Tag Archives: advocacy

Solidarity and Prayers for Delaney Hall Strikers

May 24, 2026ethic of resistance, eventsprayer, social justice, immigration, advocacy, Delaney Hallsusanfrancoiscsjp

Please pray for our immigrant neighbors being held at Delaney Hall in Newark and their families. On Friday several families held a press conference and rally to raise awareness about inhumane conditions including lack of access to medical care, due process, and inedible food. During the press conference they received a video call from inside announcing a hunger and labor strike. Delaney Hall is run by GEO Corporation under a $1 billion 15 year government contract. Yet detainees who clean and work in the facility receive $1 a day which they have to use to buy supplemental food, toiletries and to be able to call out to their families. More than 300 detainees are on the third day of their strike.

Community groups are organizing a 24 hour solidarity vigil in support throughout the holiday weekend. I have participated the last two nights and will return overnight Sunday. Please pray that the vigil remains peaceful and provides solace and inspiration to the strikers. They know we are there and have been blinking the lights and standing in the windows to let us know they hear us outside.

Yesterday Senator Andy Kim and Rep Rob Menendez visited and spoke with more than 100 detainees including an 18 year old woman who should be graduating from high school this week, a woman who miscarried while in detention, and pregnant women who are not receiving adequate prenatal care. The Congresspeople confirmed the inhumane conditions and are advocating for the detainees and families. Meanwhile we are hearing reports of intimidation of the strikers and their families.

Yesterday I was able to briefly join a video call of one of the wives as she spoke with her husband and other men in his unit. I promised prayers for their safety. They were grateful. I would be grateful if you would join me in prayer.

Also if you would like to support the detainees, they need money in their commissary accounts so they can stay in contact with the outside world and families.

https://givebutter.com/commissaryfund

Sisters Speak Out

June 21, 2025ethic of resistance, events, social sinadvocacy, Catholic Sisters, Catholic social teaching, constitutions, ethic of resistance, holy resistance, immigration, in the news, Jesus, justice, resist, resistance, Sisters Speak Out, social justicesusanfrancoiscsjp

On Tuesday, June 24, Catholic Sisters and their partners and friends will gather on the steps of the US Capitol, and in echo events across the country, for prayer and public witness in support of immigrants and a just economy. My Congregation, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, is one of the sponsoring organizations of Sisters Speak Out. It does my heart good to see how the network has grown as evidenced by this graphic.

We will have representation at the DC event and our CSJP sisters and associates will also gather in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey and Bellevue, Washington for echo events. The Bellevue prayer and witness is open to the public and will be live streamed. Click here for details and to register.

This is our moral moment. We must hold fast to Gospel values and stand together in support of human dignity. Speaking out is a requirement of justice even as we are overwhelmed by the inhumanity and unfathomability of actions undertaken in our name. It is a requirement of our faith precisely because these inhumane actions are being taken in our name. Catholic Social Teaching calls us to have a preferential option for those who are poor, to protect life and human dignity at all stages, to defend the rights of workers and migrants, to care for creation. All of these are presently under attack.

Yesterday, World Refugee Day, San Diego Bishop Elect Michael Pham visited the federal building to stand in solidarity with individuals making appearances in immigration court who were afraid of being summarily detained and held in private for profit immigration prisons. (Yes not only is this becoming routine, but these immigrants seeking to follow legal systems are being swept up by men in masks in 2025 in the United States!). This did not happen yesterday in the presence of the Bishop and his fellow clergy.

Per a news story: “masked immigration agents weren’t leaning against the off-white walls, waiting to grab people. They scattered Friday after seeing a clergy delegation led by Bishop Pham.

‘Like the story of Moses and Exodus, the Red Sea parted,’ said observer Scott Reid of the immigrant-aiding San Diego Organizing Project.

Said another observer: ‘We’ve never seen the hallways cleared out so quickly.’

The result: Nobody was detained as immigration lawyers said would happen.”

I will still be out of the country on June 24, visiting our sisters in the UK. It has been an interesting few weeks to be out of the country, that is for sure. And when I tell people the scale and scope of what is happening at home, they look at me with unbelief and a sort of pity.

I lit a candle for my country in every church I visited on my Jubilee pilgrimage to Italy. And I have been praying the Sisters Speak Out Rosary. You can download the Rosary Guide for Immigrant Communities and a Just Economy here. It has special Sorrowful and Joyful mysteries which are very moving.

Wherever you are on June 24 please join us in solidarity. And know that we are in this for the long haul, following in the footsteps of Jesus who always stood with those who were oppressed.

As we say in our CSJP Constitutions:

“Christ is our peace, the source of our power. United with him we engage in the struggle against the reality of evil and continue the work of establishing God’s reign of justice and peace.”

