Category: Social Justice & Outreach

By Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.

My father died on December 6, 2016, just four days shy of his 87th birthday. That week also brought the passing of other friends’ parents. All four had lived well into their 80s and were strong influences on the Christian formation of all of us.

December also brought increased awareness of the plight of many refugees and inhabitants of Syrian war zones. Indeed, it seems the plight of refugee children and young inhabitants of war zones always garners extra attention within the many social concerns that we face.  I also found myself dwelling on the life of St. Joseph less than two weeks after Dad died; the Gospel for Sunday, December 18, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, was the story of Joseph agreeing to take Mary into his home, even when he could have had her stoned or divorced himself from her quietly.

I never had deep conversations with my dad about the plight of Syrian children, though his own parents fled that community as teens for greater economic opportunities roughly 100 years ago. By example, Dad prioritized the physical needs of his children and wife. He chose a career that provided greater financial stability for his family, even if the profession was not his favorite pastime. Warm clothes, balanced meals, moral and financial support for a good education … these were important to him for his children and wife. And these “basic life necessities” are part of what is missing from the lives of many Syrian children today. In a way, Dad was as humble of a “Father Protector” as St. Joseph was to the Blessed Mother—before and after their marriage—and to Jesus.

A priest asked a few weeks ago how I might transfer Dad’s fatherly instincts to kids in need of a fatherly presence today. The image of the Syrian child continues to haunt me, whether refugee or trapped in a bombed community. Though not in a position to adopt or significantly financially support such a child, I do project Dad’s love and protection by praying for and advocating to our own government leaders on behalf of these “little ones.”

DISCLAIMER: This blog represents Br. Herro’s own opinions and experiences. It does not represent an official position or opinion of St. Norbert Abbey or of any other Norbertine.

By Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.

A Norbertine confrere noted, “I never knew that ‘Clay Matthews’ was such a popular lector at Catholic Masses.”

As a pastoral minister in the Green Bay community, I cannot help but notice the pluriformity of Packer paraphernalia on display at Mass every Packer Sunday. It is easy to take an informal poll at Mass: “Which Packer has the most popular jersey at church this morning?” Is that “Aaron Rodgers” distributing communion, “Clay Matthews” reading the First Reading, “Eddie Lacy” bringing up the offertory gifts, “Jordy Nelson” belting out “Be Not Afraid” from the cantor’s stand?

To be honest, I have been looking pretty critically at the garment industry lately—and it is not because I have begun to moonlight as a fashion designer. In the last few months, conversations with an eco-fashion designer and the organizer for the Human Thread Campaign have caused me to think twice about the question, “Where do our clothes come from?”

• Are we aware of the working conditions of the men, women, and children (yes, I said children) in textile factories around the world (and some estimate that 97% of U.S. clothes are produced outside of the U.S.)?
• Are we aware of the fact that it takes 700 gallons of water to produce one T-shirt (the growing of cotton is very water intensive)?
• Are we aware of the amount of oil used to produce clothing with synthetic fibers?
• Are we aware that the average American junks 70 lbs. of clothes a year (and that these garments don’t evaporate into thin air, but usually fill landfill space)?

We can respond as individual shoppers and lobby to change structures.

I work with a priest who jokingly mentions that he does not have need for a large closet; it only needs to hold five black clerical shirts! When I first met my friend Dan, I noticed that he wore colored T-shirts underneath his dress shirts. Now THAT is thrifty—getting extra mileage out of your workout T-shirts!

And we can support the Human Thread Campaign’s outreach to CEOs of the Kohl’s and Macy’s Corporations, asking them to offer one line of sweatshop-free clothes in their department stores (send your postcard before November 25, Black Friday). Can these corporate powerbrokers begin to ask their suppliers, “Where did these clothes come from?”

DISCLAIMER: This blog represents Br. Herro’s own opinions and experiences. It does not represent an official position or opinion of St. Norbert Abbey or of any other Norbertine.

In the News

Human Thread Campaign Presentation at St. Norbert Abbey
April 4, 2017

By Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.

During the 2016 campaign season, I mentioned to many Catholics that it appeared that the general election was attracting less attention and interest from Catholic organizations and the Catholic media than previous elections this century. To be honest, some felt that the lack of civility and mean-spiritedness of so many candidates and organizations turned many Catholics away from the campaign.

But Catholic voices were strong in calling for civility during the campaign, and more importantly, after November 8. And, this is part of what makes us Catholic.

