By Lexi Torres
Social justice and advocating for those on the margins are central to my identity and a major reason I was drawn to the Catholic faith. It is also what led me to becoming this year’s Social Concerns intern for the Diocese of St. Cloud, supported by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.
Growing up in rural Minnesota as a biracial Christian woman, I’ve experienced firsthand the sting of injustice and discrimination — both personally and through the lives of my loved ones. In those moments, I’ve turned to the Gospel, finding comfort in the Jesus who hears the cries of the marginalized and calls us to respond with love and justice.
When I ask myself what it means to live a life that reflects the love of Christ, I often return to the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37). This story challenges us to ask, “Who is my neighbor?” The Gospels make it clear: our neighbors include not only those close to us, but also the poor, the sick and those pushed to the margins of society. This truth is what led me to Catholic Social Teaching, a powerful framework that showed me my faith and advocacy were never meant to be separate. In fact, Catholic Social Teaching is the foundation upon which we are called to build a just society.
One of the lights I’ve found in the struggle for justice is the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. CCHD is the domestic anti-poverty and social justice program of the U.S. Catholic Bishops. Its mission is to address the root causes of poverty in America by supporting community-led, self-help organizations and promoting transformative education. CCHD was born out of the social unrest of the 1960s, when poverty, racial discrimination, inadequate housing, and unemployment sparked urban uprisings. Cardinal John Dearden of Detroit and other bishops responded by listening with “the ear of the heart” and creating a lasting, intentional movement for change.
CCHD puts Catholic Social Teaching into action. It empowers those who are marginalized to use the gifts God has given them to strengthen their communities and care for one another. It carries forward the mission of Jesus Christ: “to bring glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, sight to the blind, and let the oppressed go free” (Luke 4:18). Supporting CCHD through prayer, advocacy and generous contributions, is a tangible way to stand against poverty and uplift low-income communities both locally and nationally.
As the U.S. bishops remind us in “Communities of Salt and Light:” “We also need to try to practice in our own parishes what we preach to others about justice and participation. Too often we are better at talking about justice than demonstrating it.” Pope Francis echoes this call, asking, “If we see someone who needs help, do we stop?” In a world filled with suffering and poverty, there is a great need for modern-day Good Samaritans.
Every believer is called by the Spirit to work for justice, pursue peace and respond to the cries of our neighbors as the Good Samaritan did. I invite you to prayerfully consider supporting the Catholic Campaign for Human Development in any way you can. Together, we can build a more just and compassionate world — one rooted in the love of Christ. May God’s love and peace be with you all.
The CCHD Collection will taken in the St. Cloud Diocese on the weekend of Sept. 20-21. For more information, visit https://www.usccb.org/committees/catholic-campaign-human-development.
Lexi Torres is a graduate student at Saint John’s School of Theology in Collegeville.