Keene United Church

10/21/2026

Good morning,



In A Woman’s Journey to God, Joan Borysenko wrote: "God is never closer than when the space between two hearts narrows."

Where or when have you experienced the narrowing of hearts?

At some point during the day or week, be intentional about letting your heart draw closer to another heart.

10/21/2026

Good morning,

Over the past couple of days, many people have reached out to offer words of support to me as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Thank you for the thoughts, texts, emails, and prayers you have offered. In the helplessness that tragedy brings, each message reminds us that we are not alone.

Although I did not know the four soldiers who died in the fire at CFB Wainwright over the weekend, I know many like them. Each unit has soldiers who enlist to serve their country. Signing on the dotted line is not something one does lightly; it carries the knowledge that one may be called to serve anywhere, at any time. The swearing-in ceremony and the signatures that accompany it represent a deep and unparalleled commitment—an act of bravery and selflessness.

Even though I didn’t know the soldiers who died, I, like many Canadians, feel a deep sense of loss. Each one had a story, a skillset, gifts and unfulfilled dreams. My heart breaks for their families and those who knew them best, for their comrades who had been part of their team, for the Units in which they served and for the Canadian Armed Forces, which even though we span the country is in itself a small and close knit community. I think of the injured soldiers and can’t imagine the physical, mental and spiritual pain they carry.

As a person of faith, I have been reflecting on the teachings Jesus and in particular, the story of Good Friday. It feels like we are steeped in the loss, grief, confusion, disorientation, questioning and sadness of Good Friday, and will be in this state for quite some time. That is when I remind myself that the promise of Easter is always before us. The promise that includes:

Jesus’ example of accompanying the grieving, the marginalized, those who are discouraged.
Jesus who said, “I go before you to prepare a place for you.”
Jesus sending his spirit of companionship.
God assuring us that as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, God is with us – we are not alone.

Military chaplains in the Canadian Armed Forces, are called to ‘care for all.’ Sometimes it is hard to know how to offer such care.

As I was thinking of acts of care, here are some things that we all might wish to do.

If you are able, donate blood.
If you know members of the CAF, check in on them.
If you wish to drop by the Armouries or Legion near you, send a message of encouragement or gratitude.
Above all, offer prayers for the families, the comrades, the injured, the community of Wainwright.
May the strength and prayers of our country help carry those who grieve.

10/19/2026

Good morning...

Women at the Morogoro Women’s Training Centre



There’s a particular feeling that comes with visiting longtime companions in ministry, a sense of stepping into a story that began long before you arrived and will continue long after you leave. I felt it immediately on my first trip to Tanzania. Since 1979, The United Church of Canada has been accompanying the work of the Morogoro Women’s Training Centre (MWTC), a unit of the Christian Council of Tanzania, in Tanzania, supporting their locally-led efforts that empower women.

One of those efforts, run in 2023 with the support of Mission and Service, included a holistic training for mothers of children with disabilities. The program wove together self‑esteem and confidence building, small business and entrepreneurship skills, financial literacy, emotional support, and practical knowledge about caring for children. It was a space where women learned, but also where they were seen, heard, and held by one another.

Many of the women spoke of the “before.” Of years marked by isolation, stigma, and the heaviness of carrying their child’s needs alone. Some described shame that kept them hidden, or fear of being misunderstood by neighbors, their church community, and even family. Their love for their children was unwavering, but the loneliness was real.

What’s grown after their time at MWTC is something far more powerful than what any single training session could offer: they found one another.

They found language for their experiences. They found community where shame once lived, and possibility where isolation once closed in. The relationships they built became an ongoing source of strength.

There were twelve women in the training that week—twelve stories and twelve journeys being strengthened in community. I couldn’t help but notice the echo of another circle of twelve. God has always used small groups of ordinary people to carry hope into the world. These women, too, are bearers of that hope.

Among the twelve, three shared that their husbands had left after their child was born with a disability. It was a quiet grief woven into their stories, shaped by the stigma that still surrounds disability in many communities. In the absence of that support, the women leaned even more on one another, finding in community what had been withdrawn at home.

Agness Mduma

Agness carries a vibrant, steady strength. She is a widowed mother of four, and for sixteen years she has been raising her youngest child, who lives with a disability, largely on her own. When her husband died, that baby was just over a month old. The grief, the responsibility, the uncertainty of how she would provide for her family all arrived at once.

Before she connected with MWTC, life pressed in from every direction. Her income‑generating activities brought in very little. Markets were limited. Opportunities were scarce. And like so many mothers of children with disabilities in Tanzania, she carried the weight of it alone.

