Social Justice Committee

“The Social Justice Committee at St. Anthony’s attempts to answer what ‘doing justice’ means for Catholics in our current times. Our ongoing efforts have hopefully helped the parish learn more about the need for charity, service, and advocacy in the greater community. All three responses are necessary as we strive to love our neighbors and grow closer to God.”                    Margaret Mary Fitzgerald, Parishioner

Charity & Service

St. Anthony’s has a rich tradition of charity and service to others, as seen through activities such as a monthly food collection for the Thomas Merton Family Center in Bridgeport; annual Giving Tree contributions for Sr. Eileen Boffa’s street ministry; the annual AutumnFest fair, which donates a percentage of the proceeds to Merton Center; construction of houses with Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County; and more.

Social Justice

But what about the issues underlying our social structures that are the root causes of poverty, inequality, and racism? The Social Justice Committee works together to address these issues, and to engage the parish and community. See History & Activities below.

Our Mission

St. Anthony’s Social Justice Committee is grounded in the long and rich history of Catholic Social Teaching. It is comprised of parishioners concerned with issues of social justice—the distribution of opportunities, privileges, and wealth—in the Catholic Church and, more broadly, in our society. We prayerfully consider how our faith encourages us to act in the face of such inequities.

Our main goals are to:

EDUCATE To foster the connection between liturgy and social justice by examining the root causes of issues that adversely affect the general welfare; e.g. poverty, human migration, systemic racism, environmental degradation, and more.

INSPIRE To enlighten others on what we have learned in our studies: fellow parishioners, students, friends, and colleagues, and our local community.

EXPLORE To search for effective solutions that can be put into practice on a local level, by our own efforts, and/or in cooperation with other like-minded faith-based organizations.

ACT Finally, to become actively involved in such outreach efforts, and welcome other St. Anthony parishioners to do so, when personal preference, time, and opportunities allow.