The U.S. Bishops wrote in “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” #60:

“We are committed to clarity about our moral teaching and to civility. In public life, it is important to practice the virtues of charity and justice that are at the core of our Tradition. We should work with others in a variety of ways to advance our moral principles.”

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati launched “Civilize It” with this explanation:

“We’ve all experienced it. A Facebook post, a family dinner, a water cooler conversation that suddenly turns political with opposing viewpoints. You might get angry. You may go silent. Civilize It is about making room in your heart and speaking peacefully with those with whom you disagree. Imagine what would happen if aggressiveness were transformed into openness and confrontations were turned into thoughtful conversations. Civilize It is a non-partisan movement and a call for all of us to help change the tone, follow our faith, and quiet the quarrels in our day-to-day lives.”

It offered toolkits and other resources to be replicated by Catholic organizations throughout the country.

More than 70 prominent and nationally-known Catholic women theologians and church leaders signed “Catholic Women & Mothers for the Common Good.” The women wrote:

“Civil debate keeps democracy healthy. … We commit ourselves to pray and work toward this vision of human dignity and justice. May all who aspire to political office do the same.”

People of faith must be above the fray of name-calling and lies. Civil behavior is not only part of our religious character, but also may help breed and inspire future civil leaders. And wouldn’t it be wonderful if this quality helped insure a wider array of mission-driven, faith-based, civil leaders in all forms of government?

DISCLAIMER: This blog represents Br. Herro’s own opinions and experiences. It does not represent an official position or opinion of St. Norbert Abbey or of any other Norbertine.

By Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.

I met my newborn grandnephew Jack for the first time last month. To be honest, I had mixed feelings that night. On the one hand, our family celebrated the 60 years of life of my brother Jerome and his wife Corinne and the birth of Jack, the first child of our family’s “next generation.” On the other hand, I have been feeling very distressed about the plight of refugees in Syria and Iraq (my dad’s parents were born in Syria, a portion which is now part of Lebanon), the flood victims in Louisiana (I have a first cousin in Baton Rogue and friends inside and outside of Catholic Charities throughout Louisiana), violence inspired by the country’s racial divide (including the neighborhood that was the home of my grandmother and her surviving descendants for about 40 years), and the general “in the gutter politics” demonstrated by many presidential candidates this election. What world is this innocent and beautiful baby entering?

I was introduced to Rev. Martin Niemöller’s poem “First They Came” about 10 years ago during an immigration rally in Milwaukee. It has haunted me ever since. As I discussed the world situation with some family members that night, on topics ranging from the racial divide to domestic poverty to the 2016 election, the words of the German Nazi era clerical opponent of Adolf Hitler kept coming back to me. And, how will my family and I respond to Jack in a few short years when he begins to ask, “Where were you when rioting overtook your former hometown, how could you have allowed orphan children in Syrian hospitals to be bombed, and is it true that we ‘really get what we deserve’ whenever we choose leaders?”

It might be easy to ask ourselves, “How can we proceed ‘business as usual’ when the world and morality seem to be crumbling around us?” But I step back and remember that God has loved us so much that he not only sent his Son, but also sent the Savior as a babe, to redeem us. And praise God, too, that my niece Maggie and her husband John made the mature decision to share in the creative role of God to also bring a new life into this world.

As I believe that every child is created in the image of God, may the joy of Jack’s birth outshine any tensions and maladies facing our communities. And may Jack grow up to help alleviate injustices faced by future men, women, and children.

DISCLAIMER: This blog represents Br. Herro’s own opinions and experiences. It does not represent an official position or opinion of St. Norbert Abbey or of any other Norbertine.

By Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.

This is a busy time of the year for U.S. flags. If I gaze upon my parish’s five cemeteries and our abbey cemetery, I am likely to see a number of flags posited around Memorial Day (May 30). And, our country celebrates Flag Day on June 14 and Independence Day on July 4 (and who has not seen flags on display during parades or at baseball games on Independence Day?).

The Catholic Church does recognize the opportunity to acknowledge civil holidays during the celebration of the Mass. For example, according to The Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and Celebration of the Eucharist (2015), Catholics in the United States can use texts for an optional “Mass for Peace and Justice” on Memorial Day and an optional “Mass for Independence Day” on July 4.

When celebrating Mass on national holidays, how do we strike a balance between honoring our country (and those who died in defense of the United States) and the sacred space reserved for the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist in our church sanctuaries?

