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The mission of St. Austin Catholic Social Justice Ministry program is to help parishioners recognize and respond to their Baptismal call to discipleship. Rooted in scripture and guided by Catholic social teaching, the program seeks to educate the parish about social ministry and provide that means by which individuals and the parish community can use their gifts to serve the poor and vulnerable and to work for justice locally and throughout the world.
The roots of social ministry is the call to justice and charity (click here to read a wonderful essay on Justice and Charity that explores the differences between the two). The parish must proclaim the transcendent message of the gospel and help:
bring good news to the poor
in a society where millions lack the necessities of life;
bring liberty to captives
when so many are enslaved by poverty, addiction, ignorance, discrimination, violence or disabling conditions;
bring new sight to the blind
in a culture where the excessive pursuit of power or pleasure can spiritually blind us to the dignity and right of others; and
set the downtrodden free
in communities where economic and moral forces leave people without real hope. (cf. Lk 4:18)
Communities of Salt and Light, US Conference of Catholic Bishops
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