Social Justice in Burlington, Ontario

Friar Maurice Richard - pastor of St. Raphael's Church

in Burlington, Ontario

Burlington is a prosperous city in Ontario. It lies just over 60 kilometers west of Toronto. One of Burlington's parishes is the Conventual Franciscan Church of St. Raphael. The relative well-being of the parish does not mean that its members do not concern themselves with their immediate community and the problems of the world in general. Francis of Assisi always welcomed other human beings and helped them as best he could. St. Raphael's Parish tries to do the same through its many ministries; one of these is the Social Justice Committee. The committee's motto follows: "Through the lens of social justice, we look at the problems and issues facing us in our community, the nation and finally the world."

St. Raphael's Parish

St. Raphael's Social Justice Committee has a very pragmatic approach to its mission. To begin changing the world, one needs to be first aware of the many problematic issues that are out there. As Christians as well as citizens of the world, we can not isolate ourselves from the difficulties our planet as well as our brothers and sisters are facing. It is no wonder then that the committee works to educate its members on what is going on in the world. Since the committee operates in a Catholic environment, its members also emphasize the facts that social justice is rooted in Catholic beliefs. Catholic beliefs and teachings can therefore be used to solve our own problems and those of the world.

There are many social justice issues out in the world today

Spreading the word about the world's many problems is a great thing, but it is not enough. St. Raphael's Social Justice Committee therefore promotes discernment on action. What can we do to change things? These acts towards change are not expected to fix everything right away. That would be unrealistic and a great frustration. They are however meant to change the world for the better in small increments. As Catholics we are all called to live our faith through action. The Social Justice Committee at St. Raphael's Parish definitely takes this idea to heart.

(Sources of photos on webpage and homepage: www.straphaels.ca, www.csj-to.ca, www.sueddeutsche.de, www.wikipedia.org)