Social Justice
Updated: Aug 26
Work for Justice in 2026
Part of our Catholic faith is that we are committed to social justice, that is, the transformation of society into a place where God’s justice takes place.
In 2026 our parish social justice group is focusing on environment, refugees, and supporting women and children at risk. We are also looking at new initiatives in the area of mental health and wellbeing which we discerned at our social justice forum held earlier in the year. Finally those at the forum spoke strongly in favour of the need to engage with our represented politicians to ensure they drive policies that align with our Catholic values.
Environment
As a key part of the Laudato Si encyclical we are building ways to better serve our environment. We advertise ways parishioners can recycle their electronics in locations near them. We are hosting a bush walk on 11 July from Vimiera Park Epping which will enable walkers to prayfully reflect on our environment. We are starting a Community Garden in the lower area of Our Lady Help of Christians where participants can plant, nurture and grow in the company of others. All are welcome to join the gardening or just the morning tea and chat that follows. We are engaged in a Solar energy sharing project in Carlingford which can alleviate some energy stress for families in the area.
Refugees
We partner with Jesuit Refugee Services (jrs.org.au) who provide practical assistance to refugees and asylum seekers. We take up a quarterly collection of particular foodstuffs and toiletries. Our next collections are 5 and 6 September for the Father’s Day items and then 7 and 8 November for Christmas. We hope to have a guest speaker from JRS on the September collection date. JRS also needs volunteers who can assist with language, study and work skills.
Women & Children at Risk
Our parish will each year buy Christmas gifts for the children of individuals in prison. We also buy gifts for women and children at Parramatta Women’s Shelter. Our two St Vincent de Paul conferences also support some of our most vulnerable families. The protection of life in the womb and of the terminally ill is also part of our commitment to support women and children.
Mental Health
We recognise that social isolation is one of the contributors to mental ill-health in our society. We as a church have a big role to play in connecting people as a community. Two new initiatives which do this in our parish are our free weekly Community Dinners which restart at Epping from September, and our playgroups for pre-school children and their carers at both of our churches.
We have also established a core committee that is assisting the ministry in implementing a Strategy that will support the mental wellbeing of parishioners. The strategy includes education, support and advocacy. As opportunities are offered, they are advertised through the Parish Bulletin.
In response to feedback collected in our Table Talk on Mental Health earlier in the year and thanks to the support and guidance from specialists in our parish we have created two resource documents:
One is the Mental Health Resources which lists places and websites that can provide services, strategies and specialists that people can access.
The other is The Top Free Mental Health Apps. This document lists the top 5 apps that people can use to develop skills and strategies that will support them in nurturing good mental health.
A Bigger Voice
We as Catholics sometimes lament the waning influence of the Church in the values of our secular society. We’re members of The Sydney Alliance (sydneyalliance.org.au) so that we partner with a broad coalition of civil society groups working for the common good in Sydney and beyond.
Keep an eye on this noticeboard, the parish bulletin and the parish website www.eppcarl.org.au for updates throughout the year.
If you’d like to take part in a project in any of these areas, please contact the parish office here:
