Kerry Diocesan Justice Peace & the Integrity of Creation Committee History – a Overview
1997/8: The Kerry Diocesan Millennium Justice Committee set up by Bishop Bill Murphy to help prepare for the Millennium. Chairperson: Sr. Anne Mc Namara PBVM
1998: Launch of Justice Calendar (paper format)
1999: First Kerry Earth Day (24/April) based in St. John’s Parish Centre, Tale.
April 2000: JPIC actively involved in Seminar: Pastoral Response: Refugees & Asylum Seekers& later programmeDiocesan Initiative on Asylum Seekers & people from other countries & Cultures
Visits to CWO, DASS, Meetings: Kenmare, Tralee etc & Report for Bishop, public meetings etc.
Feb 2003Thursdays in Lent Reflections
Oct2003:JPIC Objectives agreed.
Feb 2005: JIC in Kerry Diocesan Vision & Pastoral Plan ‘Our Community, Our Church, Our Future’.
April 2005: Call for Contact people
August 2005: Fr Paul Lansu of Pax Christi International, Brussels visited Kerry for an introduction to our work during which he met Bishop Murphy, KASI, Committee members, was con celebrant at the 8 August evening mass (the eve of Nagasaki Day) & later gave a public talk (see below)
2 Nov 2005: Pax Christi International confers Partner status on Kerry Diocesan JPC Committee
Nov 2008: JPIC reps at Working for Justice & Peace in Your Diocese, Maynooth.(Principles of CST etc)
May 2009: Kerry Earth Day 10th Anniversary
Dec 2009: Ring the Bells for Climate Change (w/Trócaire & Diocese)
June 2010: Submission by JPICto Diocesan Work Plan 2010-2011
Sept 2010: Kerry Earth Week (21% of parishes took part)
Feb 2011: Launch of ‘Ring the Bells’ DVD Tralee
April 2011: Diocesan Justice Network Gathering
May 2011: Earth Week 2011 Preparatory Meetings (Killarney & Tralee)
June 2011: Meeting of Diocesan Justice Representatives/Links, Clonliffe, Dublin
July 2011: ‘Parish Peace and Justice’ even org by Trócaire, Veritas, Dublin.
Peace Vigils
Feb 2003,April 2003,Tralee; 25 June 2004 Interfaith Prayer for Peace (visit of Pres Bush),Cathedral;
May 2005 (Interfaith Celebration on life of Pope JPII)Tralee;Jan1 2006 Cathedral;August 2006 (Middle East) Tralee; May 2007 (N I Assembly) Tralee;June 2010:World Week for Peace in PalestineIsrael.
Lectures & Seminars
Dec 1999:‘A Stranger & You Welcomed Me’with Sr. Joan Roddy.
Lent 2001:‘Slavery in the 21st Century’–Trócaire.
March 2004:‘Ireland the Future of Europe’ w/ CORI
April 2005: ‘Securing Fairness & Wellbeing in a Land of Plenty’ with CORI
Aug 2005: ‘The UN Decade (2001-2010) for A Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World’ and the work of Pax Christ International. Fr Paul Lansu, Pax Christi International, Brussels. A number of locally based groups in related areas also spoke of their work
Feb 2006:‘Understanding the Reality of Migration in Ireland Today’. Bobby Gilmore SSC
May 2006:‘God is Love’ on Deus Caritas Est w/ Kerry Region of SVP Speaker:Mary T Malone,
Jan 2007:‘Human Trafficking: Sexual Exploitation’ w/TRSS & Open Door Network
June 2007: Evening on Theological Reflection w/ Sr. Maureen O’Connell PBVM
Nov 2008:‘The Challenge of Violence: Some Current Responses’.Series of speakers& displays.
Publications/Articles: have included
1998-2001: Annual Justice Calendar (‘Justice Every Day’ paper calendar)
Easter 1999:Various articles in K/man feature A time of Jubilee in the Diocese of Kerry
Summer 2001: Lumen(Diocesan Magazine)-A Voice for Justice
June 2005: Rediscover Your Sense of Wonder (Launch of Féile Na mBláth)
Feb 2006: Report prepared for Bishop Murphy (Ad Limina Report) on work of JPCC on work in area of asylum seekers, refugees ‘99-Feb 06)
March 2006: Paper given at launch of Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church Conference (ICJSA)“The Common Good in an Unequal World”Chap 10 Environment: Tilling theGarden.
Nov 2007: Report for Bishop re situation of Migrants & Asylum seekers inKerry &conference, org by
IECE, Dunboyne (Fr Michael)
Jan 2008: Diocesan Pastoral Newsletter re Greening the Church
July/Aug 2009: Intercom-Working for J& P in your Diocese.
