Parish Outreach and Engagement
Our Faith In Action
“Prayer, then, is verified by authentic charity that manifests itself as encounter and proximity. If prayer does not translate into concrete action, it is in vain; indeed, ‘faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead’ (James 2:17). However, charity without prayer risks becoming philanthropy that soon exhausts itself.”
This part of our website will give context to living out Catholic social justice and provide ways to get involved, putting our prayer into action through Jesuit initiatives and local nonprofits.
The Seven Social Teaching Principles
- Life and Dignity of the Human PersonEvery person is made in the image of God, and is to be held as sacred. This is the foundational belief of Catholic social teaching. Catholics are called to a consistent life ethic: to oppose all social ills that may bring harm, oppression, or violence to human life from natural conception through natural death.
- Call to Family, Community, and ParticipationThe human person is inherently a social being, and is called to participate in giving of oneself and receiving the gift of the other in community and society. Marriage and family are the central pillar to the structuring of society. How we structure our societies through economics and policy matters to the flourishing of the human person.
- Rights and ResponsibilitiesEach person has the inherent right to life for the sake of their human dignity and status as a beloved child of God. This right to life includes the right to those resources and relationships which support living a decent life of flourishing. We also have responsibilities tied to these rights–to society, to family, to one another.
- Option for the Poor and VulnerableGrounded in the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46), we are called to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first in how we structure and live in society, community, family, and our daily lives, as the occasion arises.
- The Dignity of Work and the Rights of WorkersThe dignity of the human person must be the aim of the economy. Work is also dignified, because we participate in God’s creative power through it. The rights of workers therefore must be safeguarded, including–”the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative” (USCCB).
- SolidaritySolidarity is the practice of loving our neighbor. It is taking action in our daily lives to promote peace and justice. In an increasingly interconnected world, the answer to the question “and who is my neighbor” is far more expansive than ever before. The Church asserts that we are called to be “brother and sister-keepers” across our differences of nationality, economic status, culture, ideology, race, ethnicity, and upbringing (USCCB).
- Care for God’s Creation“We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of Gods creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored” (USCCB).
A Consistent Life Ethic
A consistent life ethic affirms that every human being deserves to live free from violence and dehumanization, from conception to natural death. This commitment calls us to uphold the dignity of life in all circumstances and to respond with compassion, justice, and mercy.
Living Out Catholic Social Teaching Every Day
Catholic Social Teaching is not only something we learn. It is something we live. One way the Church invites us to put faith into action is through the Works of Mercy.
- Feed the hungry
- Give drink to the thirsty
- Shelter the homeless
- Visit the sick
- Visit the imprisoned
- Bury the dead
- Give alms to the poor
- Counsel the doubtful
- Instruct the ignorant
- Admonish the sinner
- Comfort the sorrowful
- Forgive injuries
- Bear wrongs patiently
- Pray for the living and the dead
Jesuit West Advocacy Opportunities
Jesuit West serve with a simple goal: to follow Jesus by caring for people, promoting justice, and building a more compassionate world. Here’s how you can get involved.
Youth & Young Adults
Supporting students and young people through education, mentorship, and faith formation.
Serving Those in Need
Walking alongside people experiencing poverty, homelessness, or hardship with compassion and practical help.
Care for Creation
Protecting our environment and promoting sustainable living, inspired by Laudato Si'.
Faith & Justice
Bringing faith into action by addressing inequality, racism, and social challenges.
Building Bridges
Encouraging understanding between cultures and religions in our diverse communities.
Supporting Migrants & Refugees
Accompanying immigrants and refugees with care, advocacy, and hope, often in partnership with groups like the Jesuit Refugee Service.
Examples of Jesuit West’s Organizing Resources and Social Ministries
Jesuits West CORE
Jesuit West’s Collaborative Organizing for Racial Equity (CORE) is a resource toolkit on how to reflect upon and organize on racial justice in light of Ignatian spirituality and Catholic Social Teaching.
The Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center
The Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center works organizing the faithful to take action on Catholic social justice advocacy and education initiatives in the Northwest, in collaboration with Catholic, ecumenical, and other organizations.
Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest and Jesuit Volunteer EnCorps Programs
Learn more about Jesuits West
www.jesuitswest.org
Jesuit West is connected with the national and international services that deserve advocacy attention and provide educational resources on advocacy, such as:
The Ignatian Solidarity Network
ignatiansolidarity.net
Jesuit Refugee Service USA
www.jrsusa.org
Catholic Relief Services
www.crs.org
Ruined for Life
JVC Northwest was founded in 1956 and is a values-based service organization that recruits, places, and supports Jesuit Volunteers through a year of service. The four core, Jesuit-inspired values that the volunteers seek to live are: community, simple living, social and ecological justice, and spirituality/reflection. JVs currently serve in Alaska, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Spokane has had Jesuit Volunteers since the 1970s. They serve in a variety of roles: elder care, housing crisis casework, resource pantries, gardening, shelters for the unhoused, community engagement, fisheries, immigration liaisons, and so forth.
