Humility Works Wonders

My name is Dan Sullivan, and I have been a member of the Mercy & Justice Commission the past two years and a member of St. Ignatius parish for a little over five years. When I decided to move back to the Bay Area in 2019, the first thing I decided was that no matter where I ended up living (turned out to be Santa Rosa), St. Ignatius would be my parish. I deeply believe that Catholic social teaching around corporal works of mercy must be a core component of a Catholic community, rather than some ancillary or optional part. As Archbishop Gomez of Los Angeles (then President of the USCCB) put it, without this core component it is “pseudo-religion.” I was engaged with Ignatian spirituality, and knew that Saint Ignatius would be a welcoming home for me.

The Mercy & Justice Commission oversees and guides those ministries of the parish that provide opportunities for parishioners to participate actively in corporal works of mercy, or, as our parish website puts it, “… in the promotion and implementation of social and environmental justice.” The individual ministries include Simple Needs and the Advent Giving Tree (monthly opportunities for parishioners to help meet the needs of the poor and homeless in our community), Shelter Meals (a twice-monthly opportunity to prepare meals for those living in shelters), Solidarity (our ministry seeking to meet the needs of immigrants), Las Vecinas (our ministry for building relationships with our sister parish in El Salvador), Anti-Racism Committee (a group that meets monthly on Zoom to respond to the challenge of how to oppose racism in all its forms), and the Laudato Si' Circle (a group that meets regularly to reflect on and discuss how to respond to Pope Francis’ call in his encyclical Laudato Si to “hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor”). A complete description of each of these ministries can be found on the parish website.

After joining the parish, I immediately became involved in two of those ministries, The Laudato Si Circle and Solidarity. Two years ago, I got the opportunity to join the Mercy & Justice Commission. I was intrigued because I’m someone who always has ideas he’s willing to share. What I learned was that you receive a lot more than you give. You not only learn about all the various ministries and the challenges they face; you also get the opportunity to work with some amazing fellow parishioners.

Commission members commit to only four Sunday afternoons a year. I actually wished it was more than that. These gatherings may be the best way I have found to spend a Sunday afternoon. Meetings begin with a tasty meal, which is then followed by a period of spiritual reflection and discussion to ground the work to be done. What then follows is a working period that is not only meaningful; it is a truly joyous occasion. There is as much laughter as there is serious discussion. When Ronald Reagan was governor of California, he famously said, “It’s amazing what you can get done when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” I don’t know if this was his own or if he borrowed the line from someone else. However, I do know that the Mercy & Justice Commission embodies this statement. Collaboration is the defining characteristic of how the commission works. All ideas are welcomed, and everyone is treated with complete respect. At the end of the afternoon, you leave energized, not drained. I hope you will seriously consider this invitation to join us. I can assure you that you won’t regret it.

Dan Sullivan, Mercy & Justice Commission | Laudato Si’ Circle | Solidarity Committee