Catalyst is focused on justice
Alex Gasick
Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: News
Wisdom, fidelity, knowledge and justice. This is the mission statement of Lewis University, and these are also the four traits that Lewis hopes its students acquire by the time they graduate. Because justice is a trait included in the mission statement of the University, it is fitting that a new social justice program called Catalyst will be starting up in the fall semester of 2009. University Minister's Adam Setmeyer and Sabrina Poulin are the brains behind Catalyst.
So what exactly does a social justice program do? It basically is a group of people who are committed to creating a more just and equitable world. Setmeyer was able to compare a social justice program to a leaking roof. "If you have a leak in a roof, you can either put a bucket where the water is dripping or get it fixed, but eventually you'll have to get it fixed for the long term. Well, social justice looks to fix problems for the long term, not just the short term."
Catalyst will contain about five to ten Lewis students, who will decide as a group, along with Setmeyer and Poulin, what type of service projects they partake in. In the fall semester, Setmeyer says that Catalyst will plan to have four service projects in the Chicagoland area with a reflection to follow each project. "There's a lot going on in the inner-city, and even right in Joliet, that I think it's important to stay in the area, so our students can see this and make a difference," Setmeyer said.
They will look to serve different groups, such as the elderly, immigrants, day laborers and terminally ill, to name a few. "We haven't planned anything specifically yet because we want to hear what our group members are interested in doing first," Setmeyer explained. The members have not been named yet, but are expected to be soon.
In the second semester of the 2009-10 school year, Catalyst will plan a retreat that about 20 other Lewis students, not in Catalyst, will attend. The students who are in Catalyst will lead this retreat along with Setmeyer and Poulin, in which they will look to get these students involved in social justice in their own lives.
Setmeyer calls social justice "the best kept secret of the Church," because it's something that is important to a Christian's faith, but is not practiced as often as something like prayer or going to Mass. "You don't need to be in ministry to be involved in social justice projects," Setymer said.
For the first few years of Catalyst's existence, Setmeyer and Poulin would like to keep the group small, but hope that it will grow from there as more students idealistically gain a greater interest in social justice and helping the needy.
So what exactly does a social justice program do? It basically is a group of people who are committed to creating a more just and equitable world. Setmeyer was able to compare a social justice program to a leaking roof. "If you have a leak in a roof, you can either put a bucket where the water is dripping or get it fixed, but eventually you'll have to get it fixed for the long term. Well, social justice looks to fix problems for the long term, not just the short term."
Catalyst will contain about five to ten Lewis students, who will decide as a group, along with Setmeyer and Poulin, what type of service projects they partake in. In the fall semester, Setmeyer says that Catalyst will plan to have four service projects in the Chicagoland area with a reflection to follow each project. "There's a lot going on in the inner-city, and even right in Joliet, that I think it's important to stay in the area, so our students can see this and make a difference," Setmeyer said.
They will look to serve different groups, such as the elderly, immigrants, day laborers and terminally ill, to name a few. "We haven't planned anything specifically yet because we want to hear what our group members are interested in doing first," Setmeyer explained. The members have not been named yet, but are expected to be soon.
In the second semester of the 2009-10 school year, Catalyst will plan a retreat that about 20 other Lewis students, not in Catalyst, will attend. The students who are in Catalyst will lead this retreat along with Setmeyer and Poulin, in which they will look to get these students involved in social justice in their own lives.
Setmeyer calls social justice "the best kept secret of the Church," because it's something that is important to a Christian's faith, but is not practiced as often as something like prayer or going to Mass. "You don't need to be in ministry to be involved in social justice projects," Setymer said.
For the first few years of Catalyst's existence, Setmeyer and Poulin would like to keep the group small, but hope that it will grow from there as more students idealistically gain a greater interest in social justice and helping the needy.
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