By Sr. Carol De Angelo, Director, Office of Peace, Justice & Integrity of Creation
“Hope does not disappoint” are the opening words Pope Francis offers us as we begin Jubilee 2025. His prayer for us is this:
“May the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the “door” (cf. John 10:7, 9) of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere, and to all as “our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1).”
As I read Hope Does Not Disappoint, Pope Francis’ Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee of 2025, I reflected on how the Sisters of Charity of New York, Associates, and Colleagues are living and acting on the “hope that does not disappoint.” In particular, I thought about how the Office of Peace, Justice, and Integrity of Creation (PJIC) and its Committees are pilgrims of hope, discovering signs of hope in the times the Lord gives us (#7).
Pope Francis highlights these signs of the times: the billions of people who live in poverty, often lacking life’s essentials; migrants, prisoners, and others marginalized by society. He reminds us:
“Every day we meet people who are poor or impoverished; they may even be our next-door neighbors. Often, they are homeless or lack sufficient food for the day. They suffer from exclusion and indifference on the part of many.” (#15).
Sisters, Associates, Volunteers, and Colleagues, in their pursuit of peace, encounter Christ as they work for a social covenant that values life, inclusion, and respect for the sacredness of all life. As pilgrims of hope, we commit to act with conviction, knowing that a conversion of heart and mind is essential. This conversion ensures that our advocacy and efforts for systemic change are grounded in an open and receptive spirit, bearing witness through accompaniment and solidarity with those whose voices and visibility need to be amplified.
We invite you to join us during Jubilee 2025 as we respond to Pope Francis’ appeals for hope. He challenges us:
“With the money spent on weapons and other military expenditures, let us establish a global fund that can finally put an end to hunger and favor development in the most impoverished countries, so that their citizens will not resort to violent or illusory situations, or have to leave their countries in order to seek a more dignified life.” (#16, Fratelli Tutti).
Pope Francis also calls on affluent nations to forgive the debts of countries that will never be able to repay them.
In response, we will continue to work with Jubilee USA toward international debt relief, focusing on the reintroduction of the NYS Sovereign Stability Act in the New York State Legislature. Through BREAD, we are advocating for the passage of the FARM Bill, which is pivotal in determining domestic and international food relief programs currently threatened by severe budget cuts. Our collaborations with Justice for Immigrants, NETWORK Lobby, and other organizations help promote respectful and inclusive policies, practices, and laws for migrants and people impacted by incarceration.
You are invited to join us as pilgrims of hope! Consider participating in some of our actions:
• The upcoming Come Have Breakfast book discussion (3 sessions)
• The online Criminal Justice Webinar on NYS Legislation (Spring)
• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in a Time of Colorblindness book discussion (4 sessions remain)
• The Theology of Migration book discussion (4 sessions remain) email Sr. Carol De Angelo, cdeangelo@scny.org to join
For those interested in accompanying individuals who are unhoused, consider contacting our colleague Marc Greenberg, Executive Director of the Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing (IAHH), for a one-time street outreach. Even a single action like this can be life-transforming.
As pilgrims of hope, let us pray together with Pope Francis the words from the final paragraph of Hope Does Not Disappoint:
“May it (Jubilee 2025) help us to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of Creation. May the witness of believers be for our world a leaven of authentic hope, a harbinger of new heavens and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13), where men and women will dwell in justice and harmony, in joyful expectation of the fulfillment of the Lord’s promises.” (#25)