WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly 2,000 individuals including eight teens and four adults from St. Peter Church gathered for the 21st annual Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice Nov. 3-5 in Washington, D.C.
Each year, the gathering connects Catholic faith and justice, addressing timely issues through two days of dynamic speakers, breakout sessions and networking opportunities. Known as the largest annual Catholic social justice gathering in the U.S., the Teach-In attracts attendees from more than 135 Jesuit and other Catholic universities, high schools and parishes in the U.S., as well as Canada, Mexico, Spain and El Salvador. While all ages are represented at the event, the majority of attendees are aged 16-22.
Pictured: St. Peter teenagers Matthew Chiappetta, Joe Audino, Luke Hudson, Aidan Healy, William Kernodle, Zoe Postal, Gabriel Schuhl and Chloe Wilson attended the 2018 Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice Nov. 3-5 in Washington, D.C. (Photos provided by Cathy Chiappetta and Joan Guthrie)
On the morning of Nov. 5, the Teach-In culminated with what is estimated to be the largest Catholic advocacy day of the year. More than 1,500 individuals proceeded to legislative advocacy meetings with members of Congress and their staffs on Capitol Hill to urge Congress to enact immigration and criminal justice reform. Teens from St. Peter including Matthew Chiappetta, Joe Audino, Luke Hudson, Aidan Healy, William Kernodle, Zoe Postal, Gabriel Schuhl and Chloe Wilson met with advisor Taylor Ware from Congresswoman Dr. Alma S. Adams’ office to advocate for humane immigration policies.
“To see such passion and fire in those who have every reason to dodge responsibility for the state this world is in, but do not, was both remarkably moving and inspiring. These teens are not quite old enough to vote, but they make their voices heard in order to stand up for justice and remind us continually, of the human, desiring and deserving dignity, that can be found in every experience,” said Jessica Heroy, St. Peter parishioner and chaperone.
Begun in 1997 in Columbus, Ga., the Teach-In is held every November to commemorate the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador. The six Jesuit priests and two companions were murdered on Nov. 16, 1989, for speaking out against the country’s tumultuous civil war. The Teach-In relocated from Georgia to Washington, D.C., in 2010 in response to the growing interest in legislative advocacy.
The 2018 presenters included Bishop George Murry, S.J., former chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee Against Racism and bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown in Ohio; Nichole Flores, Ph.D., Latinx theologian and faculty member at the University of Virginia; The Peace Poets, a collective of artists that celebrate, examine and advocate for life through music and poetry; Joanna Williams, director of education and advocacy at the Kino Border Initiative; Jorge Huete-Perez, Ph.D., senior vice president at the University of Central America in Nicaragua, exploring root causes of migration; and Jesuit Father James Martin, bestselling author and editor-at-large at America Magazine.
The youth designed their own T-shirt for the annual gathering of teens. “For more than two decades, the Teach-In has invited the Jesuit network and broader Catholic Church to reflect on the realities of injustice faced by many in the U.S. and beyond,” said Christopher Kerr, executive director of the Ignatian Solidarity Network. “In a time of fear and division, this year’s theme invites attendees to understand the stories and lived experiences behind the issues to better understand the intersectional complexities of work for justice – and to find the courage to tackle those complexities in our shared work for justice.”
The 2018 theme, “Discipleship at the Crossroads: The Courage to Journey Together as an Intersectional Community,” invited participants to journey to the intersections of today’s most pressing and timely justice issues. Inspired by Pope Francis’ call to “try to listen and be silent in order to make space for the beauty of God,” attendees were encouraged to “get to know people, listen, expand the circle of ideas.”
St. Peter teen Chloe Wilson reflected, “‘Our citizenship is in heaven’ is a quote from the Bible, and those words really represent the mission of the whole IFTJ experience.”
— Cathy Chiappetta, Special to the Catholic News Herald. Cathy Chiappetta is the faith formation director of St. Peter Church in Charlotte.