Dorothy Day: Saint?

As we have discussed in class, Dorothy Day has been unanimously suggested for candidacy as a Saint in the Catholic Church by the USCCB.  Please read this article about her sainthood and surprising support of her life by the Archbishop of NY.  In your post, please respond to the following questions:  How do you think saints should be determined?  What is essential to be elevated to such a high level of respect and reverence?  How does the Archbishop's support of Day surprise you?  Or does it make sense that he would support her work?  What does it mean to be a Catholic Saint, really?!

Circles of Protection

In July, a group of religious leaders across the spectrum posed questions to the presidential candidates on the topic of poverty.  This group, named the Circle of Protection, argues that we as a nation need programs to protect the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society.  Please read about their position and beliefs and then watch the brief (3 minutes each) video responses from Governor Romney and President Obama.  In your own words, summarize the candidate's statements and explain how they compare to the Church's teaching on justice and charity.  What are the strengths/weaknesses of the candidates statements?

Beyond the Swoosh

Today in class, you heard stories of justice and charity in the New Testament.  Then you heard the work of Jim and Leslie, seeking justice for factory workers based on the themes of Catholic Social Teaching.  Our 20/20 club is also running a drive to secure the rights of workers, especially children, who pick cotton used by Urban Outfitters.  As Catholic Social Teaching challenges us, we are called to put the needs of the most vulnerable in our society at the forefront of our decision making process.  How can we do this in a society where many corporations do not respect the dignity and rights of workers?  Should we boycott all companies that do not pay a 'fair' or 'living wage'?  Will this be effective/is it realistic or possible?  What do you think?  What does your understanding of the Christian faith tell you to do?

Church and Scripture

After reading pages 10-30 on Social Justice and God's plan how does this compare to your experience of Church as communion and a source of salvation?  Respond with a paragraph post!

How's the World? Messy...

In a recent article on Busted Halo, the author cites an interview with former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in which he describes the world as 'messy'.  Part of liberation theology and Catholic social teaching calls us to engage the 'messiness' of life.  Please read the article and respond to the following questions: How do you respond when you hear stories of immense suffering or injustice in the news or even when a friend shares a personal story?  What do you think the Gospel messages tell us about how we 'ought' to respond?  How can we live by the Gospel message- according to the article?  according to you?  Please explain your responses, citing examples from your experiences.

Justice and Charity

One of the leading advocates for justice in the Philadelphia region is Sister  Mary Scullion.  Sister Mary works with the homeless through an organization called Project HOME.  Spend some time looking at their website and post on your blog a thoughtful response to the following questions:
1) How does project home work for justice for the homeless?  Do you think they also do works of charity?  2) How does project home compare to/differ from traditional homeless shelters?  Is this a better model, more complicated, etc?  3) After looking at their website and programs offered, what do you think is their 'best' or most important program?  Why?
In your response, you needn't number it but rather answer in 2-3 paragraphs of thoughtful reflection!