A Vision for a Future Full of HOPE

To Our Dear Neighbors,

As Catholic Sisters, vowed women religious, we deeply value the relationships and encounters we have had with so many of you while serving in schools, hospitals, parishes, retreat centers, nursing homes, food pantries, and outreach centers. Even if we do not know each other personally, we feel compelled to reach out to you today to express our heartfelt sadness, grief, and lament as we witness sudden and devastating changes severely impacting people in our communities – people we know, love, and who are our neighbors.

Many actions we observe in our nation today seem to contradict values that underlie our shared humanity, values which we have nurtured and endeavored to embody in our actions – although not always successfully – over our lifetimes as Catholic Sisters. Love, compassion, empathy, radical hospitality, and mercy are central to our lives. These values shared among all the world religions make us genuinely human. We firmly believe these values must ground us as a nation if there is to be a future full of hope for ALL generations to come.

Imagine a future centered on principles that allow for the full flourishing of all humanity and our common home, Earth.  We know these principles as Catholic Social Teaching. Although you may use different words, the essence of this teaching transcends faith traditions and resonates in the lives of all people of goodwill. Adopting these principles can guide us in the days ahead.

We believe that:

• Every person is an expression of God. All life is sacred.
• We must prioritize the needs of those who are the most vulnerable.
• There is dignity in all work, and the rights of all workers must take precedence over profit.
• Earth is God’s gift to us, and we have the privilege to cherish, defend, and protect her for future generations.
• Justice is the path to lasting peace.

Today, we ask you to join us in living these values with courage. Love our neighbors! Welcome the stranger! Care for the most vulnerable among us! Speak the truth! Work for justice! Only when “We the people” lead with compassion and empathy will a future filled with hope for all generations be possible.

May God continue to bless us on this journey.

With love and hope,

Your Sisters,