health & Recreation Center, both open to the public.