Catholic Social Teaching and Political Resistance: A Conversational Guide Why Christians Have Resisted Unjust Power Throughout history, Catholic social teaching has inspired people to stand up whenever governments or systems violate basic human dignity, harm the common good, or turn their backs on the poor. There’s actually a straightforward framework for this called See–Judge–Act that... Continue Reading →
Collaboration in the Public for the Public ~ Part II of Are you part of the Praxis Wing?
Looking for ways to get started? I recommend forming Study Groups, Book Clubs, and Discussion Groups. Start small; remember, the early followers of Jesus were small groups that gathered for meals, study, and discussion of Jesus' words. The followers then figured out action plans together. Today, all of this can be done live, on Zoom,... Continue Reading →
When we have an ear to the people, we then hear the words of the Gospel.
There is a wealth of wisdom to be gleaned from the unique perspectives of Oscar Romero, Thomas Merton, and Joseph Cardijn. First, many people are not very familiar with them, even in Catholic circles, such as those in the pew who live day-to-day, trying to survive—the non-academics in our world. All three men are studied... Continue Reading →
Reflecting on Benedict of Nursia and Joseph Cardijn: Do we see the patterns?
Reflecting on both St. Benedict of Nursia (c. 480-547) and Joseph Cardijn (1882-1967), we come to SEE-Discern-ACT and the role they played as influential Catholic figures who made lasting contributions to Christian spirituality and practice. However, they lived in very different eras. As cultural historians, we seek patterns, trends, and key similarities among individuals during their period when they experienced a... Continue Reading →
More than a century later, have you read Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum?
More than a century later, Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum (1891), a deep examination of economic and social issues, still resonates with the complexities of today's world. Its main ideas on economic fairness, workers' rights, and government roles remain just as important now as they were in the past, grounding us in a strong historical... Continue Reading →
Do we still hear the plea from Laudato Si’? By Julie Peller Ph.D.
Green Junction May 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’, on Care for our Common Home, his written plea to humanity to address environmental degradation through conversions of the heart. Like many Catholics, I expected significant shifts by church leaders toward care for creation after the release of this encyclical. National Catholic... Continue Reading →
In The Spirit of Discernment
In his book The Modern Apostle, Louis J Putz CSC shares some of the influences that Monsignor Cardijn had on his thinking: "Monsignor Cardijn happened upon a normal and natural formula, almost accidentally. From his seminary days, he had decided to dedicate all his life to the cause of the young workingman. He came from a... Continue Reading →
Is Pope Leo XIV urgently directing our attention to the mega-ethical issue of our time?
Those of us who work in the spirit of Joseph Cardijn, Leo XIII, and the core message of the Encyclicals, we see a vision in the new pope that resonates with our understanding of Joseph Cardijn's work and with those who embraced his mantra in their lives. Indeed, Pope Leo XIV is drawing global... Continue Reading →
A Tribute to Pope Francis by Julie Peller, Ph.D. Think Planet and People.
Green Junction The MaryKnoll Office of Global Concerns recently summarized the focus of Pope Francis’s work as “care for creation, justice for the poor with an emphasis on migrants and refugees, and the pursuit of peace.” Pope Francis was the one of the greatest voices for the natural world, which he beautifully noted as Our Common... Continue Reading →
Religion Matters: Do you really know your Religion?
Throughout my career, I have navigated the gap between teaching Religion and working in technology, concentrating on technology strategy discussions. Most of my teaching has focused on comparative religions, which I have taught at the high school, college, and adult continuing education levels. I've witnessed the transformative power of studying comparative Religion through my teaching.... Continue Reading →
Innovate ~ Educate ~ Collaborate 
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