Justice Rising

Continue Pushing that Passion with the Youth Action Team Interns

In this episode, Cecilia speaks with Alex, Sydney, and Pavithra, members of IPJC’s Youth Advisory Team Internship, also known as YATI and with Sarah Pericich-Lopez, who is IPJC’s faith communities organizer who organizes the team. We often hear that the youth are the future, but this conversation reminds us of how much youth can do right now when they are given the opportunity to deepen relationship with their communities, and to express and fight for what is important to them. This episode will inspire you to be bold, take risks, and to listen deeply as a way to make meaningful change in our world today. 

Organizing Like Our Lives Depend On It with Ana Garcia-Ashley

In this episode, Cecilia had the opportunity to have a very inspiring conversation with Ana Garcia-Ashley, who is Executive Director of the Gamaliel Foundation. Ana shares the story of her amazing journey in organizing, which is something that she considers to be life long and part of her destiny. She also shares some of the struggles she faces as an immigrant and woman of color in an executive leadership position, and how staying close to the people fuels her fight. And don't be concerned if you feel agitated by her call to action – it was intentional.

Bridging Faith, Organizing, and International Solidarity with Jessica Valdez

In this episode, Cecilia gets to know Jessica Valdez, who organizes with the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) in Seattle. Jessica shares how organizing around issues in the Philippines helped her to reconnect with her identity as a Filipina in the diaspora, discusses how her recent learning tour to the Philippines has helped fuel her desire to continue in the fight, and invites our listeners to lean into curiosity so that we can recognize that we need each other in the long haul fight for justice.

The Power of Meaningful Encounters with Ogechi Akalegbere

In this episode, Cecilia had the pleasure of speaking with a dear friend and fellow organizer, Ogechi Akalegbere. Ogechi is a Nigerian-American living in Gaithersburg, Maryland where she works as the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Washington. She also organizes with Action in Montgomery, a broad-based community power organization rooted in Montgomery County neighborhoods and congregations. Ogechi shares how she got started in community organizing, and how the profoundly relational nature of organizing has infused the way she approaches her spiritual and everyday life. Please listen carefully to the end of the interview, where Ogechi invites all the listeners to participate in a super important and unique call to action!

Catholic Social Teaching, Organizing, and Synodality with Austen Ivereigh

For the first episode of season 4, we share a recording from the Prophetic Communities conference held at the University of San Francisco in early February. In the first part of the episode, you will hear from Austen Ivereigh, Pope Francis’ biographer, as he shares his thoughts on Catholic Social Teaching, organizing and synodality. After his sharing, Cecilia had the opportunity to engage in conversation with him about his reflections and raise her own concerns with the synod from an organizer’s perspective. 

Welcome to Season 4!

Intro: We’re super excited to launch season 4 of the Justice Rising podcast. We hope you enjoyed the last season as we explored the intersection of faith, justice, and culture. For this season we will be digging into the work of faith-based community organizing!

 

In early February, IPJC collaborated with the University of San Francisco and Jesuits West to host Prophetic Communities: Organizing as an Expression of Catholic Thought, a gathering for organizers, theologians, and all committed to social justice work to explore the intersection between Catholic Social Teaching and community organizing. Through panel discussions, workshops, meeting others who work in similar communities, and spiritual grounding practices, we were able to grow and learn together.

This season will be an extension of what was started at Prophetic Communities – Cecilia will be engaging in conversation with organizers who are either Catholic or working in Catholic spaces from across the country to learn more about what their work looks like on the ground.

No less Christian, no less Hawaiian with Dallas Carter

This season of Justice Rising guests were invited to reflect on the intersection of culture and justice from the perspective of their unique identities. For the last episode of the season, Hawaiian Native Dallas Carter shares the largely unheard history of how the Kingdom of Hawai’i was overthrown and annexed by the United States and directly names the cultural impacts of injustice on Hawaiian Natives. Dallas reveals his experiences of being Native Hawaiian, American, and Catholic, and how studying history helped him find peace in his complex identity. With a Master of Pastoral Theology, Dallas works as Native Hawaiian educator, Director of St. Michael High School, President of EPIC Ministry, a Director for Life is Sacred, and Faith Program Director for the Knights of Columbus in Hawaii. 

A Sense of Wholeness with Rudy Dehaney

We close out November reflecting on Black Catholic History Month with Rudy Dehaney. Rudy is a Baltimore native who has held many ministerial roles working with youth and young adults. In his current work, he serves as the Director of the Faith Formation Center for the Northeast Catholic Community and a part-time Campus Minister for Notre Dame Maryland University. Rudy and Cecilia recently had the opportunity to address the entire United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on the topic of cultural diversity, representation, and walking with young Catholics. During this episode, Rudy shares his reflections on being Black and Catholic and why representation in the Church is so important. Open your hearts for this conversation: it was honest, joyful, challenging, and soul-filling all at the same time.

Native Joy as Resistance with Kirby Hoberg

We kick off November celebrating Native American Heritage Month, and Cecilia spends time in conversation with Kirby Hoberg, a working film and theater actor, singer, dancer, and playwright who is white, Native (Ponca of Oklahoma), and Catholic. She acknowledges the importance of educating oneself on the ever-evolving language related to Native Peoples and issues, and evaluating where your story may overlap the history of Indigenous Peoples as a starting point for healing injustice. Native joy found in the arts is where Kirby identifies hope in her community and cultural identity! 

Kirby Hoberg is a working film and theater actor, singer, dancer and playwright.  She is a mother of four kids. Kirby currently lives outside Minneapolis, Minnesota, but was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She identifies as white and Native (Ponca of Oklahoma). Find Kirby on Instagram at @underthyroof and @kirbyhoberg, and on Twitter at @kirbyhoberg. 

A Filipina’s Vision for an Authentic Church with Lauralyn Solano

In celebration of Filipino American History Month, Cecilia holds space for her Ate, or big sister, Lauralyn Solano, to share her story of growing up as the daughter of Filipino immigrants. Immersed at the intersection of faith and justice as a lay ecclesial minister, Lauralyn shares how she navigates working within the institutional side of the church while advocating for representation and celebration of diversity within the realm of faith formation. In this episode, Lauralyn offers a reflection on intergenerational trauma and how young people can lead the way to healing. She also encourages listeners to imagine how Filipino collective identity can help inform celebration of diversity in the Church.