Establishing a Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation group

On Saturday 24th January a small group of MSCs met in St Albans to continue to explore how we might realise in a structured and corporate way the justice, peace and integrity of creation values articulated in our Constitutions and Chapter Statements. This was a follow-up to a first meeting held in Waterford last November.

The initiative has arisen in from discussions following on from last summer's European MSC Assembly in Issoudun, France on the theme of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation. At that Assembly we were especially struck by the success of both the Belgian and Dutch MSC Provinces who have adopted a structured apporach to JPIC work for many years.

Establishing a Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation group

Liam O'Brien MSC, Alan Neville MSC, Mark Van Beeumen MSC and Carl Tranter MSC attending the JPIC day in St Albans

The day of reflection and sharing began with two inputs. The first was from Ellen Teague, a member of the Columban Missionaries JPIC group. She outlined the diverse activities that the group has been involved in over a number of years. From mining in the Philippines to advocacy around genetically engineered crops to campaigning for global justice in England it was apparent that the Columbans have a clear commitment to the living out of these Gospel values in their congregation. Through the collaboration of lay missionaries, the active participation of Columbans themselves and an extensive network of partners in the voluntary sector they have been at the heart of may JPIC initiatives in the UK during the past decade. Most recently they took part in the protest against the war in Gaza at the Foreign Office in London.

Ellen also outlined the challenges facing any JPIC group today, especially one that is rooted in a religious congregation. The need for commitment of personnel, resources and the possible employment of lay people were discussed. Developing a strong relationship with all members and animating the Province as a whole were considered to be particularly important. That said it was felt that the work undertaken by the Columbans represented a clear commitment of the congregation to identify themselves with the poor and dispossessed. Working and learning together with members from around the world, both from developed and developing countries, has been a profoundly enriching experience for all concerned.

The second talk in the morning session was from Scott Albrecht, a member of the Catholic Workers Union. Scott, along with his family, run The Catholic Worker Farm that acts as a refuge for migrant and refugee women, a number of whom have been trafficked for sexual exploitation. Scott outlined some of the contextual theology and spirituality that underpinned his commitment to JPIC. His work extends beyond his ministry in his refuge and includes direct symbolic action for peace at military installations.

After lunch and a time of prayer the remainder of the day was spent reflecting on the morning’s input and progressing the work of the previous meeting. It was felt that there was a great deal of energy regarding setting up a permanent JPIC group within our own congregation. Its role would be to raise consciousness among our members, to resource them in tackling issues and act ourselves as a group in relation to a number of key areas. At the last meeting in November a series of nine areas had been identified by the group as important issues in JPIC.

After a great deal of discussion this was further narrowed down to just four issues we felt we could begin to focus on. The relevance to the members of the Irish Province in their ministries and communities, as well as the to the world at large were the key factors in the discernment process. These areas included:

1. Strangers in our midst – The challenges facing refugees, asylum seekers, trafficked peoples and economic refugees.

2. Emerging faces of poverty - Reflecting on our local communities and how they are being impacted by the changing global economic situation as a result of the ‘credit crunch.’

3. Care of the dying poor – In both South Africa and Venezuela MSCs are very much involved in the development of the hospice movement among the most needy. This may be one way of supporting our oversees efforts.

4. Our own environmental impact – Examining how our communities and ministries can operate with integrity of creation as a central value.

The challenge of progressing these themes further will be taken up at the next couple of meetings.

The date of the next meeting is on Saturday April 18th in Killinarden, Dublin, and the meeting after that will be in St Alban’s on Saturday 18th July. The meetings are open to all MSCs who wish to attend.

For further information you can contact Alan Neville MSC at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .