Category Archives: Nuns on the Bus

Discussing the Three C’s at a San Antonio Town Hall

Discussing the Three C’s at a San Antonio Town Hall

Sr. Bernadine Karge
October 9, 2020

Friday night, Oct. 9, found 77 folks on the bus at Network’s town hall in San Antonio, sponsored by the Intercongregational Leadership Group of San Antonio. The seven men on the bus were outnumbered 10 to 1 by women. Curiously, three of the seven were named James or Jim!

In the opening prayer, we called upon the fire of the Spirit to give us audacity and hope in this election season to engage in dialogue with others even though we may disagree with their viewpoints. Encounter, being together and seeking a future of freedom will enable us to be community.

Our animated interfaith exchange evolved into the three C’s: the common good, character and conscience. Most of the attendees lived in the San Antonio and Austin areas. As part of this wonderful multicultural, multilingual, multiracial world, they identified immigration as one of the key issues in which they are involved.

 

A health care worker adjusts a monitor on a patient's hand at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston Sept. 30. Texas ranks 50th in the United States for access to affordable health care. (CNS/Reuters/Callaghan O'Hare)

A health care worker adjusts a monitor on a patient’s hand at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston Sept. 30. Texas ranks 50th in the United States for access to affordable health care. (CNS/Reuters/Callaghan O’Hare)

The fact that Texas ranks 50th in the United States for access to affordable health care was raised by many as something they are not proud of as Texans.

Those who work in agriculture know the need to organize, cooperate and work to bring in the harvest. Care for the environment, care of the Earth, education and economic equity were also added to the common-good stew.

The character of whom we elect was raised as most important. Is there one who can see how our policies are the sources of suffering, inequity, grief and fear among the community? Is there one who can recognize those who suffer with empathy and compassion?

One of the nuns on the bus who recently returned to the United States after 50 years on mission in many African countries reflected on the blast of vitriol present in the public discourse in the United States. In this time of fever pitch, we need the ability to listen to another, to respect the human dignity of each person, to seek truth and to live with integrity.

“Be curious, not furious” was a slogan shared to be a means to encountering another without judgment.

As we moved on in our conversation, the word “conscience” came to the fore. We raised the fact that the issues of this time cross interfaith barriers. An integrated, holistic approach to honoring each human is possible. Each person has a conscience, whether they operate out of a faith tradition or not. Each of us can choose to show empathy. As someone remarked, “A little goes a long way.”

One thing that the COVID-19 rollercoaster has taught us is that we are all in this together. There is something we can do: Get out to vote and bring your friends. “Silence is violence.”

[Sr. Bernadine Karge is a Dominican Sister of Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, who has practiced immigration law in Chicago for more than 30 years.]

Bus Blog: Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Alliance for Fair Food

Bus Blog: Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Alliance for Fair Food

Caraline Feairheller
October 13, 2020

On Thursday October 8, The Nuns on the Bus Virtual Tour had a site visit with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Alliance for Fair Food. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is located in Immokalee Florida and is a worker-based human rights organization that fights against human trafficking and gender-based violence. The Alliance for Fair Food (AFF) is a coalition of CIW, Interfaith Action, Student Farmworker Alliance, and Just Harvest that joined together to build collective strength and stand with farmworkers as they advance their struggle for justice and dignity. During the Visit, Sister Simone Campbell spoke with Nely, Julia, Silvia, and Cruz from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers as well as Uriel from the Alliance for Fair Food.

Organizing efforts for both the CIW and AFF begin with this question of “who has power?” Their work has taught them that by gathering together and targeting the massive food corporation who use their power to leverage farmworkers, they are able to make workplace changes such as increased wages and greater protections against violence. During the conversation Silvia emphasized how “gender-based and sexual violence continue to be a big problem in this industry. Through the Alliance for Fair Food we have been able to see a significant change in terms of protections and creating a culture where women are able to speak up without fear of retaliation.”

In Immokalee, Florida there have been over 2,250 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Due to a variety of factors in housing, access to medical care, and transportation farmworkers are uniquely vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as Cruz said during the site visit, “all our small actions add up to something momentous. Those small actions have meant a difference to farmworkers having their rights respected” One of those small actions the CIW is asking us to take is to sign the petition calling for the government to take the necessary steps to protect essential farmworkers.

Watch the Nuns on the Bus site visit to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers/Alliance for Fair Food to learn more. Watch on Facebook or YouTube.

Let’s Go, Homeboys

Let’s Go, Homeboys

Sister Susan Rose Francois
October 6, 2020

Are we not each better than our worst moment?” I have never forgotten that question, ever since I first heard it raised by Fr. Gregory Boyle during a presentation at the LA Religious Education Congress more than a decade ago. It was such a countercultural question, centered on goodness, compassion, human dignity and the power of redemption. I have returned to that question at times when I have not been my best self. It has helped me pick myself up, dust off the cobwebs and start again. I have returned to that question when I’ve accompanied others. It is a question that leads to community and future possibility.

Flash forward to this week’s Nuns on the Bus virtual site visit with Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, California. The goodness of the men gathered on the call for a conversation with Sr. Simone Campbell — Father Greg, Miguel and Franky — jumped off the screen. I found myself leaning into the screen and smiling, even as they shared stories of their own struggles. Miguel and Frank, both formerly incarcerated gang members, exuded care, compassion, love, and a desire to build community.

“I love life,” said Miguel. “I am living life to the fullest.” His eyes lit up as he told Sister Simone about being part of the Homeboys’ response to address food insecurity caused by the pandemic. Homeboy Industries has pivoted their operations and is now providing 10,000 meals each week to seniors and people experiencing homelessness. “It feels so good to be giving back to the community after taking so much,” said Miguel.

Franky talked about the transformative power of community. “The energy you see and feel here helps me to get where I want to be,” he said. Franky is working to get out the vote this election season, making sure that the formerly incarcerated know how to exercise their voting rights. He knows first-hand that voting matters because his own sentence was reduced due to California Proposition 57, passed by the voters in 2016, which authorized sentence credits for rehabilitation, good behavior and education.

My mother spent many years working with incarcerated men and women, helping them to develop decision making skills and prepare for life after their release. I couldn’t help but think about my Mom as I listened to Miguel and Franky describe the power of community. “What I needed,” said Miguel, “was for my community to be able to hold me.” They both talked about what it meant to them when Father Greg remembered them, knew their name, and showed that he cared. “It’s kind of a thrill to be valued and cherished,” said Father Greg. “It’s the thing that motivates.”

Father Greg said that he hopes we all have 2020 vision now. “I am both hopeful and optimistic at the same time,” he said. Listening to Miguel and Franky, I am not surprised he feels this way.

My virtual site visit to Homeboy Industries was motivating and energizing. It reminded me that what really matters is being a community of support, in our own circles and beyond, in good times and in bad. Whether it’s bringing food to the hungry, encouraging their peers to vote or reconnecting with local communities and families in positive and life-giving ways, these men are witnesses to the power of community. Violence and fear will not have the last say. May love, not fear, go viral. Amen.

Virtual site visit to Homeboy Industries, picturing, top right, Sr. Simone Campbell of Network; top left, Franky Reyes; and bottom, Miguel (Susan Francois screenshot)

Virtual site visit to Homeboy Industries, picturing, top right, Sr. Simone Campbell of
Network; top left, Franky Reyes; and bottom, Miguel (Susan Francois screenshot)

 

[Susan Rose Francois is a member of the Congregation Leadership Team for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. She was a Bernardin scholar at Catholic Theological Union and has ministered as a justice educator and advocate. Read more of her work on her blog, At the Corner of Susan and St. Joseph or in GSR’s Horizons columns.]


This blog was originally published on Global Sisters Report.

NETWORK Letter Urges “NO” Vote on Judge Amy Coney Barrett

NETWORK Letter Urges “NO” Vote on Judge Amy Coney Barrett

Sister Quincy Howard, OP
October 9, 2020

NETWORK Lobby’s Government Relations team sent the following letter to  Senate Judiciary Committee staffers as they begin hearings on Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination. NETWORK opposes the nomination because of both Judge Barrett’s judicial record and the rushed timing before the November 3rd election.

Read the letter below:

“Dear Senator:

We write today on behalf of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice (“NETWORK”) and our 90,000 supporters living throughout the United States to express strong opposition to the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court. NETWORK educates, organizes, and lobbies for economic and social transformation and has a 49-year record of accomplishment lobbying for critical federal programs that prioritize the common good and support those at the economic margins. Inspired by our founding Catholic Sisters and the leadership of the women who followed, we faithfully embody Gospel justice as we work for change. We believe that the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett would not be in the interest of the common good. Moreover, pursuing a rushed confirmation process at this particular time in our nation is misguided and recklessly undermines trust in our democratic institutions.

Assessment of Judge Amy Coney Barret

Judge Barrett is being touted as a “pro-life” nomination due to her commitment to overturning Roe vs. Wade. Yet Catholic Social Teaching has upheld the sacredness of all life, from conception to death, and Pope Francis has made clear that abortion is not the only issue that matters. Equally sacred are those already born, including the sick, disabled, and elderly; people and families on the economic margins; migrants and refugees; and those oppressed by racial and other forms of discrimination. Judge Barrett’s rulings and public statements have shown that she does not hold all life sacred.

Sick, Disabled, and Elderly: We hold equally sacred the lives of those who are vulnerable due to impaired health, many of whom do not have adequate access to health care. If confirmed to the Supreme Court, Judge Barrett is expected to be the deciding vote to strike down the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, depriving millions of people of their access to health care during a global pandemic that has killed 210,000 Americans. The ACA provides critical health care protections for people with pre-existing conditions and disabilities, ensures that young people under 26 can remain on their parents’ health insurance, removes caps on expensive medical treatments, and covers millions of Americans through Medicaid expansion. Yet Judge Barrett’s writings have indicated that she opposes the ACA. In 2017, she implied that the law was unconstitutional. She also signed a 2012 petition objecting to employer health plans including contraception coverage.

Economic Justice: Equally sacred are the lives of those living on the margins struggling to survive against economic injustice. This global pandemic has left millions of people without jobs, food security, housing, and childcare. Our most essential workers – many of whom are low-wage earners – have had to choose between their jobs and their health and safety. We need a Justice who will uphold worker protections, consumer safety, and protect the social safety net. Judge Barrett has instead stood with corporate interests, ruling that the Age Discrimination in Employment Act does not protect job applicants from policies that discriminate based on age and against a plaintiff who sought written verification of a debt she was said to have owed.

Migrants and Refugees: Catholic social teaching affirms the rights of all peoples to seek the best lives for themselves, and equally sacred are the lives of migrants and refugees who have endured immoral and cruel assaults on their humanity through the prohibition of asylum claims, separation of families, and forced hysterectomies. Judge Barrett has made her hostility toward immigrants evident in a number of cases that have come before her. In two separate instances, she sided with the Board of Immigration Appeals to deny asylum to Salvadorans under the Convention Against Torture and cast the deciding vote deporting a Mexican immigrant who had been a lawful permanent resident without having the opportunity to argue against his deportation in court. She dissented in Cook County v. Wolf, which temporarily barred the implementation of the public charge rule, supporting the administration’s interpretation of the law.

Racial and LGBTQ Discrimination: Equally sacred are the rights of all people to live their lives free from oppression in all forms. Following months of high-profile shootings of African Americans and subsequent national demonstrations concerning racial injustices, the United States can ill afford a Supreme Court Justice with a record of upholding discriminatory practices. In EEOC v. AutoZone, Barrett ruled against an African-American worker whose company assigned employees to certain stores based on their race, a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. She has also stated her opposition to federal law protecting LGBTQ marriage and including Transgender people as protected under Title IX.

For these reasons, we do not support the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for Supreme Court Justice. Justices are appointed for life and their decisions reverberate for generations.

Assessment of the Nomination Process

Aside from the merits of the nominee, NETWORK also strongly opposes a hasty confirmation process so close to a national election in which many Americans will have already cast their ballot. The timing disregards the voice of the electorate and undermines trust in our democratic institutions, which is already fragile. We are a nation traumatized by deep divisions, suffering and economic pain; the unnecessary coronavirus death toll of more than 200,000 people is one such example of this national trauma. There is a real cost to the public perception of a Congress and a president focused on expediting a Supreme Court nominee while failing to attend to the protracted national suffering.

During this fragile time in our nation, it is vital that our national leaders act with prudence rather than political posturing. Our democratic institutions are maintained by norms as much as strict law and order. There is no precedent for allowing a president to have such extraordinary influence over the outcome of an election, which he is already threatening to contest. The one at risk of facing judgment ought not to choose the judges.

A fast-tracked confirmation process of Judge Barrett is a clear abdication of the Senate’s constitutional advise-and-consent function. It jeopardizes the rights and lives of the most vulnerable among us and it undermines the integrity of our most basic democratic norms and institutions. For all of these reasons, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice urges you as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote against the rushed nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

You may also read a copy of NETWORK’s letter here.

Spirit-filled voters gather in Detroit

Spirit-filled voters gather in Detroit

Sister Jan Kilian
October 1, 2020

“I think I can! I think I can!” said the little train chugging up the mountain; so says this big bus virtually zooming across the United States.

With Sr. Simone Campbell at the wheel, the Network bus made it to the Carney Latin American Solidarity Archive, or CLASA, at the University of Detroit Mercy on Oct. 1. We were co-hosted by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Gail Presbey from CLASA described the archived stories of immigrants struggling for ways to make a livelihood in their new land. The stories we continue to hear of racial and gender discrimination, poverty, disenfranchisement, nonacceptance into community, impairment of the right to vote, struggles to welcome the stranger — all are archived even as they continue today. Immaculate Heart of Mary Sr. Elizabeth Walters and Barb Beasley described their work with yearlong education and action networks to prepare for the upcoming election.

We spent a few moments breathing in deeply and breathing out slowly in prayer, led by Barb Beasley.

We share the air on Earth. We breathed this shared air into our lungs during prayer. All together, we breathed this air out of our lungs. We live in and walk through air we share, every living being on Earth; we are united as one in the very breath we share. We are all in this together.

Voting is a communal action and a moral imperative. As the discussion began, I was reminded of a statement from a previous town hall: “Bad politicians are elected by good citizens who don’t vote.”

Some of the concerns raised by these spirit-filled voters in Detroit included the right to life, climate change, economics, health care, immigration, racism and getting out the vote. Sister Simone spoke of her new book, Hunger for Hope, which is available through Network. We must bring moral vision to all issues of public life.

[Sr. Jan Kilian is a Franciscan Sister of Little Falls, Minnesota. She has an academic background in hospital medical records, human development, and spiritual direction.]


This blog was originally published on Global Sisters Report.

Bus Blog: The Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa

Bus Blog: The Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa

Caraline Feairheller 
October 01, 2020

On Wednesday September 30, the Nuns on the Bus virtually visited the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa. The Center for Worker Justice (CWJ) was founded to unite low-wage workers in Eastern Iowa across race and immigration statute to achieve social and economic justice through education, direct services and community alliance. The CWJ prioritizes defending worker’s rights, improving housing options for low-income residents, and providing assistance to those affected by immigration policies.

During the virtual conversation, Sister Simone Campbell was joined by the Interim Executive Director Mazahir Salih, the CWJ President Marcela Hurtado, the CWJ Vice President Kamel Elgiseer, the CWJ Leader Bijou Maliabo, the CWJ Leader and Board Member Margarita Baltazar and community organizer Mayra Hernandez.

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Since its founding in 2012, the CWJ has had several campaign victories such as establishing the first Midwestern Community ID program for Johnson County. Community IDs are important as they allow for people to access library cards, open bank accounts, acquire medication, and create a sense of belonging.

The CWJ also works to raise the minimum wage. Mazahir Salih shared her story saying, “When I came to this country back in 1997, I worked as a cashier at McDonald’s and they paid me minimum wage which was $5.25. In 23 years, the federal minimum wage has only risen $2.” In order to combat this injustice, the CWJ organized that the county level to raise the minimum wage to $10.10. However, the state of Iowa argued that individual counties could not raise their own minimum wage, so the CWJ created and tracks local businesses that have committed to a $10.10 wage.