The training she received didn’t erase the hardship, but it opened a door. With startup capital and new skills, Agness began selling charcoal, at first in small amounts. She added local chickens and started selling eggs. Then she opened a small grocery shop and started baking cakes. Each step was modest, but each one widened the circle of possibility.

What struck me most was not the list of businesses she now runs, but the way she spoke about herself. The training gave her tools, but it also strengthened her confidence. She talked about learning to save, to plan, to trust her own decisions. She talked about raising her child with renewed courage.

Her efforts have allowed her to support her children’s education, meet daily needs, and even renovate her home. She is still navigating challenges. Her child’s medical needs are high, and health insurance remains out of reach, but she is no longer standing on unstable ground. Her story is one of resilience unfolding in real time.

These stories are reminders of what accompaniment makes possible. Not quick fixes. Not tidy narratives. But the slow, steady work of walking together. The kind of work that honors dignity, nurtures resilience, and allows women to discover strength in one another.”

10/18/2026

Sunday October 18, 2026
“Your Second Home in the heart of Keene”

WE GATHER

LIFE AND WORK OF CHURCH
95th Birthday - Grant Burns Birthday Celebration - Saturday Oct 25 from 1-4 p.m. Keene United Church

Death Café – books that people have found helpful when facing or experiencing death.
Stewart Hall Library 11 a.m. Sat Oct 25, 2026

INTROIT: “There's Enough for All” by Bryan Moyer Suderman

WELCOME (ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND GRATITUDE FOR THE LAND)
Welcome to this Sunday when people around the world reflect on the United Nation’s theme “Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow” - honouring traditional knowledge as well as scientific learnings in order to produce food for the world’s masses.
https://youtu.be/NV38pKIj9rU?si=J2J9fsAmQVjLokuW

Like the theme “Innovate today, Nourish tomorrow” we too honour traditional knowledge that throughout the centuries has been acquired by and in relationship with the earth. Traditional and land-based learning is not about accumulating scientific data but learning the story of each plant, each animal, each water being. The story of how and when they grow, what medicinal and nourishing properties they hold and how they can be returned to the earth after their death.
With every action taken First People offer gratitude, honour the items’ purpose and learn from their relationships as decisions are made for the earth, the community and themselves.

This basis of caring for creation builds upon traditional methods and wisdom as technology and scientific data are explored to create new and efficient ways to care for creation. “Innovate Today, nourish tomorrow” focuses on helping to provide an efficient system that is hoped will address food insecurity and improved distribution.

For seed to plant; plant to harvest; the earth gifts us with abundant bounty. Creation provides nourishment for our physicality and spirituality. May the ways we use these gifts reflect our gratitude to the Creator who continues to create and provide.

*OPENING MUSIC: For the Fruit of all Creation VU 227
This Day God Gives me VU 410 https://youtu.be/9yigHnCHdQE?si=eG-BMA4u5tEvKDEi

LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE
There was a man who walked this earth.
For people who were hungry, he fed them with loaves and fishes.
For people whose spirits were broken, he cared for their souls,
For people who lived in great darkness, he provided them light.
We light this candle in remembrance of Jesus, who encourages us to invite others to the table.

OPENING PRAYER A prayer for World Food Day by Alydia Smith
Creator,
Conspire with us
to create a world where all have access to nutritious and sustainable food sources,
and none live with scarcity or food insecurity.
Redeemer,
Save us from oppressive and unjust systems.
Mobilize us to be a part of a world response
that works in partnership with those of good will
to foster equitable resource sharing.
Sustainer,
Cultivate our resilience and expand our imaginations,
so that we might continually find new ways
to answer the call to end hunger—
until all may flourish. Amen.
TIME FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES - Welcome activity for all ages
What was your favorite meal growing up?
What is the most memorable thing you have ever eaten?
What is your biggest, most hilarious cooking fail?
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Do you prefer sweet or savoury flavors?
When you go to a potluck, what is your favourite dish to share with others?
When you go to a potluck, what is your favourite dish to eat there?
Where is your favourite place to eat?
What dish reminds you of a family member or a special memory?
What is the most unusual thing you have ever eaten?
WE LISTEN TO GOD’S WORD
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 99 VU 819

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Around 49 A.D., the apostle Paul visited Thessalonica to preach in the local synagogue and share the good news of Jesus. His message ruffled feathers of the local authorities and opposition who said that the followers were defying Caesar by claiming Jesus as King. After only a month, Paul and Silas were forced to flee the city in the darkness of the night. Later, Paul sent Timothy to check in on the growing Christian community who were facing such opposition. Timothy rejoined Paul to let him know that despite the ongoing hardships, the Thessalonia followers were standing firm in their faith, love, and loyalty. Paul praises their active faith, labor of love, and steadfast hope. He highlights how their dramatic conversion from pagan idols to the living God has become a famous, inspiring example across all of Greece.