Joys, hopes and anger – Resistance in this moment

April 5, 2025ethic of resistance, events, reflectionsadvocacy, Catholic social teaching, community, democray, ethic of resistance, government, holy resistance, human rights, justice, nonviolence, peacemakers, resist, resistance, social justicesusanfrancoiscsjp

I started my day with a community of strangers outside a downtown subway station in Jersey City this morning, standing up and speaking out for our democracy, the common good, and human rights (among other things). This was one of over 1,300 events organized for today across the country under the unifying theme of #HandsOff. I carried my homemade sign which said on one side, “This is a moral moment” (quoting my Senator Cory Booker), and “Time 4 Good Trouble” (quoting John Lewis) onthe other. Under my raincoat I wore my “Love cannot be silent” t-shirt. (Before I left the house I prayed with St. Joseph and showed him my signs, because, well, I am me!)

Some reflections …

People of all ages showed up, even with the forecasted rainy weather. From families with toddlers in tow and even a mom-to-be with a very visible baby bump to grandparents and retirees and every generation in between. They even stayed when it rained, although thankfully the organizers had premptively shifted to a location that provided some shelter. Good organizing is appreciated and important and Knitty Gritty JC, a new to me local organization, did a great job planning this event.
For the most part these were not your standard protest goers (although some of us were there to be sure) but ordinary folks who answered the call to do something! They quickly went from standing around awkwardly to learning and loudly joining the chants, from the oldie but goodies (Tell me what democracy looks like, this is what democracy looks like) to hot off the news cycle ones (Ho ho, hey hey, Donald Trump crashed your 401k). Moreover, they held their signs high and joined in boisterously. I particularly loved seeing the toddlers dancing to the chants.
Speaking of signs … such creativity! Careful thought and consideration clearly went into these signs, messages of extreme concern for things we have been used to taking for granted like due process, libraries, and social security. There was a laundry list, but that is only because everything that serves the common good seems to be on the chopping block under the current regime. And yes, it feels more like a regime than an administration, if I am honest, just three months in.
A personal observation. This was not my first protest. I always come with my id and a form of payment just in case my right to protest is challenged by law enforcement or things go south. However, this was the first time that I decided it was prudent to bring my Global Entry card, which is government issued ID that declares my US citizenship. I am a US born white woman, yet current events led me to this precaution in these extraordinary times when our human and civil rights are under attack like never before in my lifetime. I will say that the Jersey City police were polite and just asked us to make sure we were not blocking pedestrian access to the PATH station.
Having been to many protests over the years, standing up for peace and justice from the Gulf War under Bush Senior to Title 42 under Biden, this moment feels different. As Senator Booker named it on the Senate floor this week, this is not a right or left moment but a right and wrong moment. The general vibe of today carried a particular unifying ethos and for lack of a better word, simply felt different, even from the President’s Day event I attended earlier this year. This morning’s energy was a mix of joy and anger. It felt like a community, people showing up when a family member is sick. It felt like an all hands on deck moment. And it gave me hope. Indeed, as we chanted: The people united will never be defeated.

I find myself reminded of and praying with these words from Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution of the Second Vatican Council:

“The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the people of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts. .. That is why this community realizes that it is truly linked with humankind and its history by the deepest of bonds.”

May we, people of all and no faiths, be bound together in hope and loving action for all that is good. May we resist joyfully. Amen

Post Election Thoughts

November 10, 2024ethics, media, reflections, updatesadvocacy, beloved, Catholic social teaching, common good, communion, community, connection, contemplation, democracy, discernment, election, ethics, God, God moments, goodness, in the news, love, media, ministry, mission, musings, politics, public discourse, resist, resistance, social sinsusanfrancoiscsjp

I have been pondering what, if anything, to share regarding my post election thoughts. It hasn’t quite been a week, but I have been reading the national temperature and preparing for this result for a while now. So here goes…

First, before you ask, I have already discerned that this time around, I will not be reviving my daily practice of posting a prayer for President Trump.

Why?

For one thing, the platform itself has changed from Twitter to X, resulting in a significant change in ownership, philosophy, and audience. Somehow (the grace of God?), for the most part, I avoided being trolled or harassed last time. I suspect that may not be true this time around, and dealing with that possibility is not where I wish to place my energy.

This does not mean I stop praying. I pray for our elected leaders each and every day, and the 47th President and his administration will certainly be included in my daily prayers. As will the most vulnerable people and ecosystems who will be impacted by policy changes he proposes.

So where will I put my energy and use my voice?

This summer, I started what I consider to be my “TikTok Ministry. ” You can find me at this link.

