CJEN

Catholic social teaching is a key to Catholic identity. That understanding is the motivation behind a growing movement to integrate Catholic social thought and principles into the everyday practice of Catholic education at all levels.

From preschool religious education classes to master's degree programs in theology, the rich history of Catholic social teaching is being infused into Catholic education. In a variety of school settings, teachers help Catholic youth discover the notion of God's justice and apply it to the challenging social problems of our day.

Check out our latest newsletter for a sampling of what teachers are doing.

Excerpts from our fall 97, winter 98, fall 98, winter 99, Special 99, spring 2000 and issues are also online.

Catholic Justice Educators' Network (CJEN)
What is the CJEN?

CJEN is a network of Catholic school teachers and religious educators who are committed to learning more about Catholic social values and integrating it into their teaching. One of the primary purposes of CJEN is to provide a place where "hands-on" tools, techniques and lesson plans can be shared among teachers of the Archdiocese.

How does CJEN accomplish that mission?

Contacts: Each school is asked to designate a key contact person(s) who, on an ongoing basis, serves as a catalyst within the staff, raising issues related to Catholic social teaching and social justice in the curriculum. In the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis, we have 223 parishes, 99 elementary schools and 11 secondary schools. The CJEN Newsletter is free for religious educators in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Newsletter: Four times a year (August, November, January and May), a newsletter is sent to all religious educators and youth ministers in the Archdiocese. The CJEN newsletter format features (a) a lead article, usually written by an educator working in the field; (b) summaries of "Bright Ideas" sent in by teachers and organized by grade level; and (c) information about new justice education resources, upcoming seminars and training opportunities, news from regional and national Catholic justice organizations, and cool web sites worth checking out.

Convenings: The membership of the CJEN network is invited to come together three times during the year (August, December, March) for a two-hour meeting. The format for CJEN convenings has included presentations on Catholic social teaching, a more in-depth look at elementary or secondary resources, and wide-open brainstorming about how to make the CJEN network more effective for religious educators.

Questions about CJEN: call our office at (651) 291-4477

If you'd like to view and/or use a Powerpoint presentation on Catholic Social Teaching and Catholic education, you're invited to download this file and use it as you see fit -- csted.ppt. (Right-click on the link; then choose "Save Target as...")