HYMN OF ILLUMINATION: All who hunger VU 460 vs 1
All who hunger, gather gladly;
holy manna is our bread.
Come from wilderness and wandering.
Here, in truth, we will be fed.
You that yearn for days of fullness,
all around us is our food.
Taste and see the grace eternal.
Taste and see that God is good.

SCRIPTURE READING: 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
2We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly 3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake.
6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit,7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. 9For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
MINISTRY OF MUSIC: “Plenty of Room “by William J. Gaither

WORDS OF REFLECTION:
By Rev. Nancy Wilson
Sunday Oct 18, 2026
Based on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 and Psalm 99

“Food glorious food.” The musical Oliver Twist made this song popular when he and the children from his orphanage dream of rich and special food at a time when they were served ‘gruel’ and barely enough to survive. Oliver, who advocated for himself and others ‘famously’ asked his server, “please Sir, I want some more.” Because of this rebellion, he was banished from the orphanage and had to live on the streets of London exposed to the criminal nature and violence of such a lifestyle. He continued to maintain his integrity and morals as he practiced right from wrong, leading to a variety of hardships and a rollercoaster ride of relationships with both those who wanted to take advantage of him and others who cared for him and wanted the best for him.

Published in 1838, the novel portrays people who hold fast to kindness, courage, and justice even when life takes unexpected and painful turns. It is also the story of a child who discovers his identity and, along the way, finds the people with whom he belongs.

For many reasons, people throughout our world still go hungry. According to the UN, 645 million people faced hunger in 2025, and nearly one person in three globally could not afford a healthy diet. Hunger is not simply a question of producing enough food. It is also about availability—whether sufficient food exists despite pressures such as climate change and conflict; access—whether people can afford and obtain it; utilization—whether people have the proper conditions and resources to prepare food and receive nourishment from it; and stability—whether these conditions can be sustained over time.

Like the story of Oliver Twist, for many in our world food is not equally available, accessible or affordable. There are examples throughout history of people using food, subtly or openly as a means of control. The UN’s theme of “Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow,” calls us to respond differently. The goal is to share resources and wisdom, develop more effective food systems, adopt just practices and policies and pass knowledge from one generation to the next. This theme invites important conversation about adapting today’s behaviour in order to seek sustainability for future nourishment. This work reflects the way of Jesus, who calls us to nourish one another with dignity, justice, and hope.

Today’s scriptures invite us to see nourishment as more than food on a table. God calls us to build communities in which every person can receive what sustains life: food, dignity, justice, belonging, and hope. This is the way of Jesus: faith reshaping how we share, serve, and advocate so that others may flourish.

In the letter to the Thessalonians, Paul celebrates followers of Jesus who received the good news with joy and became an example to other Christians. Their influence spread because they embodied God’s word in faithful action, turning from idols to serve the living and true God. Heard through the lens of “Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow,” this passage calls the church to build patterns of life that nourish others now and offer a faithful example to those who come after us.

The Psalmist writes that God delights in justice. If justice delights God, then hunger cannot be treated only as an unfortunate statistic or someone else’s problem. Faith asks us to notice who lacks what they need, examine the systems that keep food out of reach, and join God’s work of making life more abundant.

God invites us to learn how food is produced and distributed, share so that everyone has enough, and advocate for systems that promote lasting food security. This work belongs not only to governments and organizations but also to communities of faith. We can listen to people who experience hunger, support local efforts, reduce waste, share generously, and use our voices for policies that uphold dignity and justice.

These are not separate responsibilities. Together, they are one faithful response to God’s call. What we learn must shape what we share. What we believe must shape how we advocate. And what we begin today can nourish generations to come.

So let us innovate. Let us learn how food reaches our neighbours. Let us challenge the systems that leave people hungry. And let us share what God has entrusted to us. Let us nourish one another—with food, compassion, justice, and hope. The choices we make today can help create a tomorrow in which every person has enough, and every person knows they belong. Amen.