As I have discussed with several people this spring, we can honor the U.S. flag and our war dead by placing the flag in the church vestibule and/or installing a plaque commemorating the war dead outside of the worship space. Thankfully, there is room for patriotic symbols on our churches’ property without encroaching upon the symbols of the Liturgy of the Word (such as the ambo) and the Liturgy of the Eucharist (such as the altar). I love our flag and everything for which it stands, but also hold that sacred space where we celebrate the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist must not be expected to share its predominance with secular symbols.

DISCLAIMER: This blog represents Br. Herro’s own opinions and experiences. It does not represent an official position or opinion of St. Norbert Abbey or of any other Norbertine.

By Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.

I recently commented that the 2016 Easter Triduum was a blur for me. Twelve-hour days Wednesday through Saturday; balancing mastering ceremonies with recruiting, training, and overseeing liturgical ministers; learning the ins and outs of the ceremonies and the props for three distinct liturgies; trying to figure out how to receive the holy oils and bless Paschal candles and holy water at one site but transferring them to two others before Sunday morning; overseeing the confirmation and First Communion of an adult Catholic; the list goes on.

Perhaps the corker was Saturday morning, when the pastor, one of the art and environment volunteers, and I realized that we did not have a suitable supply of water to be blessed later that night for three different worship communities AND that the village’s water was avoided by some for drinking and washing. I jumped in the car, returned home to fill an eight gallon water thermos jug, and returned to my parish to fill three receptacles of water to be blessed of which two would be transferred to remote worship sites.

While feeling sorry for myself over the apparent lack of planning and basic liturgical supplies and properties, I had to remind myself of a 1979 prayer on ministry composed by the late Saginaw Bishop Kenneth Untener. It begins, “It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.” Though I had to travel 25 miles round trip at the last moment to acquire a few gallons of water, at least my community had passable running water.

The manager of Flint, Michigan, had decided that its water supply was too expensive, so the city contracted with another source for cheaper water…though city leaders knew that it was not safe. The city’s antiquated purification system failed to protect many of the citizens from lead in water. And the majority of the consumers affected by his decision were underrepresented and often neglected or forgotten residents of Flint. How do you say, “government negligence” and “environmental justice”? How does a Christian community reflect on the blessing of living water at the Easter vigil when civil leaders poisoned the poorest people in the community by allowing city faucets to produce unsafe water?

DISCLAIMER: This blog represents Br. Herro’s own opinions and experiences. It does not represent an official position or opinion of St. Norbert Abbey or of any other Norbertine.

By Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.

While preparing for Easter Sunday by diving into the Scripture readings for Easter Sunday morning, especially John’s description of Peter and the beloved disciple’s visit to the “empty tomb,” I stumbled upon the article “The Great Unsettling,” by David Maraniss and Robert Samuel (yes, Packers fans, this is the same Maraniss who has written one of the most comprehensive biographies of Vince Lombardi!). The article opens:

“So much anger out there in America.

“Anger at Wall Street. Anger at Muslims. Anger at trade deals. Anger at Washington. Anger at police shootings of young black men. Anger at President Obama. Anger at Republican obstructionists. Anger about political correctness. Anger about the role of big money in campaigns. Anger about the poisoned water of Flint, Mich. Anger about deportations. Anger about undocumented immigrants. Anger about a career that didn’t go as expected. Anger about a lost way of life. Mob anger at groups of protesters in their midst. Specific anger and undefined anger and even anger about anger.”

Are we looking for anything to be angry about? Heck, we are angry about anger and angry about both sides of the same coin: “Anger at President Obama” and “Anger at Republican obstructionists.” Are we such lost souls?

Read on Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, one week before Easter Sunday and 15 days before the Wisconsin primary, I was struck by how linked this emotion was to the Scriptures of the coming weeks. There is lots of anger in the crowd that wanted to put Jesus to death; mob mentality seemed to rule the day. How different is this from the mob mentality surrounding the issues listed above by Maraniss and Samuel?

Does the true follower of Christ, believer in the Resurrection (that’s Resurrection, not insurrection!), succumb to so much anger about national and world events? To be honest, I don’t expect the anger meter to drop dramatically because of a conversion to joy and hope based on Easter 2016. But as my home state rises to national attention due to its presidential primary, just nine days into the Easter season, I hope that Wisconsinites do vote based on hope for the future and not current anger and frustration. Do Wisconsinites need to stand back and do some good ole’ fashioned theological reflection before pulling the lever on April 5?

DISCLAIMER: This blog represents Br. Herro’s own opinions and experiences. It does not represent an official position or opinion of St. Norbert Abbey or of any other Norbertine.