The office for Peace, Ecology and Justice (PEJ) is a part of the Columban Mission Centre. It is committed to sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus in our society as a vision of hope for God’s reign in the world. We are inspired by Pope Francis’ words:
"Let us enable the power of Jesus' love to transform our lives...and let us become agents of this mercy, through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish. Peace to this our Earth!" (Easter Mass, 2013).
The growing awareness humanity now has, of the evolutionary story of the Universe and Earth’s place in it is, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, opens us to new ways of seeing our Catholic faith. Globalisation means our lifestyles impact on other people and other species. As Christians we want that impact to be for the common good. However, the gap between the rich and poor is widening, forced migration is increasing, human induced climate change is happening and species are rapidly disappearing. The PEJ office makes connections between Peace, Ecology and Justice from the Gospel perspective and works in partnership with other agencies, cultures and faith groups.
We promote a Culture of Peace as an overarching framework and work within these areas:
- Mission Awareness, Education and Formation
- Faith and Ecology
- Economic Justice
- Peace and Non-Violence
Our global perspective is based on the many years of mission experience of Columbans around the world. Our interactions and experiences with people who live in poverty and whose lives are affected by conflict, informs our work in education and advocacy in integrating issues of Peace, Ecology and Justice.
Our work
The PEJ office works at a community-local level with Church organisations and in partnership with other agencies, cultures and faith groups in a spirit of dialogue and listening.
The PEJ office offers and provides:
- Liturgical and Educational Resources
- Workshops, Lectures and Reflection Days with schools, parishes and community groups
- Partnerships and Networks
- Forums and Workshops
- Advocacy
- Dialogue
- Church social teaching
Social teaching of the Church
We promote the social teaching of the Church under the themes of:
- A Sacramental Universe which is God-centred and grounds human accountability for the fate of the earth.
- Respect for life which consistently respects human life and extends to all creation and its interconnectedness.
- The Common Good which affirms the ethical significance of global interdependence and the common good.
- Solidarity which promotes co-operation and a just structure of sharing in the world community.
- The Universal Purpose of Created Things which requires equitable use of the earth’s resources.
- The Option for the Poor for an equitable and sustainable world.
- Authentic Development respecting human dignity and the limits of material growth.
Related links
- Learn more about Our Work
- Contact us
