Justice Rising

Cecilia has an impactful discussion with Angela Howard-McParland, the Justice Resource Manager for Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. The sisters are part of Nuns Against Gun Violence, a coalition of Catholic Sisters and their allies that affirms the value of human life through prayer, education, and advocacy for common sense - evidence-based - gun violence prevention. Angela talks about the sisters' ability to bring a unique perspective to justice issues, and how their work on the ground in communities has fueled a passion for advocacy and fighting for structural change.

Continuing the topic of homelessness and housing security, Cecilia has an energized and uplifting conversation with Rev. Kristin Joyner, Pastor of Community Engagement at Bothell United Methodist Church in Bothell, WA. Kristin shares the story of how her congregation's roots in community transformation have taken their organizing efforts on the issue of housing and homelessness to new heights and explains why she believes people of faith need to ensure their voices are being heard when decisions are being made about our communities. She closes us out by casting a vision of a community in which every person answers the call to move beyond individual comfort to make real sustainable change.  

Cecilia interviews Angel Mortel, Lead Community Organizer with LA Voice, about her journey into community organizing. Angel shares her recent experience organizing within the PICO CA Home is Sacred campaign, which ensures that all people have a dignified place to call home. Reflecting on her many years of service in the field of faith-inspired justice work, Angel illuminates how organizing has become her spiritual practice of planting seeds for God's new creation. Tune in as we learn from her about the importance of making long-term commitments to achieve changes in our local communities and world! 

In this episode, Cecilia delves into environmental justice with guest Rev. AC Churchill. AC is an ordained minister within the Christian tradition who views the work of environmental justice to be intrinsically connected to anti-racism and pro-reconciliation work. Throughout the conversation, AC emphasizes the interconnectivity between all social justice issues, and the important work of helping motivate people of faith into social justice action. Their joy and passion for organizing as a pathway to repair and restore relationship is something that we can aspire to embody.

Cecilia interviews Julian Matthews, who is a Board Member and Coordinator for Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment, an organization that carries on time-honored sustainable environmental practices in the tradition of the Nimiipuu by facilitating and organizing tribal youth and adults in activities for the protection, enhancement, and promotion of mother earth and the Nimiipuu culture. Julian shares about the current work being done around dam removal, protecting salmon, and teaching new generations of young people about native practices. This episode is a great reminder of why respect and restoration of indigenous practices is important not only for the preservation of culture but of mother earth. Please note, sensitive and strong language is used during this episode. 

Cecilia interviews Sr. Cheryl Liske, OP, who has spent over three decades organizing as part of the Gamliel National Network. As a Dominican Sister of Adrian Michigan, Sister Cheryl shares stories and insights from her many years of organizing, which all speak to the importance of taking the time to build and foster deep relationships. After this episode, you'll certainly be inspired and motivated to work for justice and to build beloved community! 

In this episode, Cecilia speaks with Alex, Sydney, and Pavithra, members of IPJC's Youth Advisory Team Internship, also known as YATI and with Sarah Pericich-Lopez, who is IPJC's faith communities organizer who organizes the team. We often hear that the youth are the future, but this conversation reminds us of how much youth can do right now when they are given the opportunity to deepen relationship with their communities, and to express and fight for what is important to them. This episode will inspire you to be bold, take risks, and to listen deeply as a way to make meaningful change in our world today. 

In this episode, Cecilia had the opportunity to have a very inspiring conversation with Ana Garcia-Ashley, who is Executive Director of the Gamaliel Foundation. Ana shares the story of her amazing journey in organizing, which is something that she considers to be life long and part of her destiny. She also shares some of the struggles she faces as an immigrant and woman of color in an executive leadership position, and how staying close to the people fuels her fight. And don't be concerned if you feel agitated by her call to action – it was intentional.

In this episode, Cecilia gets to know Jessica Valdez, who organizes with the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) in Seattle. Jessica shares how organizing around issues in the Philippines helped her to reconnect with her identity as a Filipina in the diaspora, discusses how her recent learning tour to the Philippines has helped fuel her desire to continue in the fight, and invites our listeners to lean into curiosity so that we can recognize that we need each other in the long haul fight for justice.

In this episode, Cecilia had the pleasure of speaking with a dear friend and fellow organizer, Ogechi Akalegbere. Ogechi is a Nigerian-American living in Gaithersburg, Maryland where she works as the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Washington. She also organizes with Action in Montgomery, a broad-based community power organization rooted in Montgomery County neighborhoods and congregations. Ogechi shares how she got started in community organizing, and how the profoundly relational nature of organizing has infused the way she approaches her spiritual and everyday life. Please listen carefully to the end of the interview, where Ogechi invites all the listeners to participate in a super important and unique call to action!

