In May I wrote a series of bulletin articles exploring the Corporal Works of Mercy. My goal was to provide an opportunity to reflect on each work of mercy and how it might be integrated in more intentional and structured ways in our parish. Since charity and mercy are foundational pillars of pastoral planning and renewal in the Diocese of Jefferson City, and since our parish has demonstrated a strong commitment to direct charity and social outreach in response to growing needs around, it is good to set up a more robust structure of leadership in this area. 

The Social Concerns Commissions of our diocesan parishes have traditionally provided the leadership that puts the Gospel imperative of mercy into practice. I am scheduling an initial planning meeting on Thursday, August 18 at 7:00 PM in the parish center. I invite anyone to attend who is interested in exploring the future of mercy in our community with the eventual goal to charter a commission  that can assist all of us in being more effective servants of mercy and charity.

The purpose of the Social Concerns Commission would be to identify the significant social issues that either enhance or compromise the well-being and sanctity of individuals and the community. The commission assists the pastor in leading the parish’s response to those issues in the light of the Gospel and the Tradition of the Catholic Church. The Commission provides leadership to all parishioners in helping them live out their baptismal calling to preach the Good News by word and works on a local, regional and global level. While all the commissions and councils of the parish offer opportunities to fulfill the stewardship value of service, it is the Social Concerns Commission which ensures that each and every parishioner has an opportunity to be of direct charitable service in proportion to one’s abilities.

The commission’s work will be organized according to key responsibility areas, designating coordinators to provide the specific leadership required to respond to the various concerns that are prioritized. For example, food security is a key concern which our parish responds to in significant ways, especially through the local food pantry and Hope’s Kitchen. We provide volunteer work, foodstuffs, and financial support. The many parishioners  engaged in attending to those who have food insecurity provide crucial experience and insight at a practical level. With just a little more organization and communication, we should easily be able to expand our efforts in attending to a need that is increasing rapidly in these difficult times.

Another key responsibility could be addressing concerns related to adequate housing for people in many different circumstances. Again, this concern is being attended to in a major way by the direct charity we give to many in providing one or two night stays at a local hotel. Emergency, temporary shelter is just one aspect of this complex and challenging issue. Some members of our parish are involved in the work of AM Housing of Kirksville. This is another example of local efforts with which we can collaborate and make a big difference. Just providing a forum such as a social concerns commission  for open discussion and sharing of experience will go a long way to growing charity in our community.

I have found the parish commissions to be essential to my growth in pastoral leadership for the communities I have served. Coming to a new community and getting to know people takes a lot of time. There are few formal and informal activities to interact with parishioners outside of worship. Commission meetings have provided me better opportunities to become familiar with the particular expertise and experience of parishioners. I rely on their advice and I am inspired by their examples. Commission meetings have been occasions where people are allowed to tell their stories and share how the Gospel has truly become good news to those who are afflicted in many ways.

Another aspect of commission meetings has been initiating new ministries and outreach in the parishes I have served. It has been my custom to invite a guest speaker to every social concerns meeting to familiarize the commission with the social services already at work in the community. These guest speakers have opened my eyes to realities I had never encountered before. For example, I had never really understood the impact of crime and the criminal justice system on children. The papers tell us the story of those who are arrested,  tried, and convicted. The director of Kid’s Harbor, the child advocacy organization at the Lake of the Ozarks, helped me to understand that for every person I read about in the police blotter, I must picture a family with children who have been affected by the crimes of a family member. I had never really understood the trauma that is at play when the forensic interview of a child takes place. The commission helped identify the resources we could provide to this all too common concern.

Thinking of the bigger picture, the social concerns commission through its key responsibility areas can be a place where we most easily and effectively put our faith into action in the world outside the church walls. Many, many parishioners are already volunteering and making a difference for others in the community. We collaborate with many organizations already. Collaboration can go both ways. The commission  needn’t only be a place from where we go out. A social concerns commission can be a place where we invite others who are not Catholic to come into our midst. We can ask them to play a part in oversight and management from a different perspective. Bishop McKnight has been very vocal about finding ways to engage local expertise in the appropriate pastoral activities of a parish. Perhaps we might think an accountant, a banker, or a contractor might have a seat at the table in the management of finances or facilities, but we can also envision that there are healthcare workers, emergency personnel, and public safety officials who would be glad to assist us in building up our response to the tremendous variety and tenacity of the social ills that affect our community.

If you would like to discuss the formation of the social concerns commission with me personally, please do not hesitate to email me (monsignor.mak@miparish.org) or call the parish office to set up an appointment. I will be sending individual emails to some folks I know who are already active in this area or have been recommended to me as having specific interests and talents that can be of assistance. The initial meeting on the 18th might not be the best for everyone, especially as school gets under way, but at least it will be a start. I plan on at least monthly meetings after that which will enable us to define the key responsibilities and concerns of the commission and devise a charter to organize our response. I am looking forward to working with you.