Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic social teaching is an integral part of our faith. Learn how sisters embrace its key teachings, such as solidarity, workers' rights, human dignity and the option for the poor.

Lessons in Catholic Social Teaching

Sr. Christin Mary coordinates the National Domestic Workers' Movement, which champions the rights of domestic workers, including children. The movement, she said, has set the tone for "breaking the slavery of silence."

Too many children around the world are forced to work when instead they should be at school. Introduce students to the International Labor Organization's campaign to bring awareness to the plight of child laborers.

From nursing to political lobbying, administration to asylum law, from the border to Capitol Hill, Sr. Mary Ellen Lacy has guided people through some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.

Helping young people understand the scope of the church's teaching on human rights can prepare them for the responsibilities of faithful citizenship in this nation and in the global community.

Since the 1800s, women religious have been moving to the South to open schools and hospitals and to serve those made poor and serve African Americans turned away from other institutions.

Catholic sisters are working to serve the poor through direct service and through advocacy to transform the systems that impact the poor. Concern for the "least of these" is a central call for people of faith.

The Leviticus Fund is a community development lender created by a group of religious leaders, including Catholic sisters. Since 1983, it has invested more than $142 million in projects that address poverty.

Our bishops say action for justice and the common good should be collaborative and allow people to invest in their own community. Learn about how the Catholic Campaign for Human Development takes this approach.

For sisters who have dedicated their lives to fighting injustice, activism is a form of prayer in action that helps maintain hope amid the often-slow pace of change. Some young activists are learning from their experiences.

Solidarity is a main theme of Catholic social teaching, and sisters model solidarity with people oppressed, people living in poverty, in violence, and those who suffer injustice.