Category Archives: Faith and Justice

Please help a Marine Corp widow

The other day I blogged about my wife’s efforts to help the homeless, in Tents for the Homeless. Today is another day in which I’ll be exhorting you to consider another Work of Mercy

Stephanie Price, Marine widow.

Stephanie and her late husband met on CatholicMatch.com, where I also had met my wife. We continued our friendship with Steph on Facebook, (her husband wasn’t a member.) Our little group of CatholicMatch alumni were devastated with the news of her husband succumbing to PTSD and depression.

To quote from the gofundme campaign: “Stephanie, his beautiful wife who stood by him and tried all she could to get him the help he deserved is now left to pick up the pieces of their family life.

She is the one who has paid it forward for so many. Now this is our opportunity to not only show gratitude for a friend, but to also say thank you for YOUR service, devoted wife of a US Marine who dedicated his life to improving our lives.”

So, for all those who “Support the Troops,” now is your chance to do something. Michael had served in three branches of the US military (Marines, Army, National Guard.)

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Are you a creative Catholic? "The Catholicpunk Manifesto" is my new book exhorting Catholics to apply their faith to change the culture for the better!

Know someone, perhaps yourself, who might like Catholic devotionals for alcoholics? Please take a look at my books! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Tents for the Homeless

After reading this article in the Buffalo News: A lonely, frigid death on Buffalo’s streets, my wife Rose Santuci-Sofranko decided to do something about it.

She created a Group on Facebook to serve as a sort of liaison or go-between for people and companies or organizations who have resources, and those who can use them. The Group is called: “P.O.P.-U.P. T.E.N.T.S. (Protect Our People – Unite Please – To Ensure Necessary Temporary Shelters) and it “is a Western New York State (and beyond) Grassroots effort to match up people who can donate tents for the homeless with those organizations who can distribute them to the homeless…in particularly those, who for whatever reason, cannot or do not make use of homeless shelters…especially in the bitter cold of Winter.”

“UPDATE: We have several agencies willing to give out the tents….BUT…we need help getting donations of tents so these agencies can give them out. Recently a homeless man died while wandering around in sub-zero temperatures in the city of Buffalo….another was interviewed on the news after having his legs amputated due to exposure to the cold…. nobody should have to live…and die…like that. We all need to do something! If you can donate and/or find companies to donate pop-up tents or other supplies…. or….if you are an organization (homeless shelter, church, social service, etc….) and can distribute these tents to the homeless… please post here, so we can match you up with each other to help those in need. Even a pop-up-tent to block the wind, and keep the snow/rain off the homeless may help to save their lives. Thank you in advance for your help! God bless you one and all!”

“Thank you in advance for anything you can do. God bless you all!”

Go here, to support the effort: 4-THE-HOMELESS-POP-UP TENTS. Please and thank you!

We are not taking any money, just putting people who have in touch with people who don’t have. Perhaps you can buy these kinds of tents and contact a homeless shelter or other advocacy organization where you live, or maybe even contact sporting goods stores and see if they can donate. You can be the go between for your area! The Facebook Group my wife started can be the place where you can coordinate efforts, suggest ideas, plan campaigns…

Ronald Hunter, Jr, via Buffalo News.
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Are you a creative Catholic? "The Catholicpunk Manifesto" is my new book exhorting Catholics to apply their faith to change the culture for the better!

Know someone, perhaps yourself, who might like Catholic devotionals for alcoholics? Please take a look at my books! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Faith, Justice and Matthew 25

Since the year began I’ve taken a greater, more focused interest in Matthew 25: 31-46, the Gospel account known as the “Last Judgment.” In it, Jesus tells people what will happen at The End when He returns to judge all nations. From it, The Catholic Church derives the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.

They are:

Corporal Works of Mercy

Feed the hungry

Give drink to the thirsty

Shelter the Homeless

Clothe the naked

Visit the Sick

Visit the imprisoned

Bury the dead

Spiritual Works of Mercy

Correct the sinner

Instruct the ignorant

Counsel the doubting

Comfort the sorrowful

Be patient with those in error

Forgive offenses

Pray for the living and the dead

I’ve also taken to reading as a part of my early morning devotionals two books that are a collection of writings from Blessed Theresa of Calcutta (“Mother Theresa”). Naturally, they are frequently about the poor and marginalized, and our responsibilities towards them. I am also slowly making my way through a book on the spiritual and intellectual underpinnings of the Catholic Worker Movement. The Beatitudes and Matthew 25 were their modus operandi.

On Sober Catholic I’ve been writing about these Works of Mercy (partly in connection with helping my wife, Rose, sell products emblazoned with them. A portion of the proceeds goes to life-affirming charities).

I’m volunteering at a thrift store and food pantry.

Rose and I, along with a sister of hers, are also considering the idea of opening a thrift store, somewhere. Not a short-term goal, but hopefully sometime this year.

I’ve also been spending quite a bit of time on Facebook “Liking” Pages and joining Groups that reflect the values associated with Matthew 25. Not many are Catholic or Christian, but that’s besides the point. Pages related to organic gardening, small-scale farming, homesteading, frugal living, simplicity (not immediately obvious how these are related to Matthew 25, but in a direct or indirect sense, they are.) I’ve been doing the same on Google+, but as of now, there’s fewer such resources.

Not sure where this is all going, but stuff seems to be coming together in an expression of the Catholic Faith that is faithful to the orthodox teaching of the Church and Her Authority, as well as a combination of Her moral teachings (stereotypically described as “conservative”) and Her social teachings (stereotypically described as “liberal”). The usual things I’ve been interested in such as the pro-life movement; but also “strange” things like “Distributism,” “subsidiarity,” and “solidarity.”

I may be writing about them from time to time.

Are you a creative Catholic? "The Catholicpunk Manifesto" is my new book exhorting Catholics to apply their faith to change the culture for the better!

Know someone, perhaps yourself, who might like Catholic devotionals for alcoholics? Please take a look at my books! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)