JUSTICE, PEACE
AND INTEGRITY OF CREATION
(JPIC)
MISSION STATEMENT
"The mission of JPIC is to assist the Professed Secular Franciscans as they reflect on their relationship with God as manifested in the fruits of conversion in their lives.
This with special regard to the daily choices made in the areas of justice, peacemaking and respect for all created things and people; as brothers and sisters of penance,
bringing life to the Gospel and the Gospel to Life." -
MESSAGE from our JPIC REGIONAL ANIMATOR
About Catholic Social Teachings
Joe Makley, ofs our National JPIC Animator made this connection for us while speaking (via ZOOM) at the St. Thomas More Regional Retreat July 2024:
"We can all agree that In Catholic Social Teaching:
'The life and dignity of the human person is the moral foundation of a just society.'
(Taking this further) A Central Understanding for Catholics today:
"The human person cannot have life or dignity without clean water, clean air, and a share in the goods of the earth."
Care for Creation is an essential element of our social teaching.
As Franciscans, we must meet the challenge of elevating this priority.
And later, Joe reminded us of Pope Francis' message that 'No one is saved alone.'
All 7 pillars of Catholic Social Teaching are interconnected, and we work best when we work together.
Everything is connected to everything else
Jesus reminds us in Mark 12:28-29 that:
To Love God, with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves is the essence of our purpose here on earth.
We are meant to be connected with God and one another by bonds of love.
Each of us has intrinsic value.
Each of us is a gift of God.
So, what about the rest of creation?
It, too was created by God as gift,
with intrinsic value, to be interconnected in a web of life and mutual inter-dependence.
Brothers Sun, Wind, Fire, and
Sisters Moon, Water, Mother Earth, and Bodily Death...
Each reflects an aspect of the glory of God.
Integrity of Creation: The value of all creatures in themselves, for one another, and for God, and their inter-connectedness in a diverse whole that has unique value for God.
Jay McDaniel, philosopher, theologian
Painting by Cynara Himes
This, in a nutshell, is what Integrity of Creation is all about.
Everything is connected to everything else.
Everything in creation is GIFT from God, has INTRINSIC VALUE, and is INTERCONNECTED.
People cannot live and thrive for long if the plants, animals, and ecosystems we depend on aren’t thriving – if the air and water we breathe and drink aren’t clean and available to us. Harming, overusing, or misusing one part of creation can lead to loss and damage to another.
God entrusts us with stewardship over creation – Franciscans speak of ‘kinship’ with her.
THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF THE PARTS
Pray, Live Simply, Protect Our Common Home
Contact information of your Regional JPIC Animator and team.
Dot Himes,ofs dothimes@gmail.com
Rita Cummins, ofs ritasgems@gmail.com
Rosemarie LeClercq, ofs jewel.li.0603@gmail.com
Cindy McCollum, ofs cynthia.mccollum@gmail.com
Tom McNamara, ofs trmcnamara@yahoo.com
Lupe Saldana, ofs gsaldanaofs@yahoo.com
Maria Tiznado, ofs m.c.tiznado64@gmail.com
Benjamin Saenz, ofs benjamin.saenz@gmail.com
John Elder, ofs john.elder@ecolab.com
Carol Bundy, ofs cbundy2703az@q.com
Julie Nam, ofs julienam@cox.net
Justice
Promotion of Human Dignity
in all Stages of Life
"Respect for the human person proceeds by way of respect for the principle that "everyone should look upon his neighbor (without any exception) as 'another self,' above all bearing in mind his life and the means necessary for living it with dignity. No legislation could by itself do away with the fears, prejudices, and attitudes of pride and selfishness which obstruct the establishment of truly fraternal societies. Such behavior will cease only through the charity that finds in every man a "neighbor," a brother."
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Peace
Offering Mercy, Peaceful Dialogue and Prayer
"Socio-economic problems can be resolved only with the help of all the forms of solidarity: solidarity of the poor among themselves, between rich and poor, of workers among themselves, between employers and employees in a business, solidarity among nations and peoples. International solidarity is a requirement of the moral order; world peace depends in part upon this."
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Integrity of Creation
From Humanity to Environment
"Endowed with "a spiritual and immortal" soul,5 the human person is "the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake."6 From his conception, he is destined for eternal beatitude."
“Our mistreatment of the natural world diminishes our own dignity and sacredness, not only because we are destroying resources that future generations of humans need, but because we are engaging in actions that contradict what it means to be human. Our tradition calls us to protect the life and dignity of the human person, and it is increasingly clear that this task cannot be separated from the care and defense of all creation.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Former National JPIC Animator, Carolyn Townes reminds us all that:
"JPIC is our “presence in the world” and is at the heart of our Rule.
We need to refrain from saying JPIC is something ‘out there’.
JPIC is not an extra thing that we do - JPIC is part of every single thing we do.”
from NAFRA News, August 15, 2015