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JustFaith is an extended justice education/formation program that provides an opportunity for parishioners to study and be formed by the justice tradition articulated by the Scriptures, the Church’s historical witness, and Catholic social teaching. It is an exciting opportunity for parishes and dioceses interested in expanding and promoting social ministry - JustFaith!

JustFaith is a conversion-based process that seeks to integrate personal spirituality and social ministry. The aim of JustFaith is to empower participants to develop a passion and thirst for justice and to express this passion in concrete acts of parish social ministry. JustFaith is a tool that has proven over and over again to be an effective strategy for training and forming parishioners to be agents of social transformation.

Jack Jeareel, M.Div., the Director of JustFaith, introduced the program in 1989 while working in a parish in Louisville, Kentucky. It was immediately and dramatically successful. Since then, parishes around the country have had similar results. JustFaith works in partnership with the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Charities USA, and Catholic Relief Services. Over 10,000 people have participated in over ninety dioceses.

The Program

JustFaith is an extended (30 weeks) justice education process that meets weekly employing books, videos, lecture, discussion, prayer, retreats and hands-on experiences. The intent is to provide a tapestry of learning opportunities that emphasize and enliven the remarkable justice tradition of the Church.

Participants are exposed to not only a substantive and demanding course of study but are also afforded the privilege of becoming community with other participants and sharing a journey of faith and compassion that is both life-giving and challenging.

Engaging in the church’s social mission is without argument one of the most challenging messages of our Gospel tradition. JustFaith is a process that recognizes the complexity of the call to compassion and provides a wide range of compelling resources to communicate this tradition. The difficult call to bring justice to a broken world deserves a preparation that honors the profundity of the task.

JustFaith is adaptable to local parish interests and staffing. The syllabus allows for flexibility in the study topics and program schedule, and accommodates differences in parish staff availability and facilitation skills. JustFaith can be, and typically is, facilitated by parishioners, meaning it does not create added responsibilities for parish staff. The program can also be adapted for use in other settings including diocesan-sponsored programs, small faith communities, and college campuses.

JustFaith also integrates the Catholic Campaign for Human Development’s “Journey to Justice” process. This process gives participants the opportunity to learn first-hand about poverty from the perspective of low-income people working for change. For more information, please see the “General Overview 2006-2007” document, available for download at www.justfaith.org.