SOCIAL ACTION MINISTRY

"As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace." 

1 Peter 4:10


     The St. Elizabeth Seton Social Action Ministry seeks to support and educate on all aspects of peace and justice with programs and action opportunities focusing on all life issues-from conception until natural death-and exercising the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy in accordance with the seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching. These principles are:

  • Life and Dignity of the Human Person
  • Call to Family, Community, and Participation
  • Rights and Responsibilities
  • Preferential Option for the Poor
  • The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
  • Solidarity
  • Care for God's Creation.


MONTHLY MEETINGS

     The St. Elizabeth Seton Social Action Ministry meets monthly from September through June and gather in the Fr. Bill Gubbins Center for Faith Formation at 9:45 am. Dates are published in the bulletin. Due to COVID 19 restrictions, meetings are postponed. To request further information on any of our Social Action Ministries please contact Fr. John Zurek at 708-403-0101.

  • Shepherd's table soup kitchen

    Due to the COVID 19 virus, we are temporarily unable to assist at the Sunday and Saturday Soup Kitchens. 

         We prepare meals every third Sunday and fifth Saturday of the month at the Shepherd's Table Soup Kitchen located at the Catholic Charities Daybreak Shelter in Joliet, IL. 

  • sharing parish with st. procopius

    St. Elizabeth Seton Church supports as sister parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago, St. Procopius Church, by sponsoring collection drives for clothing, household items, a Thanksgiving Turkey and Ham Drive and Christmas gift sharing. St. Procopius parishioners respond with thanks through shared liturgies, such as their Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration in December, where community is shared through prayer and a fiesta!


  • COURAGE Program

    An annual drive in January for baby items to support the COURAGE Program, a volunteer organization based at St. Germaine Parish, Oak Lawn, IL. The COURAGE Program is built on compassion and Christian values, advocating for pregnant young women and their families. Through education and counseling, they try to help young women avoid unplanned pregnancies, but when necessary, seek to offer viable alternatives to abortion, including adoption and responsible parenting. These young women have access to a variety of resources to help them make important life decisions on issues of sexuality, self-esteem, parenting, personal growth, and maturity. Through managing crises and establishing personal relationships with those in need, volunteers attempt to guide them calmly into happy and productive lives.
    program. To learn more visit www.courageprogram.org.


    DIAPER DRIVE IN OCTOBER

    Providing diapers to needy families at RESPOND NOW and CRISIS CENTER FOR SOUTH SUBURBIA. WIC and other assistance programs do not cover diapers/laundry detergent to clean cloth diapers. Laundromats do not allow washing of cloth diapers. Babies who stay in diapers too long become stressed along with their moms and families who listen to them cry in pain, which can lead to domestic abuse. Day Care Centers require parents to provide disposable diapers for their child. This expense often causes parents to decide between buying food or buying diapers. 


    FLOWERS FOR LIFE

    Each Mother's Day we hold a fresh bouquet flower sale to help support women in crisis pregnancies that supports The Women's Center of Greater Chicagoland, an organization that assists women and families with crisis pregnancies. For more information please visit www.womens-center.org.


    LIFE CHAIN SUNDAY

    On the first Sunday of October, Respect Life Sunday, our parishioners are encouraged to join in a national ecumenical effort by participating in a silent, prayerful one hour protest against abortion and in support of adoption. All protest signs are provided and offer positive life-affirming messages.

  • creation care ministry team

    This ministry offers a variety of service projects throughout the year to promote God's Care for Creation. Past events to raise awareness include at Ban the Water Bottle Event, a Recycle Your Bicycle Drive, and Care for Creation Pledge Drive. Join us and share your ideas on how we can creatively Care for God's Creation.

  • swift - southwest interfaith team

    The mission of SWIFT is to promote dialogue among the Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious communities and to work together in a forum on common community projects in an effort to build understanding among these religious communities. Membership of SWIFT is made up of Christian churches, Jewish synagogues and Muslim mosques. For more information please visit: www.swiftinterfaith.org.

  • FAIR TRADE EVENTS

    Due to the COVID 19 virus, we are not hosting the Ten Thousand Villages at our parish in 2020. The Coronavirus has a large impact on our wider community, especially at these retail establishments.


    We encourage to support their mission through the e-commerce site for their store at: www.tenthousandvillagesevanston.com/s/shop


    Each November we partner with Ten Thousand Villages, the world's oldest and largest fair trade organization and host a Fair Trade Artisan Craft Fair. Ten Thousand Villages mission, and ours, is to alleviate poverty through trade, rather than aid, and create hope for artisans in developing countries to build better lives for their family and community. Many volunteer opportunities are offered at this event.


    WISDOM  AND WINE SUMMER SPEAKER NIGHT

    JULY (DATE TBD)

    WISDOM AND WINE is an adult faith formation event that allows adults to come together in a relaxed atmosphere for social time and spiritual development. Attendees will participate in engaging discussion following the presentation on a current Catholic topic. A certified and sustainable fair trade wine tasting will complement the event featuring wines from wine growers in developing countries that seek to rely on stable income for their families, pay workers fairly, provide working environments that are safe and free from child labor, forced overtime and harassment. Fair trade coffees, dips and chips, also served.


  • RESPOND NOW OUTREACH

    Throughout the year, we host varied service projects to assist Respond Now, a social service agency located in Chicago Heights, IL, that serves those in need in the far southwest suburbs. For more information about Respond Now please visit their website at www.respondnow.org.