We wish you peace and all good things in the final days of the Advent season. 

As we head toward Christmas and 2018, we thank you for participating in the organizing meetings of the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Committee in 2017. We hope and pray that God will give us courage, strength, and wisdom to make our Gospel-rooted dreams for the Good Shepherd community and Inwood come to life in 2018.

Please save the dates of 

Sunday, January 7, when we will have a tabling after Masses, with coffee and refreshments to promote the JPIC Committee; and 

Monday, January 8, when we have our next monthly meeting.

As our strategic plan for building bridges in the parish continues to develop, some good works are already getting under way. 

Immigration

Members of our choir and parish made a pastoral visit to Amanda Morales, who is fighting her deportation order by living in sanctuary at Holyrood Episcopal Church, Washington Heights. We visited on Nov. 27 and offered fellowship and song to cheer her and her three children. 

We held an immigrant accompaniment training for 30 residents of Inwood and Washington Heights on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m., at San Damiano Retreat Center. The New Sanctuary Coalition trains laypeople to accompany undocumented men and women to their hearings at immigration court and ICE check-ins. It is a program of accompaniment and providing hope and encouragement for people facing deportation. There will be additional opportunities in 2018 to get involved in the accompaniment program and advocate for undocumented persons.

Housing and Homelessness

We thank all of you who organize and volunteer at Good Shepherd's women's shelter. We aim both to increase the number of active shelter volunteers and to expand into direct advocacy.  The Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing organizes congregations and empowers communities to eliminate homelessness. There are three campaigns we can support today to prevent and reduce homelessness. We can support these campaigns by inviting speakers to address us, by signing campaign letters, and by other public actions. We will be organizing a meeting this winter that will focus specifically on these housing initiatives. More information to come in the new year.


We will have a day of street outreach to the homeless on Saturday, Jan. 20, handing out care packages of food and clothing with the  JoyJ Initiative. Please contact Alba Fresco to get involved in this day of loving service.

Care for Creation

We hope to start a study group to read and reflect on Laudato Si', Pope Francis' encyclical letter on ecology. More information to come in the new year.

Rezoning and Library

Thanks to all who invite and urge us to be engaged with Save the Inwood Library, the city rezoning plan, and community efforts to protect tenants and preserve affordable housing in Inwood and Washington Heights. We will continue to keep you informed of these campaigns and actions you can take with local coalitions.

Retreat

We thank Tiffany Lee, Altagracia Faith and Justice Works, for making our October social justice retreat prayerful and productive. We are glad so many of you turned out for her organization's fundraiser at 809 Restaurant on Dec. 14, in gratitude for helping found our JPIC Committee.

Of course, there is much more that will be happening, including artistic and cultural events to bring our parish together and build our capacity to cause social transformation. Please stay connected with us as these good works develop.