Jeanie Graustein has been a staff member since 1995, when she came to the [then] Office of Urban Affairs as a Yale Divinity School student intern. Her passion for the environment and care of God's creation has shaped her work over the years, and has made Environmental Justice a cornerstone of our work with parishes.

Why and how did you become interested in Environmental Justice?

My fascination with God's amazing creation developed as I grew up in coastal California, immersed in the beauty and variety of wildflowers, redwood trees, shells, rocks, fossils, and birds.  The Dominican Sisters nurtured my interests by encouraging me to bring bugs in jars to the classroom and by our study of geography. These experiences, and  later studies in anthropology and geology, were a source of growing  awe at the immense time and diversity of life, human and all other, and of my understanding that every creature and all creation gives glory to God.

How did you become involved with OCSJM?

During and following my Yale Internship I was invited to create educational resources for Parish Social Ministry, based on the 1991 USCCB letter, Renewing the Earth: an Invitation to Reflection and Action on Environment in Light of Catholic Social Teaching. Ongoing teaching from St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict, Pope Francis, and many prophetic voices, religious, civil and scientific, inform this work for environmental justice.

What is your current involvement at the Office? 

I have worked with parishioners to engage them in reflection and learning, leading to actions and advocacy that will better protect life and all of God's creation, from a "Toxic Tour" of Hartford with the CT Coalition for Environmental Justice, to parish presentations on clean water and land use; from a conference on protecting children's environmental health, to a 2006 Climate Change Conference. Recently OCSJM has collaborated with the Inter-religious EcoJustice Network to sponsor the Hartford Riverfront Earth Day celebrations.  With members of our Environmental Justice Ministry Team and the Catholic Climate Covenant, we provide worship and educational resources to parishes for the Feast of St. Francis and Earth Day each year.

How do you see your personal ministry in relationship to this work?

I have been very blessed to find a calling that has allowed my passion for the richness of God's creation to be of service to God, the Church and especially to those impacted by environmental harm. It is increasingly urgent that we act -- personally, nationally and globally -- to protect the ecosystems and atmosphere that sustain all life. We have a duty to our grandchildren and those who will follow. The task is daunting, but we know that God's "power now at work in us can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine." (Eph. 3:20) 

In her well-received book, Fair Trade from the Ground Up, April Linton writes: 

This month our focus is on St Augustine Parish in Seymour, where at the end of September Fair Trade Coffee, Tea and Chocolate from our partner, Equal Exchange, were introduced at the Sunday morning coffee hours.  The Pastor, Father Honore Kombo, (who by the way is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo), graciously embraced the idea of serving Fair Trade Products at parish functions now and in the future.  Of course we introduced coffee from the Congo first, so that Fr. Kombo would feel at home; and, in the weeks leading up to the event, Alese Kummer, the parish business manager, used weekly bulletin "hints" to peak everyone's interest.  Other parishioners have also expressed interest in hosting a CRS Fair Trade Craft Sale in the future.

"Dear young people, please don't be observers of live, but get involved." - Pope Francis

This year, the OCSJM is making special efforts to reach out to youth and young adults around the diocese!  As part of that effort, we are excited to announce a new partnership with Holy Family Retreat Center.

Over the coming months, OCSJM staff member Sarah Hillier will be presenting a workshop on Catholicism and Fair Trade at the Holy Family Retreat Center's Sunday Confirmation Retreats.  During the workshop, teens will have the opportunity to learn about the Catholic Social teaching principle of "dignity of the human person," exploring how they can work for justice by making informed decisions and using their purchasing power wisely.

 As Pope Francis said, "Things have a price and can be for sale, but people have a dignity that is priceless and worth far more than things."

For more information on Fair Trade, and how to get your parish or young people involved, contact Sarah or Mary O'Brien, our local Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade Ambassador.