Author Archive

Katy and I just finished up with the annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, a time each February when about 500 folks from a variety of Catholic organizations arrive in Washington, D.C. to learn about each other’s work and strategize for policies and programs that “Put the Poor and Vulnerable First” and “Pursue Peace in a [...]

Read the entry: A Tsunami a Week →

Thanks to President Bush’s travels this week, many Americans are being exposed to some of the great humanitarian work happening on the continent, as well as some of the tragedies and ongoing civil concerns. The trip brings up for me memories of my time in Africa, most recently to Ghana. CRS has decades of [...]

Read the entry: Traveling in Africa →

Last year, Pope Benedict released an influential document entitled “God is Love” or, for those of you who actually made it through Latin class, “Deus Caritas Est.” With St. Valentine’s Day approaching, many of us turn our thoughts to romantic or friendly love, but with Fair Trade there are always ways to transform holidays [...]

Read the entry: How will you express Deus Caritas Est this St. Valentine’s Day? →

That question was the title of a sermon I heard at The United Church in Washington, DC this past weekend. The church, a combined ministry of the Methodist Church and United Church of Christ, hosted a United Students for Fair Trade regional convergence that Katy and I were honored to attend. I gave [...]

Read the entry: Students and Fair Trade: “Organizing for What?” →

A few years back I managed an AmeriCorps program and remember that the national service motto for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday was “Make it a day ON not a day off.” The idea was to encourage folks to do volunteer work in honor of Dr. King’s legacy instead of just hanging out on [...]

Read the entry: Traveling South for the King Holiday →

Like many kids, I knew Easter was coming when Palm Sunday rolled around. It wasn’t just the desire for a basket full of bunnies and fluorescent colored chicks that built the anticipation. The story of Jesus entering Jerusalem in all his glory, with the crowds waving palm branches and shouting greetings, filled me [...]

Read the entry: Order Soon to Add Justice and Joy to Palm Sunday →

Our friends and allies at the Fair Trade Federation and the Fair Trade Resource Network have ended the year with valuable new resources to support your efforts to live a Fair Trade life in 2008! The new website from information hub, FTRN, is designed to help you participate in a marketplace that values the [...]

Read the entry: New Web Resources for the New Year →

As we emerge from piles of wrapping paper, lament the amount of cookies we’ve consumed, and reflect on the good times and good people we enjoyed at Christmas, I hope you get rejuvenated by updates from folks who spent the season of Advent preparing for a Fair Trade Christmas.
Bob Walz of Guardian Angels [...]

Read the entry: Now this is how to celebrate Christmas! →

Many times when Katy or I are contacted about participating in the CRS Fair Trade program, we learn that the inquirer is a Just Faith graduate, someone who has participated in a 30 week justice formation program designed to help fill the world with humble, faith-filled people who act with courageous justice and love with [...]

Read the entry: A Just Faith Reflection on Christmas →

That’s a question that many at CRS have been asking this fall and into the season of Advent. A recent story in Philadelphia’s Catholic Standard and Times featured reflections from travelers who toured Jerusalem and the West bank visiting with Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders and CRS partners who are working to alleviate the [...]

Read the entry: Is Peace in the Middle East Possible? →