2009: Intercom- Living Sustainably in the Kingdom (A report on KED 2009)
Nov 2009: Pre Budget Reflection
Dec 2009: Update to Diocesan Pastoral Council.
Autumn 2010: Eco Congregations website
Networks/Links/Reps:
Previous: TRASNET, Kerry Refugee Solidarity Group,Debt & Dev Coalition, Local Interfaith Group.
Now:Pax Christi International & Pax Christi Ireland
Asylum & Refugee Issues c/o Sr. Breege Keenan (Vincentian Refugee Centre),
Lesotho –Kerry Twinning Fairtrade Tralee Kerry Stop Sex Trafficking Campaign
Trócaire(Church Liaison Officers also links for MiddleEast, HIV/AIDS.
Council for Justice Peace of the Irish Episcopal Conference (Formerly ICJSA)
KTDP Nov.09 Meeting with Owen McCarthy re ongoing ‘Conflict’.
Diocesan Meetings (all Ministry groups @January)& Diocesan Assemblies.
Rel Ed Advisors; Bishop Bill Murphy; Mary Fagan, Dir. of Communications;
KADE; Amnesty; KCC; KASI, TIRC & TARMS; Kerry Volunteer Centre.
Ecology (various): TransitionTowns, KASI, TraleeTownGarden, Eco Congregations Ireland.
Exhibitions/Stands(and at annual KEDs)
Nov 2002:Youthfest-Interactive Stall & Workshop
Oct 2005: Witness: A Celebration of Mission;
Oct 2007:St John’s’Mission.Tralee
Dec 2008: Nano Nagle Centre(Pres SW Province)
May 2009: CTS window St. Johns (KED)
Sept 2010: Malton Hotel (Climate Change lecture)
Sept 2010: CTS window St. Johns (KEW)
Journeys
Maynooth, Ballygriffin, Lyre, Miltown, Killarney, FriaryGarden, Dublin, Antwerp, Béal, CrokePark, Knock, Gdansk, Dunboyne, Dromtariffe, Gortbrack, Castleisland, Caherciveen & Clonliffe.
Evenings of Prayer for JPIC Committee
Lead by Carol Dorgan, Rita & others, Michael O Sullivan, Dalgan.
Previous members
Students of Pres Sec School (Tralee),Sr Anne McNamara PBVM, Sr Ite Higgins, SIJ, Rev Joe Hardy &Hester Hill, C of I, Helen Higgins,Srs Finian &Patrick, PBVM, Anne McKenzie, Rita Kelly, Fr Michael Moynihan, Sr Brid O Sullivan FMDM,Gerald Landers, Fr Donal O’Neill, Sr Mary Leamy Bon Secours,Anne FleischmannSylvia Thompson.
Present Members
Sr. Regina O Connell PBVM, Sr. Ita McCarthy SM, Michael McEgan, & Fr Gerard Finucane.
Roles (July 2011)
Treasurer (Sr. Regina),Web (Fr. Gerard Finucane), Chairing of Meetings (Fr. Gerard).
Diocesan link for Council of Justice & Peace: Fr Gerard.
Friends: Adrienne Mc Loughlin, Pres Community, St. Johns,Tralee (hospitality for monthly meetings)etc.
Diocesan Link: Bernie Mc Caffrey, Pastoral Renewal Team.
Parish Links
Ad Clerum & via individual members
Communication/Media
JAT(WPD,WRD,FT,KED,HR Day);Horizons(huge support received from Mary Fagan)
Other programmes on Radio Kerry.Newspapers, Advertisers, Outlooks, other
2005/2006 Monthly slot on Horizons w/ Sr.Mary Leamy.
Web-since 2000(Monthly pages, Reflections, Notice Board, photos etc)
Funding
Grant:Dept of Justice, Trócaire, Diocese, KCC/Agenda 21, Members own contribution (travel, time etc)
Annual Programme(ongoing)
World Peace Day, World Religion Day, Fairtrade Fortnight, Diocesan Earth Week, Human Rights Day, Letters, Statements, Prayer.
Other Dates/Eventsthat may be marked/supported /promoted
Trócaire’s Lenten & other campaigns eg Climate Change, Israe/Palestine;
World Refugee Day (20 June);
International Women’s Day; World Week for Peace in PalestineIsrael(29 May - 4 June).
Other possible programmes: ‘Rediscovering Mercy’ with Trócaire
“Called by God through baptism, we are the people God now sends
to create a real sense of care and belonging through our ministry”.
(Words on JPIC candle given by the Diocese)