Parish Social Ministry

Parish Social Ministry is the empowerment of the parish to reduce poverty and build the reign of God. We assist Parishes to discern the strengths, talents, resources, and needs of their communities and assist in mobilizing the Parish to meet those needs through direct service, community organizing, legislative advocacy, and global solidarity.

We collaborate with parishes in the Diocese of Richmond to promote the dignity of all human persons by providing resources and coordination for the development of social ministries, empowering parishes to address the unique needs of the diverse regions of our Diocese. Working together, we help envision and enact social ministries that provide sustainable year-round assistance to your community.

PSM Resources

We’ve developed an interactive resource site for Parish Social Ministers in the Richmond Metropolitan Region. Parish Staff and Volunteers can post their own content, announce events, and ask for suggestions on common issues or future programming. If your parish is already registered, click here to access the PSM Site!

We will be developing similar pages for other areas of the Diocese in the coming months. If you would like more information, or would like to sign your parish up for the existing PSM Site, contact Jay Brown.

Direct Service

Through the Life and Dignity Grants Program, OJP assists parishes to start or maintain food pantries and financial aid ministries, crisis pregnancy ministries, and ministries of education and advocacy about the Sanctity of Life. OJP Regional Coordinators are available to provide tools for record keeping and helpful suggestions to structure your ministries of Direct Service. We also collaborate with Parishes to help create closer ties and partnerships between Catholic Charities Agencies and Parish Ministries.

Community Organizing

Connecting Parishes with Community Organizations or Economic Development Projects funded by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development provides parishioners hands on experience of organizing to enact structural change. OJP will organize an immersion experience, tour, or speaker from one of our CCHD Partners to come to your parish and talk about community based solutions to community issues.

Visit our Diocesan CCHD website

Legislative Advocacy

Have you signed up for the Virginia Catholic Conference’s Legislative Advocacy Network? Click here and sign up now! The VCC represents the Public Policy Interests of the Bishop of Richmond and the Bishop of Arlington. OJP works collaboratively with the VCC to generate grassroots participation in the VCC’s Legislative Agenda and to raise up issues of concern to Parish communities in the Diocese of Richmond.

OJP helps parishes to establish, train, and maintain Advocacy Committees to respond legislatively to local issues and provide information on National Catholic Legislative Advocacy Networks like Catholics Confront Global Poverty, a joint effort of the USCCB and Catholic Relief Services, and Catholic Charities USA’s Action E-List.

"The parish is where the Church lives. Parishes are communities of faith, of action, and of hope. They are where the gospel is proclaimed and celebrated, where believers are formed and sent to renew the earth. Parishes are the home of the Christian community; they are the heart of our Church. Parishes are the place where God's people meet Jesus in word and sacrament and come in touch with the source of the Church's life."

Global Solidarity

We are one human family. We are our brother’s keeper. Standing in effective solidarity with people who are vulnerable and suffering all over the world is imperative for a local community of faith. OJP works with CRS to provide timely information about global poverty, programs and resources to educate and help your Parish take action. CRS Global Fellows can come to your Parish to talk about the work of CRS at Sunday liturgy (and provide your pastor a much needed break).

Twinning

The Diocesan Twinning Program, however, is our primary method of promoting solidarity. By focusing on developing relationships and encounter between Parish communities in Haiti and in our Diocese, OJP helps parishes to live out the call to Global Solidarity.

For more information on establishing social ministry in your parish please contact your OJP Regional Coordinator.