Justice & Peace Commission

St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious
17 November 2020
 
Today, as the Justice and Peace Commission commemorate 15 years of service to the Church, I want to wish them a happy anniversary and blessings from the Lord.
 
While this Commission may have started from humble beginnings, it is amazing to see how it has brought together a faith community that touches lives near and far away. With each passing year, this Commission seems to not just grow older, but stronger in its outreach and more dedicated in its mission. Your tireless efforts to spread His Word through your actions has ministered to many in the prisons, various social groups and brought awareness to issues like human trafficking, refugees and Christian social teaching.
 
Thank you for being a leader in our faith community and for fulfilling your mandate to recognise and honour each person’s dignity as a child of God.
 
Again, congratulations on the fruit of your hard work for Jesus Christ.
 
With prayerful best wishes, I remain,
 
Sincerely yours in Christ,
 
+Michael Mulhall
Archbishop of Kingston
 
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Blessings to the members of the Justice and Peace Commission as you mark the 15th anniversary of this important ecumenical undertaking between the Diocese of Ontario and the Archdiocese of Kingston. I am thankful for the faithful members of our two Churches who have continued to make common cause, especially on behalf of the most vulnerable within the communities we serve.
 
There are moments in time which cause me to rejoice in the existence of this Commission and give thanks for the work it undertakes. I will never forget the day when I attended the Commission meeting and heard the presentation on refugee support given by the late Debra Fieguth, offered in light of the horrific situation in Syria and the death of Alan Kurdi. 
 
How can we ever forget that photo of Alan Kurdi which galvanized the world. The Commission became the place where our two Churches worked together in support of refugee resettlement through the Diocese of Ontario Refugee Support Committee (DOORS). First Debra and then Mimi Merrill have worked with parishes and community groups to settle numerous new Canadians in a new home, free from the violence they fled. I am so thankful for the shared support of our two Churches in this work. We can truly say that lives were saved.
 
Blessings as you carry on into the future and be assured of my prayers that the Spirit will continue to provide us with opportunities to serve and bring the Great Commandment and the Great Commission to life in all that we undertake together.
 
Yours in the Service of the Mission of Christ,
 
The Rt. Rev. Michael Oulton