CAJE: Addressing Social Concerns in Our I
n the Book of Micah, there is a passage that so perfectly encompasses one of the core principles of the Congregations Acting for Justice and Empowerment (CAJE) — “to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). Founded in Evansville in 2003, the interfaith CAJE organization works to address areas of social concern in Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Posey counties. Designed to create a more just community, CAJE brings together over 20 local congregations from a variety of faith traditions to identify injustices, research solutions, and bring real change to the Evansville area. St. Benedict parishioner Jane Leingang has been on our parish’s CAJE team for almost 17 years. She recognizes that the organization has a unique opportunity to address social injustices in the community. “The driving force of CAJE is to love your neighbor — love your
Mayor Winnecke speaks at the 2019 Nehemiah Assembly for CAJE (Congregations Acting for Justice and Empowerment).
neighbor in the public square, in the community," Jane says. "We all do the 'charity' part, the 'love' part, really well. But the 'justice' part is harder because you have to work in groups to be able to make a change. That’s why organizations like CAJE are really helpful. There is no
“It is a big part of Catholic social teaching and a big part of our faith that we respond to the needs of our neighbors in the community and work for the common good. It’s just something that has been important to me for a long, long time. I feel that call to be a part of making the world a better place, and I really feel I have to do what I can to make life better for others. It’s a way of loving your neighbor.” — Jane Leingang 4
way an individual alone could effect change to the same degree in a community, like providing dental care or changing the culture in a community so there is less violence. But if we join with other faith communities, we can be a force that can do something about the issues that trouble us.” Over the years, CAJE has spearheaded many significant improvements in our area. After identifying a lack of lowcost dental care in Evansville, CAJE was instrumental in meeting this need in various ways before eventually helping to establish a permanent dental clinic on the ECHO Community Healthcare campus. Another project that CAJE has completed in recent years