For the first episode of season 4, we share a recording from the Prophetic Communities conference held at the University of San Francisco in early February. In the first part of the episode, you will hear from Austen Ivereigh, Pope Francis' biographer, as he shares his thoughts on Catholic Social Teaching, organizing and synodality. After his sharing, Cecilia had the opportunity to engage in conversation with him about his reflections and raise her own concerns with the synod from an organizer's perspective. 

Intro: We're super excited to launch season 4 of the Justice Rising podcast. We hope you enjoyed the last season as we explored the intersection of faith, justice, and culture. For this season we will be digging into the work of faith-based community organizing!   In early February, IPJC collaborated with the University of San Francisco and Jesuits West to host Prophetic Communities: Organizing as an Expression of Catholic Thought, a gathering for organizers, theologians, and all committed to social justice work to explore the intersection between Catholic Social Teaching and community organizing. Through panel discussions, workshops, meeting others who work in similar communities, and spiritual grounding practices, we were able to grow and learn together. This season will be an extension of what was started at Prophetic Communities – Cecilia will be engaging in conversation with organizers who are either Catholic or working in Catholic spaces from across the country to learn more about what their work looks like on the ground.

This season of Justice Rising guests were invited to reflect on the intersection of culture and justice from the perspective of their unique identities. For the last episode of the season, Hawaiian Native Dallas Carter shares the largely unheard history of how the Kingdom of Hawai'i was overthrown and annexed by the United States and directly names the cultural impacts of injustice on Hawaiian Natives. Dallas reveals his experiences of being Native Hawaiian, American, and Catholic, and how studying history helped him find peace in his complex identity. With a Master of Pastoral Theology, Dallas works as Native Hawaiian educator, Director of St. Michael High School, President of EPIC Ministry, a Director for Life is Sacred, and Faith Program Director for the Knights of Columbus in Hawaii. 

We close out November reflecting on Black Catholic History Month with Rudy Dehaney. Rudy is a Baltimore native who has held many ministerial roles working with youth and young adults. In his current work, he serves as the Director of the Faith Formation Center for the Northeast Catholic Community and a part-time Campus Minister for Notre Dame Maryland University. Rudy and Cecilia recently had the opportunity to address the entire United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on the topic of cultural diversity, representation, and walking with young Catholics. During this episode, Rudy shares his reflections on being Black and Catholic and why representation in the Church is so important. Open your hearts for this conversation: it was honest, joyful, challenging, and soul-filling all at the same time.

We kick off November celebrating Native American Heritage Month, and Cecilia spends time in conversation with Kirby Hoberg, a working film and theater actor, singer, dancer, and playwright who is white, Native (Ponca of Oklahoma), and Catholic. She acknowledges the importance of educating oneself on the ever-evolving language related to Native Peoples and issues, and evaluating where your story may overlap the history of Indigenous Peoples as a starting point for healing injustice. Native joy found in the arts is where Kirby identifies hope in her community and cultural identity!  Kirby Hoberg is a working film and theater actor, singer, dancer and playwright.  She is a mother of four kids. Kirby currently lives outside Minneapolis, Minnesota, but was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She identifies as white and Native (Ponca of Oklahoma). Find Kirby on Instagram at @underthyroof and @kirbyhoberg, and on Twitter at @kirbyhoberg. 

In celebration of Filipino American History Month, Cecilia holds space for her Ate, or big sister, Lauralyn Solano, to share her story of growing up as the daughter of Filipino immigrants. Immersed at the intersection of faith and justice as a lay ecclesial minister, Lauralyn shares how she navigates working within the institutional side of the church while advocating for representation and celebration of diversity within the realm of faith formation. In this episode, Lauralyn offers a reflection on intergenerational trauma and how young people can lead the way to healing. She also encourages listeners to imagine how Filipino collective identity can help inform celebration of diversity in the Church.  

What does it mean to be community? In celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, Cecilia spends time with Giselle Cárcamo, proud peruana and community leader. Giselle is a social justice advocator who coordinates the Justice for Women program at IPJC, she is also an adjunct faculty at the University of Washington School of Social Work, and the Master Trainer for the BASTA Coalition of Washington. In this episode, she shares stories from her life in Peru and how these moments influence the way she lives into her calling as an agent of change. Giselle will inspire you to choose vulnerability over comfort and redefine previous understandings of community!

Meet Justice Rising's new Host and Producer, Cecilia Flores! In this episode, The Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center's (IPJC) Executive Director, Will Rutt interviews Cecilia. Cecilia shares about her experience working at the intersection between faith and justice, her cultural background as a Filipina American, and gives a sneak peek of what's to come in season three of Justice Rising! 

