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Social Justice Tag: Nonviolence

A monthly series of in-depth, curated articles exploring Mercy's Critical Concerns and their intersection with current events and the work of justice.

October 2026

Articles from Mercy:

Local Justice News & Upcoming Mercy Events

Justice Resources & Links

Critical Considerations

How much is too much?

Karen Donahue, RSM

Even though the federal government’s fiscal year (FY) 2027 began earlier this month, budget negotiations are still underway. However, the administration’s request for $1.5 trillion (1,500 billion) to fund the Pentagon is unprecedented. This sum represents an increase of almost 50% over the FY26 military budget.

Two recent articles shed light on the military budget and raise serious questions about the nation’s priorities. In a series of three charts, the National Priorities Project at the Institute for Policy Studies shows how the military budget accounts for almost 70% of the federal discretionary budget (funding directly under congressional control). By comparison, only 3.6% goes to education and 5.2% to housing and community development.

Looking at the military budget itself, more than half (52.2%) is allocated for development and purchase of weapons. Only 14% is spent on the troops in the form of pay, benefits and military family housing. The third chart examines where these additional funds ($441 billion) will be appropriated. More than $300 billion will be spent on weapons development and procurement.

A second article posted on the TomDispatch website, looks at the Pentagon’s shadow budget. These are military expenditures buried in the budgets of other government departments and agencies. For example, funding for nuclear weapons is included in the budget for the Department of Energy even though the Department of Defense controls and deploys these weapons.

In this article, political anthropologist, author and retired American University professor David Vine observes that including these military expenditures now outside the formal Department of Defense budget would bring total military spending in FY27 to well over $2 trillion. While these numbers boggle the mind, Vine reminds us that “every single dollar spent on the Pentagon is a dollar not spent on our children, on healthcare, on affordable housing, on efforts to slow catastrophic climate change, and much more.”

He reminds us that “the public needs a full, accurate accounting of the military. Congress could provide an annual True Total Military Budget that tallies all of the Pentagon’s spending in one place and stop hiding funding in other agencies’ budgets. Until this happens, journalists and analysts can help by explaining the full scale of spending and no longer repeating incomplete totals.”

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USCCB economic letter still guides voters

Priorities for voters in guiding economic choices by Catholic Social Teaching on the 40th anniversary of the pastoral letter, “Economic Justice For All”

Rose Marie Tresp, RSM; Institute Justice Team

As we prepare to vote in the midterm elections, uncertainty and fear about work and the dignity of workers are prevalent, especially with the increasing use of artificial intelligence in the workplace. Our economic future as individuals and families seems uncertain with the increasing level of inequality in the United States and the world. The wealth gap today is higher than it was in the 1920s prior to the Great Depression.

Forty years ago, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published a pastoral letter titled “Economic Justice for All” (EJA). This letter gives us norms and guidance:

The needs of the poor take priority over the desires of the rich; the rights of workers over the maximization of profits; the preservation of the environment over uncontrolled industrial expansion; production to meet social needs over production for military purposes. (EJA paragraph 94)

Many Catholics probably don’t ever remember hearing these words. But these were spoken by Saint John Paul II during his visit to Canada in 1984 and repeated in the USCCB’s pastoral letter two years later.

The bishops’ pastoral letter provides some guidance for citizens today as we prepare to go to the polls. This guidance leaves to each person the responsibility of judging who and what to vote for while understanding that no politician and no laws or regulations perfectly fit these criteria.

In the words of the pastoral letter,

the pursuit of economic justice takes believers into the public arena, testing the policies of government by the principles of our teaching. We ask you to become more informed and active citizens, using your voices and votes to speak for the voiceless, to defend the poor and the vulnerable, and to advance the common good. We are called to shape a constituency of conscience measuring every policy by how it touches the least, the lost, and the left-out among us. This letter calls us to conversion and common action, to new forms of stewardship, service, and citizenship. (EJA paragraph 27)

In 2026, the USCCB again reiterates support for the norms and guidance in this document written 40 years ago. The principles of economic justice articulated by the bishops in 1986 remain just as relevant and necessary today amid persistent poverty, growing inequality, revolutionary technological changes, and the marginalization of many people and communities.

Practically, what does the USCCB support? In brief, when deciding who to vote for, citizens are invited to consider supporting a wide range of issues that could build a just economy. The USCCB names issues and problems that people of faith should recognize and take into account when entering the polling station: “food security and hunger, work and joblessness, homelessness and affordable housing, and tax credits for low-income families, as well as protecting programs that serve poor and vulnerable people throughout the federal budget.”

