Externships

Social Justice Extern

The Social Justice Ministry (SJM) was established in 2019 by Cardinal Sean O’Malley. Our mission is to strengthen our commitment to Catholic Social Teaching by education, awareness, engagement with others and collaborative action for change.  Our objectives are to:

• Help eradicate root causes of poverty and injustice throughout the Archdiocese, nationally and globally
• Build a collaborative platform to bring together a diverse range of faith-based Social Justice organizations
• Mobilize grassroots support in local parishes and collaboratives
• Advocate for systemic change in unjust policies and structures
• Create and deploy educational tools to inform parishioners about Catholic Social Teaching

The purpose of the Office is to create a strong, diverse, inclusive and sustainable team that will be a catalyst and resource for individuals and parishes/collaboratives to implement their own Social Justice ministries and programs. The Social Justice Ministry Office is currently comprised of all volunteers.

The Intern will be expected to help us in one or more of the following workstreams:

• Annual Justice Convocation – taking place virtually in the Fall of 2022
• Regional Workshops and Conferences on various topics (e.g. racial justice, environmental justice, justice for Immigrants and refugees, global and local poverty, youth social justice issues, homelessness)
• Speakers Bureau – Catholic Social Teaching experts to educate and engage parishes
• Resource Center – website, database, calendar of events
• Communications and Outreach – especially to youth and Campus Ministries

This position includes an educational component addressing the student’s development and knowledge of Catholic Social Teachings (CST) and their importance to the Catholic faith. The student will be advised on developments in the growth and impact of CST in today’s Church and their foundation in New Testament writings. This includes opportunities to explore the Church’s application of CST along with interactions with those engaged in this ministry. 

Supervisor: Patricia Dinneen, PhD, Chair, Archdiocesan Social Justice Ministry

Director of the R.C.I.A. Ministry

The Basilica is a diverse community that strives to nurture a strong, open, and inclusive congregation. Our communal worship is the heart of the parish, the center of our life, our first school of spirituality, and the source from which our power flows. We reach out to the needy, near and far, through personal service and tithing of ordinary parish income. Our doors are open to welcome and support all cultures and people who are in need of spiritual, emotional, or physical healing. We seek to stand in solidarity with the poor and to work for social justice and peace. (http://www.bostonsbasilica.com)

Main Responsibility: To minister to those seeking the Sacraments of Initiation in the Catholic Church here at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Mission Church)

Specific Responsibilities:

• To become familiar with the R.C.I.A. Process
• To interview each candidate in order to assess where they are in their faith journey and how to best minister to them
• To work closely with the parish sponsors who will assist in the ministry
• Direct the weekly meetings (usually on a Sunday) through each step of the R.C.I.A. Process
• Attendance at Sunday Eucharist here at the Basilica

Supervisor: Rev. Joseph C. Tizio, C.Ss.R., Pastor

Rooted in the heart of the Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Boston, MANNA (Many Angels Needed Now and Always) is a ministry of and with the homeless community.  Through MANNA we seek not only to welcome men and women across differences of class, wealth, culture, race, and mental ability, but also to empower all people to claim their place as essential members of our community.  We all have gifts to give and to receive.  We need each other.  And this is why we gather each week to serve, to pray, and to create together. 

Below are a few details of what we do:

• The Leadership Team: The center of our community, our leadership team gathers each week to check in with each other, plan programming and generally work together towards improving life on the street, in shelters and in new housing.
• The Monday Lunch: Each week we join with a rotating group of visiting volunteers to welcome and serve a hot meal to about 100 members of the broader homeless community. The Lunch is where we are most regularly required to make manifest all that we talk about in our meetings and pray for in our liturgies.
• The Monday 1 O’clock: In addition to participating fully in the Cathedral’s main Sunday Morning worship, MANNA also hosts its own weekly Eucharist for which members of the community serve as preachers, intercessors…and pretty much everything else. This service has more than quadrupled in size over the past four years and has become the primary worship service for many, both housed and un-housed
• Christian Meditation Group: Prayer lies at the heart of all we do, and silent, contemplative prayer in particular sustains us.  As the first homeless Christian Meditation group in the U.S., our group has received a lot of attention both nationally and internationally. Leaders from our group, trained by Fr. Laurence Freeman, OSB, director of the World Community of Christian Meditation (WCCM), have equipped several other homeless communities in the area to start their own contemplative prayer groups.
• The Black Seed Writers’ Group, which meets every Tuesday to produce a steady stream of poetry, protest, memoir, prayer and reportage, is led by Atlantic Monthly columnist James Parker.  Writers compile their writings into broadsheets, which they can sell at venues outside of MANNA, including our public readings at the Brookline Booksmith.
• The Coffee Klatsch: Gathering each Sunday morning at 8:30, folks discuss, share and promote information relating to life in the shelters and on the street.  As a group they have reached out to elected officials to seek and effect change through advocacy on their own behalf. 
  

