Global Solidarity Grant
Do you want to:
-
Explore your call to love God and love your neighbors?
- Foster community in your parish?
- Learn the Scriptural and Catholic social teaching framework for addressing global poverty?
- Discern personal and social action to address poverty in your local community?
- Motivate solidarity-focused action that is rooted in the recognition of the inherent dignity of all humans?
Then gather a small group at your parish and apply for the new Global Solidarity Grant!
In an effort to support Catholic Relief Services’ advocacy work, the Office of Missions and Office of Social Concerns is reimagining the CRS Rice Bowl parish grant program. Catholic Relief Services believes that the 25% of CRS Rice Bowl contributions remaining in the Archdiocese illustrates the importance of our global responsibility as Christians to assist those in need.
In a new initiative, the Office of Missions and Office of Social Concerns want to support parish groups looking to address global solidarity and poverty from a Biblical perspective and challenge parishioners to engage their parish communities to practice solidarity with the marginalized.
We are seeking several parishes who are looking to grow their understanding of poverty, global solidarity, and social action through a Catholic lens.
The chosen parishes will create and facilitate small group experiences using the JustFaith Catholic series formational modules. The grant money will cover the cost of group registration fees.
JustFaith Catholic Series
This four-part JustFaith Catholic Series guides small groups in exploring the Gospel’s call to respond to poverty in their local communities and in our world, building solidarity with the poor and marginalized. Reading, discussion, and reflection on the themes of Catholic social teaching are complemented by rich prayers, heartfelt sharing, videos, guest speakers, retreats, and immersion experiences into the local community – all of which build strong relationships among group members. It also equips them with the tools they need to take action in a way that is effective, sustainable, and in accordance with Catholic social teaching.
The JustFaith Catholic Series is divided into four programs:
- Faith and Poverty: A Biblical Response
- Faith and Poverty: A Solidarity Response
- Faith and Poverty: A Justice Response
- Faith and Poverty: A Global Response
JustFaith provides an in-depth overview of the JustFaith Catholic Series.
Parishes can participate in the Global Solidarity Grant in two ways:
Option one: Parishes can choose to use Faith and Poverty: A Global Response, developed in partnership with Catholic Relief Services, which invites participants to a new understanding of the dynamics, structures, causes, and consequences of global poverty. By encouraging new spiritual practices and informed action, Faith and Poverty: A Global Response aims to cultivate a groundswell of action and advocacy in solidarity with those whose lives are affected by severe poverty across the globe.
Option two: Parishes can choose to engage in the first program in the JustFaith Catholic series, Faith and Poverty: A Biblical Response which lays the theological and biblical foundation for responding to poverty in their communities. Participants will explore the Gospel’s call to respond to poverty in their communities, nation, and world, and will equip participants with practical tools to take action in effective and sustainable ways.
The grant money covers the group sign-up fee for either Faith and Poverty: A Global Response or Faith and Poverty: A Biblical Response. At this time, the program is only available in English.
Application Details
The deadline for the 2023 application has passed. The application for next year’s Global Solidarity Grant will be made available in the Fall of 2024.
Each applicant should appoint a coordinator for the grant application. This person should ensure that all the pieces of the application are properly completed and submitted in a timely fashion. Occasionally, Office of Missions staff will request further information regarding an application. It is important that the coordinator responds in a timely manner to such requests. Incomplete applications cannot be considered for approval.
The minimum grant size is for seven participants. The maximum grant size is fourteen participants. In the event of a parish with much interest in the program, multiple small groups can be formed and noted on the application. The sign-up fee for small groups is $35/person.
All applications must be signed by the grant coordinator and endorsed by the applicant’s pastor.
For more information, contact Maeve Gilheney-Gallagher, Global Solidarity Coordinator.