A summary resource has been published for the fortieth anniversary of Economic Justice for All.

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MELF cohort closes by sharing gifts in Dublin

Angie Howard-McParland; Institute Justice Team

The close of summer this year also marked the end of my year-long journey with the Mercy Emerging Leaders Fellowship (MELF) as we presented our final projects and graduated at the house on Baggot Street in Dublin, Ireland. Even as I continue to reflect and discern how I can best share the gifts I received, I know that no articles or webinars will quite capture the grace of this experience. But anyone who has been able to connect with the broader Mercy world across international borders and cultures knows that it changes your work and ministry going forward with new perspectives and appreciation.

First-day project presenters in Catherine’s office: Angie Howard-McParland of the Mercy Justice Team in the Americas; Pamela McLoughlin, Mercy College Coolock in Dublin; and Tatiana Diaz, Gwynedd Mercy University.

I was a member of the fifth MELF cohort, following in the footsteps of dozens of other Mercy women from around the globe. Last fall, the nine of us from Colombia, Guyana, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, the Philippines, Tonga, and the United States met for the first time in-person in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where we witnessed Mercy in action at the heart of war, peace, and reconciliation. In March, we reconvened at the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, learning from Cecilie Kern and the work of Mercy at the UN. Finally, we concluded our time together in Dublin, presenting our unique justice projects from our own contexts, reflecting on the future of Mercy where it all began in Coolock and on Baggot Street, and resolving for this to be the beginning of more collaboration across the Mercy world.

Our projects ranged from creative leadership development in the Philippines to support of women and children in New Zealand to environmental education in Kenya and more. Every single fellow focused her efforts on a vulnerable population such as immigrants, elders, or youth, and, in the spirit of Catherine McAuley, worked in the local context to pull levers of influence and power to offer care and compassion. I was honored to present the work of the Mercy Justice Team in this current iteration of politics in the United States, illustrating the ways our sisters, associates, and ministries truly live out Mercy values and the Critical Concerns at this point in history.

MELF Cohort 5 fellows with MIA staff at graduation in the classroom at Baggot Street.

More than anything else, this experience has strengthened my resolve to make the extra effort to connect across institutes and time zones. It is an immense gift to be part of the Mercy world and the way it adapts and serves in localities far from the red door in Dublin. While our justice work necessarily looks different around the world, the grounding in Mercy values and the commitment to making the world better today than yesterday connects us to the ministry and to one another. We all have something to learn from one another to continue Catherine’s vision and, in a world in dire need of justice and mercy, we also have a responsibility to offer it wherever we are.

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Article Archive

2026

October

Critical Considerations:

How much is too much?

USCCB economic letter still guides voters

MELF cohort closes by sharing gifts in Dublin

September

Critical Considerations:

Will my vote count?

Nonviolent civil resistance and the 3½%

My life as a sister and Justice Team member

August

Critical Considerations:

Moral courage or moral cowardice?

Every action counts!

A day in the life: a sister on the Mercy Justice Team

July

Critical Considerations:

Are contradictions determining U.S. elections?

Ecumenical Advocacy Days as a first timer

June

Critical Considerations:

What does habeas corpus have to do with immigration?

Nutrition assistance and the Farm Bill

Guns, Pride, Juneteenth, and the Emanuel 9

May

Critical Considerations:

Has Eisenhower’s worst nightmare come true?

The nonviolent struggle in Peru (español)

Participation in democracy

Report on global fossil fuel transition conference

Catholic high school visits Casa Misericordia and Sister Mary Waskowiak

April

The dangers of ending TPS for Haiti

Santa Marta conference on fossil fuel transition

Voting: How we know voter fraud in the U.S. is very rare

U.N. Commission on the Status of Women

“What? and “Now what?”

March

Voting: Threats to this fundamental right in democracies

Nurturing Justice and Living Faith

Permitting reform and extractivism

High School student’s reflection on advocacy immersion in Washington, D.C.

February

Critical Considerations:

We have a choice: oligarchy or democracy?

Critical Concerns in Focus: Immigration (español)

Names and naming make a difference in perceptions of reality

Reflections on Honduras

January

Critical Considerations:

Is history repeating itself in Venezuela?

