The church’s social teaching and how it can help change the status quo will be the subject of hour-long presentations scheduled around the Archdiocese of Louisville next month.
Father John Schwartzlose, director of mission at Catholic Charities of Louisville, will focus the presentations on two of the seven themes of Catholic social teaching: the life and dignity of the human person and the call to family, community and participation.
“It would be too heavy or too deep in the weeds to cover all Catholic social teaching in an hour. So we’re zeroing in on human dignity and the call to participation,” he said during a recent interview.
“Most of us have a pretty good grasp of how we are invited to participate sacramentally and even socially with fish fries and volleyball tournaments,” he noted. “But how do we take what we’ve been given by our parents — through baptism, our formation — how do we take that into the world?”
That’s the guidance provided by the church’s social teaching, he said, adding, “It is an invitation to go out and spread the Good News.”
‘Most of us have a pretty good grasp of how we are invited to participate sacramentally and even socially, with fish fries and volleyball tournaments. But how do we take what we’ve been given by our parents — through baptism, our formation — how do we take that into the world?’
Father John Schwartzlose, Catholic Charities of Louisville
On the theme of human dignity, the presentation will address, “What does it look like when human dignity is respected?” And on the subject of participation, Father Schwartzlose said he’ll examine, “What would it look like if people in the archdiocese lived this not just in Lent, but in regular life?”
If social teaching “were practiced more regularly or with more conscientious input, we could really change the world in more ways than we already are,” he said.
If the initial presentations are well received, Catholic Charities will likely continue the series into the other topics of social teaching, he added. The other themes of Catholic social teaching are: rights and responsibilities, option for the poor and vulnerable, the dignity of work and the rights of workers, solidarity and care for God’s creation.
The series of presentations coincides with a new campaign for Catholic Charities of Louisville called “People Up,” encouraging people to get more involved in its work.
The presentations are scheduled for:
- March 4, 6 p.m. – St. Dominic Church in Springfield, Ky.
- March 6, 6 p.m. – St. James Church in Elizabethtown, Ky.
- March 7, 6:30 p.m. – St. Paul Church, 6901 Dixie Highway.
- March 13, 6 p.m. – St. Monica Church in Bardstown, Ky.
- March 18, 6 p.m. – St. Aloysius in Pewee Valley, Ky.
