I was thinking about how our Catholic parishes are sometimes challenged in being in tune with the needs of the community. How do we lead others to a personal encounter with Jesus and accompany them along the way? How do we ensure our parishioners, Catholic students, and religious education students feel welcomed as they continue their own faith journey? How do we ensure that Jesus' light shines though us as we live in the world regardless of backgrounds or origins of the people we encounter?
I read this article by Jesuit Priest, Reverend Christopher J. Devron, SJ who currently serves as president of Regis High School. (A Catholic Alternative to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education, American, the Jesuit Review, April 2024). It provides some valuable information about what we already have in our teaching doctrine. We have what some call "the best kept secret," the Catholic Social Teachings (CST) of the Church. What he says in this article made so much sense to me that I thought I would share the link. I will be getting in touch with Reverend Devron to find out if he has developed a program based on the CSTs and if he has, I will be happy to share it here. Click here for the article.
Fr. Devron grew up in Palatine, Illinois and graduated in 1989 from the University of Notre Dame, where he majored in philosophy and government. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1991 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2001. Fr. Devron holds a Master’s in Philosophy from Loyola University Chicago as well as a Master’s in Divinity from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology. He also earned a Master’s in Theology in African American spirituality through coursework at the Harvard Divinity School and the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans.