If you are interested learning more or joining JVC Northwest, find more information here: https://jvcnorthwest.org/how-to-apply/
JV EnCorps Program was founded in 2012 to bring intergenerational support to community organizations. JV EnCorps members serve part-time at a local organization for 10 months and gather together monthly to grow in the four core values of JVC Northwest: community, simple living, social and ecological justice, and spirituality/reflection. Spokane’s JV EnCorps members are vibrant, servant leaders and many are members of the St. Aloysius Parish.
To get involved in the Spokane JV EnCorps Program, email the Program Manager, Sarah Thompson, at jvencorps@jvcnorthwest.org or call at (971) 353-6771
Our Work Supporting Local Charities
- Catholic Charities Eastern Washington (CCEW)
- St. Margaret’s Shelter (CCEW)
- CAPA/Prepares (CCEW)
- Rising Strong (CCEW)
- Gonzaga Family Haven
- L’Arche
- Second Harvest
- Mission Community Outreach
- Christ Kitchen
- House of Charity
- Esperanza
- Transitions
- The Lands Council
Local Service Opportunities
You are needed in Spokane! Even an hour once a week, or a few hours once a month with your friends makes a huge difference to nonprofits. We are called to give not out of our abundance, but offer with generosity from our need and let the Lord multiply what we give like the story of the fishes and loaves (Matthew 14:14-21). Whether volunteering at a faith-based charity or a community organization, serving God’s creation in need is the Lord’s work when done with a heart of faith.
Second Harvest
1234 East Front Avenue
Roles:
Teaching kitchen
Food packing
Food deliveries
Zilch Market shopping
Restocking
St. Margaret’s Shelter
101 E Hartson Ave Spokane
Roles:
Food bank helper
Yard work
Donation organizing
Clothing boutique
Meal prep
Contact
volunteering@cceasternwa.org
Other Catholic Charities Opportunities:
https://www.cceasternwa.org/volunteer
Northeast Youth & Family Services
Suite 300, 19 E Queen Avenue
Community Garden:
1831 E Mission Ave
Roles:
Receiving pantry guests, donation organizing, driving and restocking the food, clothing, hygiene, or diaper bank, community gardening, event volunteering
Mission Community Outreach Center
1906 E. Mission Ave
Roles:
Reception desk, organize clothing and household items, event volunteering, collect donations of hygiene products, diapers, clothing and housewares, join their prayer team, assist with office work and grant writing
Partners Inland Northwest
10814 E Broadway Ave, Spokane Valley
Roles:
Desk reception, clothing sorting, greeting clients, weighing clothes, pantry check out, stocking food bank shelves, driving to pick up “rescue food” at grocery stores
SpokAnimal
710 N Napa Street, Spokane
Roles:
Cat Caregiver, Dog Dooty Walker, adoption matchmaker, outreach, office help, dogs playing for life, clinic assistant, social media, special projects
The Land’s Council
25 W Main Suite 222
Roles:
Plant and maintain trees
River clean-up
Outreach and fundraising
Events volunteering
Our Place Community Outreach
1509 W College Ave
Roles:
Food bank distribution, hygiene bank preparation and service, clothing closet sorting and distributing, casework, general maintenance and cleaning
Habitat for Humanity Spokane
1805 E. Trent Ave., Spokane, WA 99202
Roles:
Cashiers
Sales floor
Warehouse help
Construction
Learn more about nonprofits! Find your fit here:
www.volunteerspokane.org
Prayer
Our prayer matters. Every rosary, novena, and offertory prayer is heard by the ears of God and embedded in His Sacred Heart. Praying for the poor and the protection of all life and all of God’s creation brings us into solidarity with suffering. Prayer also humbles us, reminding us that we are all dependent on the mercy of God, all in need of His Provision (Matthew 6:26-34).
Morning Offering
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day
for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world,
for the salvation of souls, the reparation of sins, the reunion of all Christians,
and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father this month.
Amen.
St. Therese, patron saint of missionaries, pray for us!
St. Aloysius Gonzaga, pray for us!
St. Ignatius, pray for us!
Contact Us Today
For more information about any of our service opportunities, please contact Alexious Ferrante.
