Diocese of Shrewsbury Justice & Peace Commission

Three-Year Plan, April, 2010 – March, 2013

 

Vision:   A diocese fully engaged with the call of God to be a people of justice and peace.

 

Purpose:  As Christians, we are called to try to live out God’s will.  God calls us to act for the common good and the good of all creation.  The main task of the members of the Commission is to answer that call personally and to engage the diocese in doing likewise, in the light of scripture and Catholic social teaching.

 

To engage the diocese …

·        Foster J&P activity by parishes, Local Pastoral Areas (LPAs), and individuals.

·         Dialogue with other Commissions and Departments of Shrewsbury Diocese.

·         Improve Communication.

·         Engage with young people.

… in acting for the good of all creation

·                     Reflect on climate change issues and promote action and resources within the diocese.

…and for the Common Good

·                     Encourage greater political engagement.

·                     Monitor implications of increased migration.

·                     Continue to promote the work of agencies working for the Common Good e.g. CAFOD, Church Action on Poverty, Pax Christi, Progressio.

·                     Continue to network with other Christian traditions and other Faiths.

… in the light of Scripture and Catholic Social teaching

·         Create opportunities for prayer/retreat

·         Provide opportunities for reflection on Catholic Social Teaching (CST)

·         Continue to promote Craighead Institute ‘Integrating Life & Faith Course’.

·         Reflect on ‘prosperity without growth’ in the light of Catholic Social Teaching.

 

 

The priorities listed are to be translated into action plans each year in response to rapidly changing social, economic, and political circumstances.  The Year 1 Action Plan follows:

 

 

 

Diocese of Shrewsbury Three Year Plan, Year 1 Action Plan (April, 2010 – March, 2011)

 

 

Year 1

Anticipated Outcomes

To engage the diocese …

 

·         Foster J&P activity by parishes, Local Pastoral Areas (LPAs), and individuals

·    Continue to produce MouthPeace & Quick News Network

 

·    Compile a collaborative index of resources to be readily available on website.

·     4 Copies of MouthPeace produced (MT, JS, MC, J&P Group) 4 copies of QNN produced (JS)

·     Index compiled and added incrementally to website (JS, AO’C+)

 

·         Dialogue with other Diocesan Commissions and departments.

·     Continue to develop links with other Diocesan Commissions and departments.

·     Encourage ‘greener’ policies within the diocese.

·     Links developed with other Diocesan Commissions and departments. (JS, MC)

·     ‘Greener’ policies encouraged through dialogue with other diocesan departments and Commissions. (JS, AT)

·         Improve Communication

·     Encourage parish J&P groups to engage with LPAs.

·     Seek greater J&P representation on LPAs.

·     Encourage J&P activists to submit items for their parish/LPA newsletters.

·     More systematic use of The Shrewsbury Voice to promote J&P

·     Parish J&P groups encouraged to engage with LPAs (JS)

·     Greater J&P representation on LPAs. (JS)

·     Items submitted to parish/LPA newsletters by J&P activists. (JS)

·         Regular Church in the World item trialled in The Shrewsbury Voice (JS)

·         Engage with young people

·     Continue links with Shrewsbury Catholic Youth (SCY).

·     Strengthen links with High School chaplaincies

·     Establish contact with schools, colleges, and Universities (Chester, MMU, Telford, etc.)

·     Suggest ways for young adults to be involved in J&P

·     Links continued with SCY. (All)

·     Links with High School chaplains strengthened. (JS, AO’C)

·     Contacts established with schools, colleges and universities. (AO’C)

·     Ways for young adults to be involved in J&P collated. (All)

 

… in acting for the good of all creation

 

·     Reflect on climate change issues and promote action and resources within the diocese.

·Produce a flow chart to show the connections between climate change and other issues.

·Work in partnership with CAFOD Diocesan Manager to promote CAFOD’s work.

·Provide suggestions for action and reflection via newsletters and website.

·     Flow chart produced (AG with AT, AW and JS)

 

·          CAFOD’s work promoted. (All).

 

·          Articles in newsletters and on websites. (JS)

 

…and for the Common Good

 

·         Encourage greater political engagement.

·     Hold a workshop on lobbying MPs and local authorities.

·     Workshop on lobbying MPs and local authorities held (JS,BP)

·         Monitor implications of increased migration.

·     Write to parishes asking for information on the implication of increased migration.

·     Produce information leaflet.

·     Liaise with Bishops Conference Refugee Advisor

·     Information from parishes collated. (JS)

 

·          Leaflet produced and disseminated. (JS)

·          Information has been shared. (JS)

·         Continue to promote the work of CAFOD and other agencies working for the common good e.g. Church Action on Poverty, Pax Christi, Progressio.

·    Work in partnership with CAFOD Diocesan Manager to promote CAFOD’s work.

·          Continue to encourage support for agencies working for the Common Good.

·          Promote their campaigns.

·         CAFOD’s work promoted. (All)

 

·         Support encouraged for agencies working for the Common Good. (All)

·         Campaigns promoted. (All)

·         Continue to network with other Christian traditions and other Faiths.

·     Maintain links in Shropshire through Shropshire Ecumenical Officer and in Cheshire through Justice and Development Group (Chester Diocese).

·     Links maintained (GC, BP)

… in the light of Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching

 

·         Create opportunities for prayer/retreat

·     Adopt a J&P Commission prayer.

·     Hold J&P prayer workshop.

·     J&P Commission prayer adopted. (AO’C, MC, JS)

·     J&P prayer workshop held. (A’OC, JS)

·         Provide opportunities for reflection on Catholic Social Teaching (CST)

·     Promote the Bishops’ Conference document Choosing the Common Good.

·     Continue to include snippets of CST in Quick News Network.

·     Make CST resources available on website.

·         Bishops’ Conference document Choosing the Common Good promoted (JS,MC)

·          Snippets included in Quick News Network (JS)

 

·          CST resources available on website (JS, BP)

·         Continue to promote Craighead Institute ‘Integrating Life & Faith Course’.

·     Promote the course in the diocese.

·     Coordinator to be member of Craighead Institute team delivering the Course

·     Course promoted through mailings (JS)

 

·     Coordinator helped deliver the Course (JS)

·         Reflect on ‘prosperity without growth’ in the light of Catholic Social Teaching.

·          Develop understanding of ‘prosperity without growth’[1]

·          Investigate speakers for focus day.

·         Focus day held (JS, TW, BrH)

 

Initials in brackets indicate the willingness of Commission Members to work towards these outcomes.

 


[1]     ‘Prosperity without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet’ is the title of a book by Tim Jackson, Economics Commissioner on the Sustainable Development Commission, the UK governments’ independent adviser on sustainable development.  He is also Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of Surrey.