News

Local Catholic parishes and agencies invite all to attend a virtual workshop on Racial Justice with Fr. Dan Horan, OFM on Saturday, February 12 from 9am-1pm via Zoom.  In this workshop, Fr. Dan, author of A White Catholic’s Guide to Racism and Privilege, invites us to actively address racism and become collaborators who work for racial justice in our society and Church.  Ground in the Gospel, the wisdom of Catholic tradition and Catholic social teaching, he offers practical ways to educate ourselves and advocate for racial justice. Click above to learn more.

St. Therese Church in Madrona invites all to a Zoom panel discussion and Q&A with three Seattle public health experts Paul Houston Blankenship, PhD, MPH, Jennifer Hoock, MD, MPH, and K. Killian Noe on Tuesday, January 18 from 7-8:30pm.  People experience homelessness for a variety of reasons and sometimes mental health plays a role.  Join for an in-depth exploration of mental health and homelessness, the current state of public mental health resources, and actions we can take to help drive needed improvements.  Click above for registration details.

Title 42 continues to deny the dignity of migrants and their legal right to seek asylum. As Catholics, we are called to love our neighbor, accompany the vulnerable, and welcome the sojourner. Urge the Biden Administration to end this policy and restore asylum protections. Click above to learn more.

This past fall, the Duwamish Longhouse opened a new exhibit called “Spirit Returns 2.0”.  The exhibit is a testimony that shares the living lifeways of the Duwamish people.  It celebrates two decades of growth and progress and explores the authentic stories of the complex relationships of trade, managed and natural resources, social hierarchy, and the growing relationship between the Duwamish and the settlers who arrived in the 1850’s and together melded and transitioned into the Seattle we know today. Click above to learn more about visiting this free exhibit.

What if conversations had the power to transform society? Justice Rising, a new bi-monthly podcast created by the Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center, is setting out to do just that! Each episode will highlight people and organizations doing justice work, exploring the central question: How can we bring about healing, liberation, and transformation in our church, our world, ourselves, and our communities? Listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Podbean (Search: Justice Rising Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center).

"The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin.” ~ Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2241 A home, food, drinking water, clothes... it's easy to take these for granted, but for refugees and migrants who left so much behind, none of this is a given. Your generosity provides aid to people on the move. Click above to learn more.

The Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center is inviting high school juniors and seniors to submit an original, dynamic 3-5 minute video on social justice as part of their annual Just Video Contest. Show how you and others are acting for justice, share your motivation, and raise awareness! The deadline is April 11 and there are cash prizes available. Click above to learn more.

Thank you to all who supported our Safe Parking program over the past year, especially to our dedicated “Hut Team” who keep the Hospitality Hut stocked, clean, and welcoming. We were able to provide a safe place to park overnight for 10 guests over the past year. We pray that it helped them find some stability on their road to more secure housing.

Wow!  What an amazing community we have here at OLG!  Thank you to all who gave so generously this Christmas season to make the holidays brighter for our neighbors in need.  Together, we helped provide gifts for over 200 people!  All of us working together and contributing what we can adds up to so much more.  Thank you for helping to bring God’s love and care to our community in such tangible ways.  Merry Christmas!  (Click above for more details)

The Welcome Table serves lunch to neighbors in need in White Center every Saturday at noon at The Body of Christ Church. In addition, snacks and clothing are handed out.  Support the meal by donating items or volunteering. Click above for more details.

As a Church and a nation, we are polarized and divided. Pope Francis reminds us to respond by building a “better kind of politics, one truly at the service of the common good” (Fratelli Tutti, no. 154). We are called to overcome division, promote encounters with our neighbors, and seek the truth. Join Catholics and people of goodwill across the country in pledging charity, clarity, and creativity to promote the common good. Visit the pledge page to sign up and view resources (in English and Spanish) to help you put your pledge into action. Click above for more information.

The West Seattle Food Bank, just down 35th, is looking for volunteers on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays to assist their Operations Team. In addition, the West Seattle Helpline, housed at the Food Bank, needs volunteers to help field phone requests for assistance. This role can be done remotely or in their office. Click above to learn more.

Around the world, Catholic Relief Services is partnering with USAID to provide life-saving assistance to our most vulnerable brothers and sisters. Ask your member of Congress to speak with Congressional leadership to ensure the highest funding levels of international assistance for poverty-reducing programs to assure that their work can continue. As a country and a society of global solidarity, we can lead in responding to the needs of our human family and prevent further devastation around the world. Click above to take action.

For far too long, Dreamers, farm workers, TPS holders and many more immigrants have waited for Congress to pass a meaningful, permanent solution that provides a path to citizenship. Click above to learn more and consider urging the Senate to support a budget reconciliation package that includes a pathway to citizenship.

The Welcome Table serves lunch to neighbors in need in White Center every Saturday at noon at The Body of Christ Church (1320 SW 102nd St). In addition, snacks and clothing are handed out. Support the meal by donating non-perishable food (rice, shelf-stable milk, tuna, mac n cheese, coffee, etc.), hard-boiled eggs, and fresh fruit. They also need tp, kids’ clothing, toothpaste, deodorant, laundry and dishwasher pods, cleaning supplies, and first aid items (band aids, ointment, aspirin, antifungal foot care, etc.). Drop off donations between 11-11:30am in the back parking lot before guests arrive. Volunteers will unload it for you!

Title 42 continues to deny the dignity of migrants and their legal right to seek asylum. As Catholics, we are called to love our neighbor, accompany the vulnerable, and welcome the sojourner. Urge the Biden Administration to end this policy and restore asylum protections. Click above to learn more.

Thank you to the 58+ donors who gave to our turkey drive, benefiting patrons of the Latino Civic Alliance Center in Burien. Through your generous donations, and those of Leschi Market, we provided turkeys and Thanksgiving groceries for 150 families this season! Thank you for helping to make God’s love tangible for our neighbors in need.

Do you know a veteran who deserves a show of gratitude or needs a little encouragement right now? Sign them up with Soldiers’ Angels’ “Cards Plus Team” to receive cards for their birthday and more. Click above to learn more.

The Biden administration campaigned on the promise to fully eliminate capital punishment. They took a step by ordering an official moratorium on federal executions in July. Let’s keep urging to administration to respect the dignity of human life by commuting the sentences of all those on the federal death row and advocating to end the death penalty in law with Congress and the states. Click above to learn more and to act!

Bananas not only taste great, but they provide Jackeline Kwamboka with an income in Kenya. And thanks to new agriculture techniques she learned through the USAID-funded MWENDO project, her crops are producing more, which means more income for her! Click above to learn more.