Members of six parish communities in Placer County have recently joined forces to put their faith into action for social justice.

Called the Placer County Social Justice Advocates, the group held their first meeting in March, involving members from St. Rose of Lima Parish in Roseville and Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Rocklin.

Members of the Placer County Social Justice Advocates from St. Rose of Lima Parish in Roseville and Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Rocklin include, from left: Roger Bailey, Shirley Kelly, Denise Sewart, Mary Perez, Shelby Cecchettini, Denise Johnston, Spencer Johnston, Cathy Goularte and Steve Davis. Nancy Westlund/Herald photo

“We teamed up because we wanted to share our talents, minimize duplicated efforts, and increase our ability to form coalitions around issues that engage us,” said Denise Sewart, one of the founders of the Placer group.

Sewart, a member of St. Rose of Lima, said the group was modeled after a part of Bishop William K. Weigand’s pastoral vision that encourages parishes to cluster to enhance some ministries and activities.

The group has monthly meetings
and video showings at the Roseville and Rocklin parishes. They have added support from St. Clare Parish in Roseville, St. Joseph Parish in Lincoln, and the Catholic Community of Auburn (St. Joseph and St. Teresa of Avila Parishes).

“Part of what we’re doing is having people recognize each other as having a common interest,” said Father Michael McKeon, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish. “There are also social justice concerns in Rocklin, Lincoln and Auburn. These parishes are interactive communities not defined by borders.”

The social justice group sponsored its first major collaborative event Aug. 17 at Saints Peter and Paul Parish. The workshop, titled “Profiles of Poverty,” drew more than 60 people. The event featured perspectives of poverty addressed in the major Catholic social justice principles.

Sewart said the workshop was planned to provide opportunities for people to share ideas on social justice advocacy, to realize they can make a difference, and to meet Catholics from other area parishes.

Keynote speaker for the event was Maryknoll Father Roy Bourgeois, who spoke about oppressed people in Latin America. Father Bourgeois founded the School of the Americas Watch, an organization which calls for closure of the U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA) in Fort Benning, Ga. He has been speaking out for over a decade against the SOA, targeting those graduates implicated in human rights atrocities in Latin America.

“We simply can’t be faithful if we don’t work for peace and struggle for justice, and live our lives in solidarity with others,” Father Bourgeois said. “Peace and justice matter. They are being pursued by the parishes, the diocese, the whole church.”

Sister of Social Service Martha McCarthy, director of education for Jericho, an interfaith public policy organization focusing on education for social justice, talked to participants about “legislative empowerment.”

“We know poor families often have to choose between housing, child care and health care,” she said. “Unless we are willing to do our part to be a voice for people who have no voice, it’s business as usual.”

To be an advocate for change, Sister McCarthy contended, means talking to your neighbors, and letting them tell their stories.

“Hopefully story by story, we can make a difference,” she said.

Other speakers included Steve Davis and Spencer Johnston, members of Saints Peter and Paul Parish. Davis suggested practical ways to conserve the world’s increasingly limited natural resources as “earth advocates.”

Johnston suggested to workshop participants that the true definition of good business is avoiding companies which don’t practice fair business policies.

Denise Johnston, co-founder of the Placer County Social Justice Advocates and a member of Saints Peter and Paul, said the workshop was an effective way to dispel some common misconceptions about social justice.

“What people saw was everyday people putting their faith into action, supporting principles of Catholic social teaching by how we live our lives,” she said. “We all are truly connected in the world we live in today.”

Paul Comiskey, a member of the Catholic Community of Auburn, endorsed the idea of parishes jointly planning events like the workshop. “Joining forces on issues that go across parish boundaries just makes sense,” he said.

In recent weeks the advocates group has seen attendance at its video nights grow from 10 to 40, and it has begun receiving donations from member parishes to assist with future programs.

St. Rose of Lima and Saints Peter and Paul also linked up to bring Father Bourgeois to speak during Masses one weekend in August at both parish communities.

Father Michael Dillon, pastor of Saints Peter and Paul, said he has already seen the benefits of collaboration.

“It brings people together and people are supporting one another,” he said. “This is just the beginning of something that hopefully will grow much bigger.”

For more information on the Placer County Social Justice Advocates, call (916) 300-0482.

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