COMMUNITY ORGANIZING and the Reign of God BY BISHOP JOHN STOWE, O.F.M., CONV.
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y inspiration to join the Conventual Franciscans During the course of my studies, I was active in my after high school was largely motivated by the province and order’s Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation sense of family and community I experienced commission. On a visit to El Paso and later to San Antonio, I with the friars, whom I had known all my life encountered community organizing through the Industrial from my home parish and high school..I took a course on St. Areas Foundation (IAF). From COPS (Communities Organized Francis in high school that resonated with me; I learned about in Public Service) in San Antonio, I learned about the history of the freedom Francis discovered in serving giving economically disadvantaged people outcast lepers and how that experience freed a voice in the community and the power him from the “upward mobility” trajectory to bring about constructive changes. In El his merchant father expected of him. Paso, I witnessed an accountability session Francis’ call to conversion was where city politicians and candidates experienced in the church and among the answered questions of their constituents marginalized. His joyous spirit attracted and responded to the agenda of the people many to join his fraternity, which grew into rather than giving campaign speeches. a large movement that rejected violence as I watched in awe as an immigrant told much as it embraced simplicity of life. The elected officials that they had to abide by the election of Pope Francis to the Chair of Peter rules of the session and stopped them from in 2013 has brought those same values to attacking opponents. The well-prepared the center of the church. Pope Francis, the participants insisted that their agenda be first Jesuit pope, is leading the church with heard and responded to. the spirit of his namesake, Francis of Assisi. When I completed my theology studies My formational experiences in Jesuit and was assigned to our Franciscan parish educational institutions heavily complein Ysleta, El Paso, I was eager to connect Courtesy of Bishop John Stowe mented my attraction to Franciscan fraterwith the community organizers as part of nity. As a postulant, I began studies in philosophy and history my pastoral ministry. My first encounter with a lead organizer at St. Louis University, where the friars had a house of studies. was mutually disappointing only because she was disappointed There I came to appreciate the “faith that does justice” approach that I was not the pastor, whom she insisted the organization to all that I was learning. Opportunities for expressing solidari- had to work with. The parish was already a member of the ty with the Central American sanctuary movement and opposi- organization, which by that time had brought water, streets, tion to the U.S. support of repressive regimes and preference for and sewage to many of the border colonias that lacked these armed violence made my faith and prayer life come alive. That basic aspects of infrastructure. I was persistent and eventually my Franciscan province had a presence in Central America also convinced the organizer that I would bring the pastor along. helped deepen my solidarity with the global south.. An early lesson in community organizing was that not During my senior year at St. Louis University, the Jesuits everybody is impressed with their accomplishments or at the Central American University (UCA) were martyred; the methods, and some have a hard time grasping why the church witness of the “faith that does justice” became even clearer. is engaged with these kinds of issues. With all of my formation, I had the opportunity to continue studies in theology at the I thought this should be obvious, and I was dumbfounded Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley (now part of Santa Clara that anyone would object. I learned that despite an impressive University) and continued to pursue interests in the history ability to create and support an agenda that is beneficial to the of Latin American colonization and prophetic voices within local community, politicians have figured out that showing up at the church who denounced exploitation of the natives and events, presenting flags, and taking photos will easily convince alignment with oppression. people that they are the good guys and that community 16
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