How can the Catholic Church fight for climate justice and embrace the voice of young people in this work? On this week's episode, host Samantha Yanity sits down with four young women working for environmental justice. Samantha, Anna R., Emily, Teresa and Anna J.* discuss the impacts of environmental degradation, the ways that each of their communities are impacted, especially young people and indigenous communities, and how, grounded in their faith, they feel called to respond to this crisis. Over the last year, the four of them, along with over 30 young adults have been developing a forthcoming curriculum oriented towards young Catholic climate advocates. This work seeks to provide training, tools, and formation for youth and young adults to ground themselves in spirituality rooted in creation, personal transformation and education, and social action and structural advocacy to take action to create a more sustainable and healthier climate. *Episode Note - Speakers enter the conversation in the following order: Anna Robertson, Emily Burke, Teresa Tsosie, Anna Johnson. 

How can we as people of faith be water protectors and land preservers? On this week episode, Samantha sits down with environmental activist Luke Henkel, to discuss his experience with the movement to stop Line 3 and his broader work on environmental justice. They consider ways that people of faith can grow in our commitment to working closely with indigenous communities and what each person can do to participate in the movement.

What if the Church became a space of mutuality, a sense of community, and experience God's unending love? On this week episode, Samantha sits down with Rev. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones, to close out this three-part Lenten series on iconography exploring these themes and how sacred imagery can help us experience the universality of God. Samantha and Rev. Mark dive deep into a conversation about Kelly Latimore's icon, The Trinity, which he commissioned for his personal collection with the hope of challenging us to rethink images of the Divine and create a Church that is equitable and liberative for all people.  

What would happen if our Lenten practice invited us to transform the way we see ourselves and the church? What if we stepped into the doors of the church and were able to see ourselves and our neighbors in the pews next to us depicted in its sacred icons? On part two of our three-part Lenten series, Samantha sits down with iconographer Kelly Latimore and discusses how iconography provides us a means to enter into communal and personal prayer. Kelly Latimore started painting icons in 2011 while he was a member of the Common Friars from 2009-2013. His collective work is about “being more connected: to ourselves, each other, our surrounding community, and the land.”

What would the Church look like if we could see ourselves represented in sacred art? On this week's episode, Samantha sits down with Gracie Morbitzer of Modern Saints to kick off our three-part Lenten series on iconography, as she shares about her work creating icons that remind us of ourselves. Gracie is a recent graduate of the Columbus College of Art & Design where she studied Interior Architecture and Design with a focus in exhibit and set design. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, and draws much of her creative inspiration from living in Columbus. She is a self-taught painter.  

What is transformative justice? How do come to a place of personal and societal healing? These are some of the questions Samantha unpacks with award-winning filmmaker Dr. Gilda Sheppard. Dr. Sheppard has screened her documentaries throughout the United States, and internationally in Ghana, West Africa, at the Festival Afrique Cannes Film Festival, and in Germany at the International Black Film Festival in Berlin. Sheppard is a 2017 Hedgebrook Fellow for documentary film and is a 2019 recipient of an Artist Trust Fellowship. 

What does it look like to live out God's mercy? And, how do we extend that mercy to and from the prison cells? On this week's episode, Samantha sits down with Jennifer Kelly, the founder and Director of Jesuit Restorative Justice Initiative Northwest (JRJINW), a work of Jesuits West Province.

It seems, at times, that there is no humanity on the border, but Tracey Horan, SP from Kino Border Initiative, shows everyone that God's love abounds even in the face of injustice. On this week's episode, Samantha sits down with Tracey Horan, SP as she discusses Title 42 and the cruelty that she has witnessed on the border, and how people of faith can walk with and welcome the stranger.

What is the difference between charity and justice? Sometimes, in our earnest attempt to pursue acts of justice, we might lose sight of what accompaniment should look like. On this week's episode, Samantha sits down with Crystal Cardona, who serves as the Campus Minister for Outreach and Justice and teaches in the department of Women, Gender and Ethnic Studies at Saint Martin's University, as she shares how she teaches justice work to her students through her experience in years of direct support work.

Community organizer or rabble rouser? Peacebuilder or troublemaker? Community organizer, Michael Alcantara has taken some heat for his organizing efforts, but that hasn't stopped him from pursuing justice for the sake of restoring human dignity to his Filipino siblings. Samantha and Michael sit down and discuss how community organizing is inherently spiritual and how people of faith can respond to the crises in the Philippines.

What would the world look like if every person was given a chance to find their true purpose in life? Samantha sits down with Dr. Patrick B. Reyes the author of the bestselling book The Purpose Gap: Empowering Communities of Color to Find Meaning and Thrive, to discuss how decentering and disrupting white supremacy culture allows communities of color to find their purpose.

How can we reimagine our education system to make it more equitable, just, and inclusive? Samantha sits down Marcos Gonzales, the Director of Trauma-Informed Education at Chicago Jesuit Academy, to dream of a better system for our students and educators.

A podcast of Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center