Promote the common good of all
Our work in advocating justice, peace, and care of creation is rooted in the Gospel, our mission and our values. Our advocacy efforts focus on the most poor and vulnerable of our dear neighbors, whether living nearby in Beaver County or across the globe in India. By working in partnership with our Associates, colleagues, friends and many collaborators, we believe we can make the greatest impact on peace and social justice. Download a weekly guide to pray for the vulnerable in our society.
The Justice and Peace office coordinates a number of channels for advocacy including letter-writing campaigns, special prayer services, petitions, public forums, face-to-face meetings with public officials, and networking groups, such as the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph.
Racism and White Privilege
Acknowledging our complicity in the sin of racism and other forms of violence, we are committed to educating ourselves about the structures and ongoing impacts of racism; engaging in relationships with persons and communities of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds; and working to dismantle structures of privilege in ourselves, our Congregation, and the wider community.
Rebuilding Haiti
For the past five years, the Sisters of St. Joseph in the United States and Canada have collaborated with Mission Haiti to help rebuild the lives of the Haitian people after the 2010 earthquake. Our project has focused on Annunciation School in Leogane, Haiti, and the education and empowerment of girls. View the Haiti Lenten Journey resources for 2021.
Human Trafficking
Often called “modern day slavery,” human trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world.
While often perceived as a problem in other countries and large cities, trafficking victims have been identified in city, suburban and rural neighborhoods in all 50 states.
This awareness prompted our Sisters to help in the formation of the Beaver County Anti Human Trafficking Coalition in 2012. The coalition, which meets monthly, has provided training for a response team and continues educational outreach.
Hunger and Poverty
Our Sisters help to address hunger locally and abroad. Our community gardens provide fresh produce for local food banks and soup kitchens. Through letter-writing and education sessions, our Sisters also collaborate with the local Bread for the World to help address the human right of food security.
Immigration Reform
We call for just immigration reform that treats all people with dignity and respect, keeps families intact, and provides a direct pathway to citizenship. Inspired by the Gospel’s call to love our neighbors and compelled by reports of dehumanizing conditions at the border and inside federal facilities, a group of Sisters traveled to Texas in August 2019 to help restore dignity to families just released from the largest border patrol processing center in the country.
We also founded Casa San José, a resource center for Latino immigrants making their home in the Pittsburgh area, in 2013 to meet the growing needs of our Latino neighbors.
Climate Change
We believe that water and the earth are sacred because God created them. We acknowledge the reality of climate change and the urgency of addressing this issue for the sake of the whole Earth community. There is need for an effective cooperation between men and women of good will in assisting the ongoing work of the Creator. Learn about and share ways of living sustainably to protect our common home.
Death Penalty
We reverence the life and dignity of every human person and oppose the death penalty, urging support and compassion for the victims of violence and restorative justice for the offenders. Help advocate to end the death penalty in Pennsylvania.
For more information, contact:
Sister Kari Pohl
Coordinator of Justice and Peace
724-869-6562
kpohl@stjoseph-baden.org