Those who’ve met me would never guess that I began life as an introvert and have a strong introversion preference as an adult. An informal headcount would reveal that many of our ministers and priests are similarly inclined.
As I grew into adulthood, I found that the more I felt kinship with an idea or believed in the truth of a cause, the more willing and able I was to overlook that preference for introspection and speak aloud.
It has become an enjoyable and energizing activity to preach, teach, speak and learn among the people of God in the 24 counties of central Kentucky. So when our team at Catholic Charities began creating a teaching series that included visiting Catholic parishes to engage them in Catholic social teaching and the remarkable works of Catholic Charities of Louisville, I jumped at the opportunity.
My first visit was to the town of Springfield in the parish of St. Dominic. The attendees, most of whom were teachers or catechists, were eager to learn, and I could feel the warmth and joy in the air.
As we explored the reality of the world as it is and the promise of a world as it could be, the pillars of Catholic social teaching began to draw wonderful images in the very space around us. In their hit song from the year 2000, “Walk On,” U2 sings “You’re packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been. A place that has to be believed to be seen.”
When acted upon and lived out, the tenets of our social teaching can help us reposition our world from “what is” into a world that must be believed to be seen. Within the wealth of Catholic social teaching lies the antidote to what ails society, an answer to the status quo when that status quo is not OK.
In each of the five gatherings we held on Catholic social teaching, one could see a spark forming in the eyes of our guests, and I knew that the message was being received.
Visiting five parishes within unique regions not only taught me about the wideness of the faith, but also about the importance of community and connection. Every parish has an eagerness to do good and to dedicate itself to acts of love and compassion. Each parishioner had their own story, but the underlying message of Catholic social teaching stayed the same — dignity, compassion, solidarity and participation. And I was grateful to overcome my preference for quietness and be an active participant in spreading that message.
How then are we, who are an Easter people, called to action when we have found something true that stirs up a fire within us?
I know that each of us will have a different answer, and I am also sure that every one of us may find the beginning of that answer in the principles of Catholic social teaching.
Father John Schwartzlose is Director of Mission at Catholic Charities of Louisville.