U.S. withdraws from UNFCCC

(click years to expand)

2025

December

The Catholic Church responds to the threat of authoritarianism

Post—COP 30 report

Critical Considerations:

The United States: global citizen or global pariah?

November

Critical Considerations:

NSPM-7: Countering or perpetrating political violence?

Advocating on harms of extractive industries

Argentina y el avance del colonialismo / Argentina and the advance of colonialism

Countering misinformation

October

Critical Considerations:

Is it time to reform the Insurrection Act?

COP 30 in the Amazon & Raising Hope in Rome

The dangers of falsely linking Tylenol to autism

September

Mercy sisters call for urgent defense of immigrants

Social extractivism

Critical Considerations:

What is Posse Comitatus all about?

Everyday pilgrimages: the Earth is the Lord’s

August

Critical Considerations:

Are we doomed to a perpetual nuclear arms race?

Love and care of creation in local ecologies

Church document ahead of COP30

July

Critical Considerations:

What’s at stake in Israel’s destruction of Gaza?

Have you heard of Black August?

DEI—Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Mercy Life Gathering in Panama

June

Vampires, Sharecropping, and the Real History of Juneteenth

Protecting Children and Vulnerable Adults from Abuse in the Philippines

Critical Considerations:

What’s really driving border enforcement?

May

A letter to Pope Francis

Critical Considerations:

Is this really an emergency?

Trump’s attacks on women

April

The cultural battle advances

Critical Considerations:

What’s going on with tariffs?

Water extractivism in Palestine

March

Hope for Panama in truth

Deportation stigma in Jamaica

Critical Considerations:

Who benefits from tax cuts? Who pays?

April is SWANA Heritage Month

NETWORK webinar on U.S. federal policy

February

National declaration of emergency in Bajo Aguán

Critical Considerations:

Has the United States declared war on immigrants?

What energy emergency?

January

If you make a mess, clean it up! (Advocacy success in NY)

Youth claim climate victory in Montana court

Critical Considerations:

Was January 1, 2025 a wake-up call?

2024

December

Gender and climate justice

Critical Considerations:

Is the United States becoming a plutocracy?

Making nuclear weapons taboo

November

Critical Considerations:

What happened on November 5, 2024?

The Ecological Debt

October

Overturning the Chevron deference

Critical Considerations:

Who are the Israeli settlers and what motivates them?

Assassination of Honduran water protector deeply grieves Sisters of Mercy

September

God walks with his people: National Migration Week September 23–29

Critical Considerations:

What does CEO compensation say about corporate priorities?

Anxiety – election season can heighten it!

August

Critical Considerations:

What is Project 2025 all about?

Working to stop weapon exports to Haiti

Beyond Voting:

Participating in Elections, part 2

July

Critical Considerations:

Is there a better way to spend $91 billion?

Education, Agriculture, & Emigration in the Philippines

Beyond Voting:

Participating in Elections, part 1

June

Critical Considerations:

Are we creating a prison-industrial complex?

Conscience

Mercy student videos address the Critical Concerns

May

Critical Considerations:

Degrowth is the only sane survival plan

Argentina and the government of hate

Listening to a chorus of voices

April

Critical Considerations:

An Israeli Jesuit reflects on war in the Holy Land

Advocacy Success! Expanded Background Checks for Gun Sales

March

Military spending and national (in)security

February

The challenge Gaza war presents for American Jews

January

Gaza war threatens credibility of West’s commitment to human rights and the rule of law

2023

December

Climate Summit fails to adequately respond to gravity of climate crisis

November

Critical Considerations:

The dangers of conflating Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism

Red flag laws in jeopardy: faith voices speak to save them

October

Jewish and Palestinian perspectives on Gaza crisis

September

U.S. China tensions impact efforts to address climate change

August

When Good Economic Policy Isn’t Enough

July

States Move to Weaken Protections for Child Workers

June

Corporate Lobbyists at Climate Talks

May

Electric Vehicle Transition Challenges

April

Repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery

March

Misrepresenting War

February

The Rise of Christian Nationalism

January

How the News is Reported Affects What We Know

2022

December

How Corporations Took Over the Government

November

The Independent State Legislature Theory Explained

October

The Next Phase in the Voting Wars

Email the team

Mercy Justice Team

Email the team

Team Members

Marianne Comfort

Director

Sr. Sue Gallagher, RSM

Program Coordinator

Angie Howard-McParland

Program Coordinator

John Charles McAllister-Ashley

Program Support & Operations Specialist

Mike Poulin

State Advocacy & Program Manager

Br. Ryan W. Roberts, OLF

Data & Knowledge Coordinator

Jean Stokan

Federal Advocacy Coordinator:

Immigration & Nonviolence

Sr. Rose Marie Tresp, RSM

Program Coordinator

(vacant)

Federal Advocacy Coordinator:

Anti-racism, Earth, & Women

(vacant)

Communications Coordinator

Local Justice News & Upcoming Events

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Mercy Justice Resource Pages

Photo Galleries

Spirituality Integration Resource for Justice (SIRJ)

Nurturing Justice and Living Faith / Fomentar la justicia y la fe viva
  • Women / Mujeres
  • Other Critical Concern-focused documents are planned but not yet completed

LCWR 100 Days of Prayer, Fasting, & Advocacy

Peace & Justice Calendars

View the current month’s Mercy Peace & Justice Calendar on our website.

Download Past Calendars
2026

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

2025

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

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Thank you for participating in this retreat series with us. We hope you have found some new ways to experience God’s profound love for you.

Some final questions…

How has this series impacted your understanding of peace and its need in the world?

What are some simple ways that you will carry forth the message of peace as you become more a peacemaker in this world? 

Learn more

You can read more about how the Sisters of Mercy effecting change, and learn how you can join them, here.

“From the lens of nonviolence, we accept the challenge to become weavers of networks that defend life, spokespeople for those whose cries are silenced.” 

Ana Maria Siufi, RSM (Argentina)

This series was created in collaboration with Sister Eileen Smith, RSM, Spiritual Director,Mount Saint Mary House of Prayer, Watchung, New Jersey

Synodality and grassroots peacebuilding as expressions of Gospel nonviolence

Preparatory reading

“Alongside action, it is more necessary than ever to cultivate, prayer, spirituality, and ecumenical and interreligious dialogue as paths of peace and as languages of encounter within traditions and cultures …We must promote self-awareness in civil societies, forms of responsible association, experiences of nonviolent participation of restorative justice on both a small and large scale.”

-Pope Leo XIV, World Day of Peace Address

“We have to make truth and nonviolence not matters for mere individual practice but for practice by groups and communities and nations. That at any rate is my dream. I shall live and die in trying to realize it.”

-Gandhi

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:3-16

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify God in heaven.

Questions for Reflection

• Do you belong to, or could you initiate, a circle of peace and nonviolence in your local community?

• What nonviolent movements and actions have you participated in?

• Where do you see the hope and power of active nonviolence working in the world today?

Prayer

God of peace…help me to serve your reign of peace by joining the global grassroots movement of nonviolence. Make me an instrument of your peace, that I might do my part to help abolish war, poverty, hunger, racism, sexism, executions, nuclear weapons, systemic injustice and environmental destruction, and welcome your nonviolent reign of peace and justice here on earth. As your beloved, may I always live in your peace and love, and serve you now and forever. Amen.

-John Dear, A Nonviolent Life

Song

Day 4
Conclusion

Integral disarmament: Disarming hearts as well as weapons

Photo courtesy of Sister Eileen Smith, RSM

Preparatory reading

“St. Francis did not wage a war of words aimed at imposing doctrines; he simply spread the love of God. He understood that “God is love and those who abide in love abide in God” (1 Jn 4:16). In this way, he became a father to all and inspired the vision of a fraternal society … In the world of that time, bristling with watchtowers and defensive walls, cities were a theatre of brutal wars between powerful families, even as poverty was spreading through the countryside. Yet there Francis was able to welcome true peace into his heart and free himself of the desire to wield power over others. He became one of the poor and sought to live in harmony with all.”

Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti    

“In today’s world, justice and human dignity are at an alarming risk amid global power imbalances. How can we live in this time of destabilization and conflict, and free ourselves from evil? We need to encourage and support, every spiritual, cultural, and political initiative that keeps hope alive, countering the spread of ‘fatalistic terms.’”       

 Pope Leo XIV, World Day of Peace Address

Scripture Reading: Psalm 85:9-14

I will listen for what God, the Lord, has to say;
    surely God will speak of peace
To the people and to the faithful.
    May they not turn to foolishness!
Near indeed salvation for those who fear God;
    glory will dwell in our land.
Love and truth will meet;
    justice and peace will kiss.
Truth will spring from the earth;
    justice will look down from heaven.
Yes, the Lord will grant bounty;
    our land will yield its produce.
Justice will march before God,
    and make a way for God’s footsteps.