Our interns and externs are an integral part of our pastoral care team and fully participate in all our gatherings. We meet as a pastoral care team on Monday afternoons after worship to theologically reflect, debrief our community time, and share pastoral concerns.

Supervisor: Rev. Jennifer McCracken, Pastor to MANNA

The role of the extern is to support the vision of Sacred Threads: To weave spirituality into the everyday life of women of all generations, faiths, traditions and cultures.

Each student brings his/her gifts to help support this vision and we trust the experience also enriches the life of the student. 

Some of the day-to-day tasks of the role include:

• Assisting with the regular upgrade and maintenance of files and data bases 
• Helping to set up for and provide hospitality at in-person programs
• Attending programs, when possible, to gain experience and interact with participants
• Assisting with social media promotion of events and opportunities
• Offering suggestions and ideas for furthering the mission of Sacred Threads
• Being engaged in particular areas depending on the interests of the student
  

Supervisor: Rosemary Mulvihill csj, Executive Director of Sacred Threads

St. Elizabeth’s is an acute care, ~300 bed facility including 38 ICU beds in Brighton, MA that is currently seeking trauma two status.  The hospital was founded by the Franciscan Sisters of the Alleghany and maintains its Catholic identity while now being part of the Steward Healthcare System.  The extern will work in conjunction with the Spiritual Care department that includes interfaith staff chaplains, priest chaplains, and a diverse group of per diems, students, and volunteers who provide care for patients, families, and staff. 

We are looking for an extern to help with our volunteer and bereavement programs as well as help with some sacristan duties for the Seton Chapel.  Expectation is that the extern would work 2-3 days per week preferably in the morning.  Preference will be given to candidates who are open to committing to being present Sunday mornings for 8 AM mass. 

Volunteer program support

Post-lockdown, St. Elizabeth’s is rebuilding their volunteer program that consists of Catholic Eucharistic Ministers and Pastoral Visitors (e.g. those who have completed a supervised practicum or a unit of CPE).  The extern will answer queries from interested volunteers and guide them through the onboarding process, help our current volunteers complete their annual compliance and training paperwork, make sure our volunteers have the supplies they need, and arrange for on-going training & biannual recognition of our volunteers.  

Bereavement program support

St. Elizabeth’s began a bereavement ministry program in March 2020 for all families who have had a loved one die while at the hospital.  The extern will help staff prepare sympathy cards for chaplains to sign, ready our monthly bereavement mailing to be sent out, search out addresses for bounces, and then help with logistics for our three bereavement services (Oct 15, Sunday afternoon end of Nov, Sunday afternoon in April).  We have a fledging grief support group program and answering inquiries around the groups will also be expected.  

Sacristan support

On days present, expectation would be that the extern will help setup for daily mass, participate as a lector and/or Eucharistic Minister during mass, and assist in keeping Seton Chapel organized as well as appropriately decorated for the liturgical season.  Mass is held Monday-Friday at noon, Saturday at 4 PM, and Sunday at 8 AM. 

Supervisor: Elizabeth (Elli) Goeke, Director of Spiritual Care at St. Elizabeth’s

Background

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), founded in 1970, is the domestic anti-poverty program of the U.S. Catholic bishops. CCHD's mission is to address the root causes of poverty in America through the support of low income, self-help community organizations. CCHD's strategy is to empower low income people through their active participation in our democratic society.

Overview

The extern opportunity is presented through the US Catholic Conference of Bishops with the Archdiocese of Boston working with the Diocesan Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) committee, a grant making body managed locally by the Archdiocese of Boston..

This opportunity provides a student exposure to the grant making process with grassroots social justice organizations. Grants range from $25,000-$75,0000.

Time Commitment and Expectations

The fall semester may focus on the need to build awareness of the CCHD grants through outreach to parishes and schools and through social media outlets. The spring will focus on visiting grantees with committee members as some funding is renewed while potential new grantees are interviewed. Externs would be welcomed to attend committee meetings and encouraged to attend the meetings that take place in the spring when review of grantees take place. In addition, the extern would need to be comfortable speaking in a group and some proficiency in Spanish would be helpful. Good written communication and some facility with social media is preferred. Some work can be done remotely. It would be helpful to have a car, but carpooling is a possibility. Extern will report to the committee coordinator.

Finally, externs should be able to:

1. Flexibility to attend CCHD committee meetings and be prepared to provide information on grantees.
2. Ability to listen and to respect those with different views as well as ability to observe group process and decision making that works toward consensus.
3. If a practicing Catholic be in good standing as affirmed by your pastor and have experience and familiarity with the Catholic Church.
4. Sensitivity to and awareness of poverty, justice-related issues and some sense of Catholic social teaching especially as related to the importance of supporting self-help organizations and the empowerment of low-income people.
5. Ability to observe confidentiality.