Social Justice Week
Social Justice Week runs from 8 - 14 September 2024.
Social Justice Week serves as an ongoing commitment in the Catholic calendar to consider, reflect on, and act on a particular current social justice issue through the lens of Catholic social teaching.
The overarching theme for Social Justice Week from 2023-2025 is:
‘Imagine Peace For All / Pohewatia te Rangimārie mō te Katoa’
Each year there’s a unique focus, and for 2024 it is:
‘Choose forgiveness, know peace / Kōwhiria te murunga hara, kia mōhio ki te rangimārie’
Catholic social teaching sees peace as an essential component of social justice, which is based on the principles of respect for human dignity, the pursuit of the common good, and the protection of human rights.
It calls for a transformation of social structures and systems that perpetuate violence, inequality and injustice, and for the promotion of a culture of peace that values dialogue, reconciliation, and nonviolent conflict resolution.
Our love for others can lead us to repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation, building a path to lasting peace.
Social Justice Week 2024 Resources
Video Reflection Resources
We asked Catholic parishioners and students from across the country reflection questions about forgiveness and reconciliation in our lives and in our faith. These reflection videos show the six key messages we found:
Key Messages - Ngā Kupu Matua:
Jesus Christ serves as the ultimate model of forgiveness and reconciliation.
We are called to forgive others as an expression of God’s love, just as God forgives us.
Through love, repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation, we build a path to lasting peace.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a sacred means of experiencing God’s love and forgiveness.
Building peace requires forgiveness.
Choosing forgiveness can be difficult, but with open hearts and minds we can know peace.
Video Prayer Resources
Prayers in Four Languages - Ngā Karakia i ngā Reo e Whā
English, Te Reo Māori, NZ Sign Language, Tongan
Peace Prayers (from school resources)
The Lord’s Prayer
Prayer of St Francis of Assisi
Social Justice Week 2023 Resources
Previous Years’ Parish Resources:
Social Justice Week 2022: Say No to Racism. We are one in Christ
Social Justice Week 2021: A Culture of Encounter: Be the Church
Social Justice Week 2020: Easy as CST: Unlocking the Church’s potential
Social Justice Week 2019: Fair, You Say? Seeking fairness in an unfair world
Social Justice Week 2018: Enabling Communities. Everyone has a part to play.