Questions for Reflection

• Who are your champions of nonviolence and peace?

• Can you join other people or groups who are working for a peaceful world?

• What supports do you need to grow in being more of a peacemaker in today’s world?

Prayer

Gracious God, may we follow in the footsteps of those who dedicated themselves to the cause of bringing peace to the world. In doing so, may we bring peace to our contemporary world. We ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Song

Day 3
Day 5

Integral disarmament: Disarming hearts as well as weapons

Preparatory reading

“This is the peace of the risen Christ – a peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. It comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally.”

Pope Leo XIV, Message for the World Day of Peace      

Scripture Reading: John 14:25-27

All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom God will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Questions for Reflection

• How can we become more nonviolent with those who surround us – our families, friends, co-workers, other community groups?

• How do I respond to someone who is aggressive towards me?

• How can I improve my speech so that it is more nonviolent – words such as – I hate… that kills me…I can’t stand them…?

Prayer

Loving God, your Son lived among us and showed us the path to peace. He promised us that in spite of all challenges and enemies to our peace that we can maintain our interior peace if we remain in him. Gift us with the strength we need to grow ever more conscious of how we can be people who bring peace to our violent world. Amen.

Song

Day 2
Day 4

Nonviolence as a daily practice in decisions, relationships and communications

Preparatory reading

“The spiritual practice of daily contemplative peace is good for our own sanity and healing. In this quiet prayer, as we dwell in the presence of God, and strengthen our relationship with God, God gently disarms our heart and digs out the roots of war within us. In return God gives us the gift of peace. As we begin to become aware of God’s disarming, healing work in prayer, and the new nonviolence we now feel, we can consciously join God’s disarming process. We learn to bring all our inner violence, hatred, resentments, bitterness, anger and desire for revenge to the God of peace and give it all to God, and welcome God’s gift of inner peace.”       

John Dear, The Nonviolent Life

“Let us live in peace, and then we are a little oasis of peace in a war-torn world … Let us pray together, no matter what our faith is, for each other and for the whole world.”                                                                                

Venerable Dorothy Day

Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:12-17

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God through him.

Questions for Reflection

• Do you have daily practices that help you maintain your interior peace of mind and heart? 

• Do you bring your anger and resentments to God for healing?

• What do you need to “let go” of in order to have more inner peace?

Prayer

Loving and compassionate God, you desire that I live in peace as your beloved child and pursue a nonviolent life. Yet, I recognize that I am weak and fail to live fully the way of peace. Send your Holy Spirit to help me to be nonviolent to myself and to others. Help me to let go of everything that keeps me from that inner peace. Open my heart to love all people as my brother and sister. Amen.

Song

Day 1
Day 3

Peace is a transformational active force, not just a state of absence of war

Photo courtesy of Sister Eileen Smith, RSM

Preparatory reading

“Dear brothers and sisters, whether we have the gift of faith or feel we lack it, let us open ourselves to peace! Let us welcome it and recognize it, rather than believing it to be impossible and beyond our reach. Peace is more than just a goal; it is a presence and a journey. Even when it is endangered within us and around us, like a small flame threatened by a storm, we must protect it, never forgetting the names and stories of those who have borne witness to it. Peace is a principle that guides and defines our choices. Even in places where only rubble remains, and despair seems inevitable, we still find people who have not forgotten peace. Just as on the evening of Easter Jesus entered the place where his disciples were gathered in fear and discouragement, so too the peace of the risen Christ continues to pass through doors and barriers in the voices and faces of his witnesses. This gift enables us to remember goodness, to recognize it as victorious, to choose it again, and to do so together.”       

-Pope Leo XIV, World Day of Peace Address

Scripture Reading: John 20:19-21

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As God has sent me, I am sending you.”

Questions for Reflection

• How do you define peace and nonviolence?

• Do you believe in your heart and mind that God is a God of Peace?

• Have you experienced the reality that you are a beloved child of God? If so, how did that change you?

Prayer

God of peace, thank you for being gentle, loving, compassionate and nonviolent! You are so nonviolent that you do not force yourself upon us, but gently call us to your wisdom and way of nonviolence. You give us the freedom to do as we will. Help us to do your will of peace, to choose your way of nonviolence. Help us to live nonviolent lives, to become your holy people of nonviolence, to welcome your reign of peace and nonviolence here on earth. Amen.

– John Dear, The Nonviolent Life

Song

Day 2