Real Joy, Serious Discussion & Important Work

My name is Dan Sullivan, and I have been a member of the Mercy & Justice Commission the past three years.  I have been a member of St. Ignatius Parish for a little over six years. When I decided to move back to the Bay Area in 2019, the first thing I decided was that no matter where I ended up living, St. Ignatius would be my parish.  I deeply believe that Catholic social teaching must be a core component of a Catholic community, rather than some optional part.  I was very familiar with Ignatian spirituality, and knew that Saint Ignatius would be a welcoming home for me.

The Mercy and Justice Commission oversees and provides guidance to those ministries of the parish that provide opportunities for parishioners to participate actively in the promotion and implementation of social and environmental justice. The individual ministries focus on the poor and the vulnerable, racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, and our care for creation (a complete list and descriptions of each can be found on the parish website).  After joining the parish, I immediately became involved in two of those ministries. Three years ago, I was invited to join the Mercy & Justice Commission. I was intrigued because I’m someone who always has ideas he’s willing to share.  What I learned was that you receive a lot more than you give.  You not only learn about the various ministries and the challenges they face; you also get the opportunity to work with some amazing fellow parishioners.

This is a particularly interesting time to consider getting involved with this commission.  Not only are these challenging times for our country from a social justice perspective.  This parish is in the process of hiring a full-time director of social justice ministries.  At the same time, the parish is working on a new strategic framework to guide all of its activity.  The result is an opportunity to have a real impact on the future of this parish.

The commitment of commission members is to only 4 Sunday afternoons a year.  I actually wished it was more than that.  These gatherings may be the best way I have found to spend a Sunday afternoon. Meetings begin with a tasty meal, which is then followed by a period of spiritual reflection and discussion to ground the work to be done. What then follows is a working period that is not only meaningful; it is a truly joyous occasion.  There is as much laughter as there is serious discussion.  Collaboration is the defining characteristic of how the commission works. All ideas are welcomed, and everyone is treated with complete respect. At the end of the afternoon, you leave energized, not drained. I sincerely hope you will seriously consider this invitation to join us.  I can assure you that you won’t regret it.

Dan Sullivan, parishioner, member of the Mercy and Justice Commission