Good Shepherd Parish
Menomonee Falls, WI
Voices for Justice Advocacy Efforts
Based on the teachings of Christian faith, Good Shepherd’s Voices for Justice is dedicated to helping those without voices be heard through education and advocacy. The group researches local and international issues using Catholic Social Teaching as the selection criteria. Once approved, the issues are posted on the group website, www.mygoodshepherd.org, (select Voices for Justice link), and for those without web access, hard copies are provided in the Church lobbies. Email, bulletin and pulpit announcements are made advising the congregation that the monthly Voices for Justice Action Alert is ready. Recipients of the alerts are invited to review the issue, and are given a very tightly defined action (typically a phone call, letter, or email to a legislator or governmental body). As of the nomination submission date, they estimate that just under 3,000 “actions” have been generated by this program.

Prince of Peace ~ Principe de Paz Parish
Milwaukee, WI
Outreach Ministry which Welcomes Immigrants
Prince of Peace / Principe de Paz Parish’s commitment to work on behalf of minorities is an essential part of the parish mission. Helping immigrants to keep their identity, their traditions, language, religious traditions, and values are part of the daily ministry. Guidance is provided when dealing with issues of immigration, education, and driving licenses. With the assistance of other organizations such as MICAH en espanol, the parish is working on helping newcomers to learn and understand the laws of this country. The parish is an advocate for a reform in laws that will allow children of undocumented people to go to college.

St. Joseph Religious Education
Lyons, WI
Justice Education and Commitment to Help the Poor and Vulnerable through their Homeless Project
On a 19 degree night in November, members of the religious education program and their families experienced what it felt like to be homeless. Participants built shelters with cardboard and duct tape, ate at the “soup kitchen” run by the high school students, and attended a prayer service following an educational program on homelessness. For the individuals who stayed in their shelters all night, they learned just how lucky they were to have a warm bed and a place to call home. Over $6,000 was raised for the Transitional Living Center in Burlington.

St. Mary Parish
Elm Grove, WI
Global Solidarity Efforts for Tsunami Relief
In response to the southeast Asian Tsunami, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee raised over $1.5 million for Catholic Relief Services.  Leading the way in fundraising efforts, St. Mary Parish raised over $60,000.  This was part of a larger social justice effort at St. Mary which extends to the 6th - 8th grade students at St. Mary’s Visitation School. The school’s “Less is More” Leadership Club initiated and lead more than 60 students in a large number of school and community projects ranging from service to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, serving lunch to homeless men, and holding bake sales for Free the Children.

St. Monica School
Whitefish Bay, WI
Justice Education and Youth Formation Program entitled Just Readin’
This innovative literature program connects books with our Catholic identity. Specifically, the Just Readin’ program connects the eighth grade literature curriculum with educational and experiential encounters with Catholic Social Teaching. It allows books to be read within the context of justice issues and provides for ministry opportunities. For each book studied, the students are enriched by a community or parish component, a technology connection (i.e. visiting related websites as a research tool), a hagiography piece to study a related saint, which becomes the impetus for a social justice outreach project. A new novel, “I Heard the Owl Call My Name” by Margaret Craven, was added to the curriculum in 2004-2005 to create a connection for the eighth grade mission trip to the Lakota Reservation in South Dakota.

St. Hyacinth Parish
Milwaukee, WI
Commitment of Direct Service to the Community by Organizing and Running a Food Pantry
St. Hyacinth’s Food Pantry provides more than the standard food distribution. They add value for their clients by providing community resources, health, and social work services. The parish receives excellent support from dedicated volunteers from both within the parish and from several suburban parishes. Volunteers are trained well and practice solid Gospel values: gentleness, respect, dignity, care, and compassion.