Social Justice Ministry Newsletter

April 2008

Topics

• Upcoming Events
• Immigrant Raids in Ann Arbor
• Students
• Volunteers Needed
• Social Justice Prayer

Upcoming Events

• Thursday, April 3: ICPJ: Next Steps in Mobilizing Faith Voices for Peace in Iraq
• Come join with other spiritually-rooted peace activist to explore how we can organize religious perspectives to promote peace in Iraq. Joe Reilly will kick off our evening with music, followed by discussion and action planning, including organizing a Peace Sabbath series and supporting wounded veterans.
• 7:00 pm at the Wesley Foundation Lounge, First United Methodist Church, 602 E. Huron St. (at the corner of State and Huron). Details: 734-663-1870, chuck@icpj.net. Sponsored by Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice.
• Thursday, April 3: Health Care for Michigan Campaign information meeting: Michigan Union
  
• 8:00 pm in the Michigan Union (Wolverine Room)
• State Steering Committee member Michelle Debbink (MD, PhD) will answer tough questions and give a good, brief overview of the campaign as well as info about how we can get involved in Ann Arbor and on campus to collect signatures.
• Saturday, April 5: Promoting the Common Good in Michigan, Statewide Conference: Madonna University
  
• 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
  
• Catholics in Alliance is hosting a Michigan Catholic gathering to learn more about the justice work your organization or parish is doing and discuss how we might work collaboratively on common good issues. Over 50 social justice organizations and hundreds of individuals have been invited. For more information, contact Brian Peck at bcpeck@umich.edu.
• Sat/Sun, April 5-6: Relay for Life: Palmer Field
  
• 10:00am-10:00am
  
• Relay for Life is a 24 hour event which brings people together in the fight against cancer by celebrating those who have survived cancer and remembering those who have lost their battle. With the support from Relay and other fundraising events, The American Cancer Society is able to continue to work toward their mission of eliminating cancer and providing help to those who have been touched by this disease.
• Thursday, April 10: SJM Movie Night: "Why We Fight" Donnelly Hall, St. Mary's
  
• 7:00 pm
• Inspired by Dwight Eisenhower's legendary farewell speech (in which he coined the phrase "military industrial complex") Eugene Jarecki's film "Why We Fight" is an anatomy of the American war machine over the past 50 years. The film explores the workings of the military industrial complex and the rise of the American Empire. Jarecki poses the deeper question of why. Why does America Fight? What are the forces (political, economic, and ideological) that drive us to fight against an ever-changing enemy?
• This event concludes with the Social Justic Ministry semester them: "Seeking Peace in a Culture of Violence."
• Wednesday, April 16: "Lobbying Days in Lansing"
• Join Catholic Caucus of Southeast Michigan for a Lobbying Day in Lansing.
• Agenda will include: Briefing Session, Meetings with representatives, lunch, and meetings with senators. Position papers and talking point will be available.
• This is your opportunity to be part of a larger contingent of people lobbying for social justice and issues of concern to the people of your communities, including the human services budget.
• To arrange transportation, schedule meetings with legislators or for further information please contact Rita Mary Olszewski, RSM 313-898-3328.
• Saturday, April 19: Pax Christi Michigan Conference: Cristo Rey Church, Lansing, MI
  
• 8:30-4:30
• Register now for the Pax Christi MI Annual Conference, "Neither Servant nor Master: Sisters and Brothers All "
  
• Key-note speaker, Dr. Jeanette Rodriguez, Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Seattle University and former President of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians in the United States.
  
• Workshop topics will cover issues such as immigration, environmental justice, human trafficking and white privilege.
  
• For more information, contact Arun D’Souza at: adsouza92@yahoo.com.
  
• Jennifer Mills from St. Mary’s will receive the Young Adult Peacemaker Award during the conference for her work organizing buses to the SOAW Vigil at Ft. Benning, GA. Brochures available at the parish and at www.paxchristimi.org
  
  

Immigrant Raids in Ann Arbor

In mid March several raids took place in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in which they (reportedly) entered private residences unlawfully, used violence and threats in detaining people, terrorized young children by attacking their parents in front of them, separated families, yelled at and verbally abused people, stolen identification, ransacked people's private property, used excessive intimidation, etc.

On March 17, fifty (50) people met within 12 hours of being informed of these horrific raids. We officially formed the Washtenaw County Interfaith Coalition for Immigration Rights.

To find out more about this organization and how you might become involved, contact Fr. Dan Reim, S.J. at dreim@umich.edu.

Students

Sign up for “Students for Social Justice” on Facebook!
Are you on Facebook? If so join the SJM group "Students for Social Justice - St. Mary Student Parish" to learn more about our programs and how you can get involved. You don't have to be a student to join.

Graduating students: Sign UM’s Social Justice pledge

Once again this year, the Ginsberg Center invites graduating UM students to consider signing this pledge as they move toward their graduation.
You can sign the pledge electronically until 11:00 pm on Wednesday April 9th. We will feature an ad listing all students who signed the pledge this year at the Ginsberg Awards, on our website, and other prominent campus locations.
To sign the pledge, go to http://www.umich.edu/~mserve/events/Responsibility-Pledge_07.html

St. Mary’s Student to receive Pax Christi Michigan Young Adult Peacemaker Award
UM Student Jennifer Mills from St. Mary Student Parish will be awarded the Young Adult Peacemaker Award at the April Pax Christi Michigan Conference (See above). For the past two years, Jennifer has organized a bus to the School of Americas Watch Vigil (www.soaw.org).
She has also attended lobby days to close the SOA. In addition she is active in Alternative Spring Break and RCIA at St. Mary's. In between her peacemaking work she is a junior studying Biology, International Studies & Medical Anthropology at the UM.
For more information, see www.paxchristimi.org.

Volunteers needed for Delonis Community Kitchen

Volunteers are needed for both the cooking and cleaning shifts for the Delonis Shelter for the winter/spring. St. Mary’s has a commitment to provide volunteers on the 1st and 5th Mondays of the month. The cooking shift is roughly 3PM-5PM, and serve/clean-up is 5-7pm. For more information please contact Dr. Sheila Marcus at: smmarcus@med.umich.edu.

Social Justice Ministry Prayer

Receive this holy fire.
Make your lives like this fire.
A holy life that is seen.
A life of God that is seen.
A life that has no end.
A life that darkness does not overcome.
May this light of God in you grow.
Light a fire that is worthy of your heads.
Light a fire that is worthy of your children.
Light a fire that is worthy of your fathers.
Light a fire that is worthy of your mothers.
Light a fire that is worthy of God.
Now go in peace.
May the Almighty protect you Today and all days.

From “Tanzania” in Prayer Without Borders