I have been posting short videos that share some simple messages about God’s love, goodness, the beauty of God’s creation, human dignity, the call to be still and grounded…

These are simple yet profound truths that seem to be lost or drowned out in the noise of the globalization of indifference and toxic nature of our (un)civil discourse that makes fertile ground for misinformation and the sowing of fear, hate and division. These posts seem to be finding an audience, if modest in size. More importantly, I believe this type of messaging is urgently needed in our public space. Let me explain.

When I was in graduate theological studies, my research focused on resistance to social sin. One of my key findings had to do with identity and moral choice.

Political psychologist Kristen Renwick Monroe analyzed first hand accounts of ordinary Germans during the Nazi regime and found that how they saw themselves directly impacted how they responded. I believe there are lessons to be learned for our present moment.

Those who supported the regime saw themselves as victims. They were willing to act preemptively against the other out of a desire for self-preservation.

Bystanders saw themselves as helpless, just one person alone against the Nazis. What could they do?

Rescuers saw themselves as connected with everyone and able to effect change. Notably, Monroe also discovered that they were the only group who “had integrated the value of human life into their worldview.”

She concludes that “identity constrains choice” across all three groups. In other words, one’s identity—in relation to self, other, world, and agency—radically influences one’s ethical response and actions. Monroe believes that her findings suggest that identity constitutes “the force that moves us beyond generalized feelings of sympathy, sorrow, or even outrage to a sense of moral imperative.”

So, in addition to getting ready to be a strong, vocal, and persistent advocate for the common good, human rights, peace, and the integrity of creation in the face of likely policy, legislative, and economic changes over the next four years, I also want to do my part to help (re)form our collective sense of identity and expand our menu of moral choice.

I see myself as connected to everyone. My worldview, informed and inspired by my parents and their/my Catholic faith, calls me to see human life and dignity and the goodness of all of God’s creation as central to my worldview and demanding of my action. My religious community strengthens and expands this understanding through our common life, prayer, mission, and charism.

I feel a deep sense of call to use my gifts, talents, and influence to spread that message in the belief that it will make a difference. Also, I am hoping it will help me stay grounded during the next four years.

Screen shot from my first TikTok post July 2024

This Must Stop

November 8, 2018nonviolence, updatesadvocacy, family, gun violence, in the news, societysusanfrancoiscsjp

Stop Gun Violence Now.png Last night I was perusing the CNN Exit Polls and discovered that 59% of midterm voters polled support stricter gun control measures. I was sad to see that number so low, especially after all the amazing activism of young people after the Parkland Shooting and countless other senseless mass shootings.

Then today, just after reading about the latest shooting at a nightclub in California, I received a text from my sister. It started out saying that my niece Eileen was dancing at the Borderline last night … the nightclub where the shooting I’d just been reading about happened.

my heart stopped. what if?

I closed my eyes, said a prayer, and went back to reading the text. She and the friends she was dancing with escaped with their lives after the first shots were fired. They have since discovered that at least one high school friend is among those killed.

Active shooter drills were not a thing when I was in school. I guess I should be grateful that my niece and her friends knew what to do in the moment. Eileen told me that she’s not hurt, except for rug burns on her knees from crawling her way out to escape, close to the ground. Of course her spirit is wounded. As should ours be. We allow this to continue to happen.

Yes, it’s a cliche that it’s different when something like this happens close to home. And this certainly did. My other niece lives down the hill from the club. My sister is a professor up the hill from the club. The shooter is from the town where they went to high school and where their little sister goes to middle school.

Given the lack of common sense gun laws, this will happen close to you one day too.

We must pray. We must act. We must join together. We must make gun violence stop. Now. Seriously. Now.

If I haven’t convinced you yet, please read this column written by Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg, two of the students from Parkland, that appeared in the Washington Post the day before election day and a few days before my niece escaped the Borderline with her life.

Over eighteen months before the shooting at our school, 49 people were killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Four months before Parkland, 58 people were killed at a concert in Las Vegas. And on Oct. 27, 11 people were killed at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. In all that time, not a single federal law has been passed that addresses gun violence. Not a single law. Our nation’s leaders have failed to protect citizens where they live, where they learn and where they pray.

As they note in their last sentence: not only must young people (and All people) vote, “the day after the election, the real work begins.”

Be the voice of reason. If you have friends who are part of the 37% who do not think we need stricter more common sense gun laws, tell them about my niece and her friends.
Bother the you know what out of your representatives in Congress, no matter what their party.
My niece lived in Alabama as a child, and her Godmother who still lives there just posted on Facebook that she tried to call her representatives to call them to support gun reform that would have protected her Goddaughter and was HUNG UP ON.

Not ok. But they hang up … we call back.
We write. We text. We march. We become a broken record and a strong loud voice speaking for every man, woman, and child who can no longer speak for themselves.

Because silence is not an option.

At the Corner of Susan and St. Joseph

personal blog of Susan Rose Francois, CSJP – a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace

Tag Archives: advocacy

This Must Stop