Office for social ministry
“We remain steadfast and resolute in the vision articulated by Pope Francis that at this time we need to be building bridges and not walls.” (Statement by the Catholic Bishops Conferences of Mexico and the United States February, 2019)
Lent is a special time to work on building a stronger bridge to God and to each other. Through prayer, fasting, almsgiving and acts of charity, we can engage in ways to build better bridges in our lives — not only on the borders between countries, but also in our communities. Here in Hawaii, faith-based organizations provide opportunities to build these bridges with the most vulnerable.
HOPE Services Hawaii (www.hopeserviceshawaii.org), which grew out of the diocesan Office for Social Ministry’s work in parishes, was chosen in recent years to lead Bridging the Gap, a network of agencies collaborating with local and state governments to work with homeless persons on the Big Island, Maui and Kauai to improve their lives and find temporary and permanent housing.
The Institute of Human Services-IHS (www.ihshawaii.org), grew out of the Episcopalian Church’s ministry with the homeless. It was chosen to lead Partners in Care, an Oahu network of service providers and government agencies that address the issues of homelessness and affordable housing. Bridging the Gap and Partners for Care collaborated in a thoughtful commentary in the Feb. 2 Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “Major Investment Needed for Housing in Hawaii.”
Catholic Charities Hawaii (www.catholiccharitieshawaii.org) works with both Bridging the Gap and Partners in Care, playing a vital role in advocacy work around homelessness and affordable housing. It also joins St. Francis Healthcare System in its advocacy for kupuna services.
Faith Action for Community Equity (www.faithactionhawaii.org) is another interfaith network addressing the needs of the most vulnerable by supporting affordable workforce housing, drivers’ licenses for migrant workers, long term elderly homecare and other concerns.
The Pua Foundation (www.puafoundation.org) grew out of the United Church of Christ’s “Trauma to Transformation” ministry with Hawaiians. It leads “Going Home,” an inter-faith bridge-building effort of different faith communities accompanying persons returning from prison and reintegrating into their communities.
The First United Methodist Church has been leading The Legal Clinic (www.tlchawaii.org), which brings together communities of faith, legal professionals, unions and universities in providing legal services and “citizenship fairs” for migrants and refugees in Hawaii.
All these organizations have important and exciting activities planned for March and April, providing excellent opportunities for us all to put our faith into action and build bridges (not walls) with the most vulnerable in our communities. We encourage you to visit the above websites to see how you can be engaged in their efforts to “share the journey” during this Lenten season and beyond.
We also encourage all to encounter God through the Catholic Relief Services’ Lenten Rice Bowl in prayer, fasting and the giving of time, talent and treasure, ministering with the vulnerable (www.crsricebowl.org). In last issue’s “Talk story,” CRS Rice Bowl linked us to Norma in Guatemala, whose sisters and brothers have fled violence and poverty to seek asylum at the U.S. border. There, in El Paso this past week, all the Catholic bishops on the U.S.-Mexico border called for all to build bridges not walls.
Rice Bowl’s Story of Hope for this issue shares the journey of Annet, a refugee from Sudan in Uganda, one of the poorest countries in the world, but a leader in welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating refugees.
Mahalo,
Your friends at the Office for Social Ministry
STORY OF HOPE: ENCOUNTER ANNET OF UGANDA
Annet and her siblings (CRS photo)
Annet’s youngest sister calls her Mom — and for good reason. Since their parents’ deaths four years ago, 16-year-old Annet has been caring for her three siblings: Gladys, 6, Irene, 8, and Emmanuel, 10. It hasn’t been easy. Ongoing violence in their home country, South Sudan, forced Annet to take her siblings and flee south to neighboring Uganda. It was a dangerous journey, but Annet kept them safe despite threats from rebel soldiers.
For more than two years now, Annet and her siblings have been living in Bidi Bidi, one of the world’s largest refugee settlements. Formed in 2015, Bidi Bidi is home to nearly 300,000 people—many South Sudanese who, like Annet, fled for their lives to Uganda. While Annet is happy to be away from the violence, life in Bidi Bidi is hard — especially for a young woman trying to raise her siblings. That’s why CRS is building houses for families like Annet’s. A place to call home means Annet can rest a little easier at night knowing her family is safe.
But that’s not all. CRS is also helping people like Annet learn to farm and is giving them the tools they need to succeed. Annet was given her own plot of land to plant on so she will be able to continue providing for her siblings. For her, that’s the most important thing. While she wants her family to return to South Sudan one day, for now she knows that staying is the safer option. In the meantime, she encourages her siblings to go to school and does all she can to ensure they’ll have a bright future. “My hope is to raise my siblings,” she says. “And I know I can do it with the help of CRS and my Catholic faith.”
MEATLESS SOLIDARITY MEAL: Uganda’s Bamia Okra Stew
(Makes 4-6 servings)
- 2 tablespoon fair trade olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 16-ounce bag frozen cut okra
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped,
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable stock
Heat olive oil in large pot. Sauté onions until brown. Add okra, garlic and spices. Once okra is lightly browned, add tomatoes and vegetable stock. Simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until okra is soft and stew thickens.
— Catholic Relief Services
