In recent years, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto have focused on ministries that address and raise awareness of the injustices and inequalities faced by our planet and the dear neighbours with whom we share our common home.
Our goal is to address these serious concerns with practicality, information, collaborative efforts, and the trademark zeal, love and peaceful spirit embodied by our Sisters.
Ministry for Social Justice, Peace, and Creation Care
The Ministry for Social Justice, Peace, and Creation Care operates with an anti-oppressive, nonviolent, integral ecology framework. In keeping with the CSJ charism of oneness, we recognize and highlight how our focus areas intersect with one another and other issues, and we recognize that intersecting layers of oppression operate simultaneously for people who are marginalized and oppressed.
Current key social justice areas the ministry is focusing on include:
Indigenous Justice
We recognize the legacy and ongoing harm that has been done by Settlers to the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people on the Turtle Island. We seek to prioritize Indigenous voices so as to learn and be transformed by them, and to challenge our dominant worldview.
Climate Justice
The climate emergency is the most pressing issue of our time. Its impacts are felt differently across gender and racial lines. Women, Indigenous communities, Black and other racialized communities face the worst consequences of climate change. As a Ministry, we recognize and work towards a just climate transition that addresses the structural, intersecting injustices in our society.
Labour Exploitation
It is a complex phenomenon touching upon various social, economic, and legal aspects of our society. It occurs on a spectrum in many industries such as service, construction, agriculture, and sex work. The Ministry collaborates with others to raise awareness about this spectrum of exploitation and work for anti-oppressive policies that reduce the vulnerabilities of targeted communities.