Beyond organizing, the CWJ also focuses on education. As CWJ President Marcela Hurtado said “we want to educate the community to know their rights!” as well as “educate our white neighbors, who may think we [immigrants] are all the same.” The immigrant experience is broad and those who are most vulnerable are those who do not have access to government resources and language accessible resources. However, as the virtual conversation demonstrated, the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa is about meeting the needs of the people and if there is a need they will respond.

Watch the Nuns on the Bus site visit to The Center for Workers Justice of Eastern Iowa to learn more. Watch on Facebook or YouTube.

Bus Blog: “What Am I to Do?”

Bus Blog: “What Am I to Do?”

Sister Cecelia Cavanaugh
October 01, 2020

I’ve been thinking a lot about “posture” these days. One of the “postures” I’ve pondered is leaning, specifically leaning in. At the first Town Hall in Erie, I watched all the participants pay exquisite attention to those who were speaking, either in a large group or in our break out groups. Perhaps because of computer volume settings or connections, many literally moved their faces and ears closer to the screen. I wondered if our human need for connection and tactile communication might have contributed. I marveled at how all those present at the Town Hall were truly present in their bodies as well as their spirits as they leaned in toward each other. Later that week, I attended the Town Hall in Buffalo. In addition to the attention I’ve already described, in my small group, we worked together to help one member think about how to respond to a particularly difficult conversation. Our listening and suggestions truly provided support and something and someones on whom she could lean. During this week’s Dialogue Across Geographic Divides, I marveled at the leaning in I witnessed among six women ministering in urban and rural settings in my home state. As each described the reality and particular challenges faced in her circumstances, the others leaned in and offered suggestions and resources. They really could not help themselves! They had to reach out, lean in and network. I found this very heartening and supportive.

This morning I gathered with a group of sisters for our three times a week prayer and sharing and the post-debate pain was palpable. I watched tear stained faces and listened to hurting questions and petitions. “Lord, have mercy!” “God, help us!” I felt my own constant question, “What am I to do?” resonate with the prayer and questions of my sisters.

Yesterday, September 29, was the feast of the Archangels Gabriel, Raphael and Michael. I listened to the first reading, so familiar to us who love the hymn “On Eagles’ Wings.” As I pondered God’s promises of safety, defense, prosperity, safety and long life, I returned in spirit to Matamoros, Mexico where I volunteered in the refugee camp created by the US “Migrant Protection Policy.” I wondered how my dear neighbors living in simple tents for over a year were experiencing the presence of angels. Then I recalled Michael’s name and question, “Who is like God?”’ and realized again my call – our call – to be “like God,” to be angels in this world. How is this about posture? Well, a memory helps me respond to the President’s words last night addressed to the Proud Boys, “Stand down; stand by.” Reading that they rejoice in this order and that they’ve already had patches made with the quote dismayed me. I prayed, who has asked me to “Stand by?” With whom and for whom do I assume such a posture?

When I was a young sister in formation, we took classes with George Aschenbrenner SJ. Discussing the vows, he told us that Saint Ignatius of Loyola urged the Jesuits to live the vow of celibacy or consecrated chasitity “like the angels.” Father Aschenbrenner exhorted us NOT to try to be bodiless cherubs flitting around, but rather to understand angels as “mighty, concentrated personalities, standing always in God’s presence, ready to do God’s bidding at a moment’s notice.” This is the sense I have of St. Michael, for sure. It describes the strength, dedication and focus of those I met in Matamoros – the persons forced to live there and all who minister to and advocate for them. I believe it is the posture I am being called to assume, into which I pray to grow. It describes the community I experience as a Nun on the Bus.

Bus Blog: New Labor Site Visit

Bus Blog: New Labor Site Visit

Colleen Ross
September 25, 2020

On Thursday, September 24, Nuns on the Bus had a virtual site visit at New Labor, a workers’ rights organization with three centers in New Jersey: New Brunswick, Newark, and Lakewood. During the site visit, Sister Simone met and spoke with Rafael Santiago, a New Labor Member, and Lou Kimmel, Co-Founder and Executive Director of New Labor.

