life from
the perspective of a social justice, public health advocate in the Bronx
Posted by Kelly Moltzen on Monday, January 20, 2014,
It felt so good today to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with the St. Martin de Porres League at Immaculate Conception Church, a Capuchin Franciscan parish in the Bronx. St. Martin de Porres is the patron saint of racial justice, connecting the goal of racial justice back to Catholic social justice teaching and the Franciscan understanding of all humans as equal and deserving of equitable treatment. We started off singing the National Black Anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," followe... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelly Moltzen on Sunday, December 22, 2013,
Saturday was the Winter Solstice & I was fortunate to
spend it at a Capuchin Prayer & Service Advent Retreat. The Capuchin Prayer & Service Days were
started in NYC after Hurricane Sandy, when many members of Capuchin Youth &
Family Ministries (CYFM) in Garrison, NY wanted to come down to NYC to help out
with relief efforts in the Rockaways. The Prayer & Service Days and Weekend
Retreats have continued ever since. It’s great to see this ministry of service
continue in the true tradition of... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelly Moltzen on Thursday, November 28, 2013,
It’s Thanksgiving Eve. I
spent the day at the St. Crispin Friary as the friars and volunteers gave away
425 turkeys and bags of food to community members. Hungry people lined up outside the church and
we gave them tickets, recording their names, to ensure each person only got
one. The St. Crispin Friary in many ways feels like an extension of CYFM, but
different because they actually serve the poor and needy through the friary
& St. Anthony Residence, while CYFM ministers to Catholic famil... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelly Moltzen on Wednesday, November 20, 2013,
"Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words." - St. Francis of Assisi
I have tried to let these two sentences guide my life ever since I first heard them as a teenager at Capuchin Youth & Family Ministries. On some level I suppose I've always known that it's important for us to live in right relationship with others, and ever since my involvement at CYFM have held my Franciscan roots close to my heart. But I stayed relatively quiet about my faith in many ways for a long time, par...
Posted by Kelly Moltzen on Monday, May 13, 2013,
Ever since I was part of Capuchin Youth & Family Ministries, a Franciscan youth ministry center in Garrison, NY, during high school, I have always thought of the lifestyle of St. Francis an admirable one. Retreats centered around St. Francis and St. Clare and led by friars and brothers who have devoted their lives to following in the Franciscan path made my times spent at CYFM more than memorable. It's no wonder my CYFM friends alluded to the retreat center as a "heaven on earth." We were ca... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelly Moltzen on Friday, March 29, 2013,
I'm a fan of Gandhi. I'm particularly inspired by his famous quote "You must be the change you wish to see in the world" which has been and continues to be the theme of my blog. However, I was even more impressed recently when I came across his "Seven Deadly Social Sins" on a poster from Sojourners. I was able to purchase a copy of the poster at The Justice Conference in Philadelphia last month. These are the traits Gandhi considered to be the most spiritually perilous to humanity:
Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelly Moltzen on Monday, October 22, 2012,
Amber,
Fritz, Jyna, Brielle, Denise and I took a trip to Freedom Farm from Friday to Saturday. This was the second time I’ve visited this
farm. Fritz introduced us to a year and a half ago, as he knows Ann and Edgar through his connections with the Mennonite community in NYC. Edgar had been working in
the South Bronx with youth from Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, when
he and Ann decided to move upstate to Otisville / Middletown, NY, and start Freedom
Farm. They wanted to provide ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelly Moltzen on Monday, September 24, 2012,
I’ve come across a good number of provocative ideas in the
past couple weeks that I would like to start digesting here. Last Sunday, Pastor Guy Wasko at Trinity Grace Church – East Village gave good
meaning to the church’s motto, “Joining God in the Renewal of all Things.” During his sermon,
he spoke about how the full Christian story explains fully the Creation, Fall,
Redemption, and Restoration. This allows
for a holistic and encompassing
Christian worldview.
Unfortunately, m... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelly Moltzen on Monday, May 21, 2012,
In :
Quotes
I returned from a much-needed vacation today with my family, celebrating my brother's college graduation in California. And several hours later (on a Sunday, may I add) found myself going to my office to gather some materials needed for an Adopt a Bodega workshop at a school tomorrow morning. On the train ride back I opened up a book I've picked up on and off over the past several months - Meditations with Teresa of Avila. The chapter I was up to is called "Care of the Body" and discusses ho... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelly Moltzen on Tuesday, February 7, 2012,
In :
Quotes
The Missional Life: "Leveraging your personal narrative (identity, gifts, resources, education, budget, etc) to bear witness to a greater story you believe is ultimately true." - Pastor Guy Wasko, Trinity Grace Church - East Village Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelly Moltzen on Sunday, January 29, 2012,
You may wonder about the photo I've chosen as the banner to this site. It's a photo from Freedom Farm in Otisville, NY, taken during a visit in 2011.
I found out about Freedom Farm though a Mennonite member of the NYC Community of Communities who has become a friend of the house. One of the reasons Ann and Edgar founded this farm was as an outgrowth of YMPJ, as a "Christian-based youth education organization striving for peace and justice by teaching alternatives to violence, sustainable ag... Continue reading ...
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