Our work for justice

In a world that has become increasingly violent, the Sisters of the Holy Cross choose to follow the nonviolent way of Jesus, and work to implement a culture of justice and peace, standing in solidarity with all who suffer, especially women and children.

For more than 175 years, Holy Cross sisters have responded to the injustices of the times through their ministries—from educating girls and providing health services to the poor, to socially responsible investing, to caring for Earth and collaborating to end human trafficking.

Our Congregation Justice Committee (CJC) directs and coordinates the work of the Congregation. The CJC and the Congregation Justice Office help members of the Congregation and the broader society understand and address issues of social justice and peace. Our work involves raising consciousness about justice issues; seeking the interconnections among issues; providing opportunities and resources for justice education; advocating for action strategies that promote the transformation of unjust structures; global networking with individuals and groups working for social justice; and participating in initiatives proposed by the Holy Cross International Justice Office.

Today, unprecedented numbers of people are displaced around the globe, a circumstance that leaves many individuals vulnerable to acts of aggression, manipulation and violence—including human trafficking. In response to this horrific situation, the Sisters of the Holy Cross have begun a congregation-wide process to take a formal stand in solidarity with migrants forced to flee from their homes for any reason.

“The phenomenon of migration is part of salvation history, a sign of the times which speaks of the providential work of God in history and in the human community, with a view to universal communion,” Pope Francis explained.¹ Specifically addressing the dangers migrants face he called for action. “Indifference and silence lead to complicity whenever we stand by as people are dying of suffocation, starvation, violence and shipwreck. Whether large or small in scale, these are always tragedies, even when a single human life is lost.”² 

The Congregation Justice Committee will coordinate the Sisters of the Holy Cross’ formal corporate stand process. The first phase of the process involves learning more about the issue, its root cause and effective ways to address it.

In the rich imagery of Pope Francis, when such vast numbers are leaving their homelands “with a suitcase full of fears and desires,” the Congregation must “respond to the globalization of migration with the globalization of charity and cooperation.”³

The Carbon Footprint Reduction Fund, supports carbon-reducing projects and promotes the use of renewable energies in sisters’ local communities and congregation-sponsored ministries.

Current projects include the installation of solar panels at a convent in Kasoa, Ghana; the repair and replacement of a solar power generator for a school in Kyarusozi, Uganda; several tree planting projects in Ghana and Uganda; and installation of LED lighting at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States.

With your support, the Congregation can devise and begin to fund many more innovative carbon-reducing projects in the coming year. Please join us in our commitment to care for creation with a donation.