New Labor currently has around 4,000 members who work  in a variety of important sectors in NJ, including: warehousing and logistics, work through temporary employment agencies, domestic work, construction and remodeling, street vending, and other small businesses, including landscaping, restaurant work, and day labor.

New Labor offers trainings for members, fights against wage theft and for safe work conditions, and advocates for just and humane immigration reform and other policies that respect immigrants.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, New Labor’s members have been experiencing many of the negative impacts of the ongoing health and economic crises, and New Labor is at the forefront of organizing to meet those needs.

Watch the full site visit on Facebook or Youtube.

Nuns on the Bus visit St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center on Virtual Tour

Blog: Nuns on the Bus visit St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center on Virtual Tour

Audrey Carroll
September 25, 2020

On Friday, September 25, the Nuns on the Bus Virtual Tour made a site visit to St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center in Rochester, NY. St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center provides comprehensive physical and mental health services to people who are uninsured and under-insured  in and around Rochester. During the visit, Sister Simone Campbell, SSS,  spoke with Robyn Carter, Director of Health Access, Phyllis Jackson, Community Wellness Project Manager, Joel Elliot, Director of Development and Communications, and Sister Christine Wagner, SSJ, Executive Director about the organization’s wholistic approach to providing health care, along with their racial equity work.

According to Sr. Christine, St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center is “at the epicenter of the healthcare crisis, economic crisis, and racial equity crisis.” The services that St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center provides are directly affected by the social determinants of health, such as race, income, gender, age, and more. Surveys determining health and wellness needs for community members are compiled by patients of St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center in order to provide substantial, holistic care. Sr. Christine describes St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center as “fiercely independent,” because the organization is 100% funded by the community. The organization does not take insurance because of the barriers it causes, and does not receive state or federal funding. St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center provides comprehensive care and services that are as accessible as possible to community members so people are not stuck waiting for important care. “We hear so much about why healthcare for all can’t work,” said Phyllis Jackson. “But it’s working!”

Watch the Nuns on the Bus site visit to St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center to learn more. Watch on Facebook or YouTube.

Bus Blog: New York City Town Hall

Bus Blog: New York City Town Hall

Sister Emily TeKolste, SP
September 29, 2020

As I sat in the small breakout room with a priest, two other Sisters, and three other people during the Town Hall for Spirit-Filled Voters in New York City, I was struck by the spirit of the conversation as two of the women in the group began to talk about their grandchildren. One shared a recent realization that her grandchildren could very easily live to see the year 2100. The priest, our host for the evening, followed up with the comment that “as a celibate,” he couldn’t understand things in the same way as these grandmothers, who spoke of wanting to build the kind of world they wanted their grandchildren to have the opportunity to live in – a world where integrity matters, where the scriptural call to love God and neighbor and exclude no one is practiced, where human dignity is practiced and we act in solidarity with each other as the teaching of the Incarnation calls us to.

The world that our small group members envisioned was beautiful: it encompassed all creation. It spoke of service to the poor and taking care of each other. We dreamed of salvation as a sense of belonging and what it might mean for that to extend to everyone. We saw the interconnectedness of all life.

And the group’s participants saw the world with clear eyes. One spoke of having two children who were in their 20s prior to the passing of the Affordable Care Act and, due to preexisting conditions, were thousands of dollars in medical debt. Another spoke of working in education and watching the educational disparities grow right before her eyes, especially in light of the virtual learning gap during this pandemic. One talked of the American ideal of “opportunity for all,” while recognizing that the actual system is set up to work against that ideal.

And when we returned to the main conversation group, we learned that the grandmothers’ voices were powerful in other groups as well. Sister Susan Francois put forth an idea in the Zoom chat box: “Grandmothers on the Bus”!

Can you imagine that? I know my grandmother was the powerhouse matriarch of my family – all 12 children, 33 grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren. Imagine Grandmothers on the Bus.

And let’s not stop there. Grandfathers on the Bus. Aunts and Uncles on the Bus. Siblings on the Bus. Priests and Brothers on the Bus. Boomers on the Bus. Gen-Xers on the Bus. Millennials on the Bus. Gen-Zers on the Bus. Let us all join in the work for justice – let us strive for a better future for our loved ones – because this work needs each and every one of us to participate.