WE RESPOND

*HYMN OF REFLECTION: Let there be Light VU 679

MINUTE FOR MISSION
Today is World Food Sunday. World Food Day is observed on October 16th each year. From the organization called Right to Food, to which the OSM Food Cupboard belongs, is the following message: According to the numbers, almost 1 in 4 or 10 million people in Canada, including 2.4 million children, live in food-insecure households. That means worrying about whether there will be enough money for food, skipping meals so their children can eat, and making impossible choices between groceries and other necessities.

These are historic numbers, and this isn’t a food supply problem. It’s an affordability problem. For too many people, there simply isn’t enough money left after paying for the essentials.

The OSM Food Cupboard is currently serving about 40 families in Hiawatha First Nation and OSM Township. About 1/4 are children. We are experiencing an interesting shift as more adult-only families, often single person households, are accessing the Food Cupboard. Many are of working age and cannot find jobs or earn insufficient wages to make ends meet.

It should be recognized that families access the Food Cupboard when they need to and only request the foods that they need. We have had several families, including ones with children say that they can handle things on their own now. And they are so appreciative of the support provided when they needed it. The other observation is that when one family leaves, it is not unusual for another one to request food support.

Thank you to you, the members of the congregation of Keene & Hiawatha United Church for providing support through food and/or monetary donations that allow the OSM Food Cupboard to continue to be a consistent and reliable support for families experiencing food insecurity in our communities.

INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
This past week has once again reflected the active nature of our ministry.
Learning and Leisure with Beau Harper introduced us to Beau Harper, the founder of soldiersearch.ca who with the help of volunteers, travels the country to interview and hear the stories of veterans from WWII and the Korean War. His website gives clear indication for those who are looking for information on their ancestors who served in the war effort.

Church Council met and the leaders have once again given time and energy to discussions about care for our space, our staff, our resources, our spiritual needs and our faith community in general.

Pumpkinfest was held in the village yesterday and we, as a community of faith, provide many volunteers in the planning, preparation and the day that celebrates the harvest season, and the gift of pumpkins.

Our ministry that gathers people on Sundays for worship also lives our faith throughout the week in a variety of aspects and ways. We are blessed by God. We are thankful for the generosity of many. We are helping to transform our community through acts of kindness and love.

*OFFERTORY: All who hunger VU 460 vs 2
All who hunger, never strangers;
seeker, be a welcome guest.
Come from restlessness and roaming.
Here, in joy, we keep the feast.
We that once were lost and scattered
in communion’s love have stood.
Taste and see the grace eternal.
Taste and see that God is good.

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Bless these gifts we offer - may they be used to nourish and care for the spiritual wellbeing of those in our community and beyond. Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE (the Lord’s Prayer)
God of innovation,
May your spirit of creativity work within us and through us as we discover ways to be fed and to nourish the lives of others.
For those who are physically hungry, help us to share our resources and raise our voices for the creation of just and equitable systems.
For those who are ill, may your companionship offer healing touch to body, mind and spirit.
For creation that groans under the strain and stress of conflict and changes in our climate, may there be healing and hope.

God of nourishment,
Touch the souls of those who grieve,
Feed our minds so we may grow in learning and living,
Fill our hearts with your love.

God who delights in justice,
Empower us to speak and act in ways that are honour your dream for the world.
Help us to be imitators of the way of Jesus, spreading his example and good news throughout our world.

Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.
Forever and ever. Amen.

*CLOSING HYMN: O For a World VU 697

*BENEDICTION
May God bless you with the creativity to innovate,
Jesus nourish you with his example of justice and equity for all and
The spirit inspire you with the desire for a joy filled tomorrow.

*CHORAL COMMISSIONING: All who hunger VU 460 vs 3
All who hunger, sing together;
Jesus Christ is living bread.
Come from loneliness and longing.
Here, in peace, we have been led.
Blest are those who from this table
live their lives in gratitude.
Taste and see the grace eternal.
Taste and see that God is good.

http://www.fao.org/world-food-day/en Every harvest grows from wh...

10/17/2026

Good morning,



Good morning,



Yesterday I had the sheer pleasure of experiencing the fall colours streaming into the sanctuary.

The sunlight shining in through the stained glass windows is the gift that keeps on giving.

Connected to the theme of Pumpkinfest (which we will celebrate in Keene on Saturday), the orange glow lit up the beautifully decorated church chancel.

You don’t have to take my word for it, you can see it for yourself in these photos.



Hopefully they will put you in the mood as well and you might choose to come to take in the events of Pumpkinfest in the Village of Keene on Saturday from 9-3p.m.

https://www.thekeenepumpkinfestival.com/



If you want something special to warm you up, come to the church for Chili Luncheon. The proceeds from chili sales will be donated to the church.

Any extra donations will be directed to P.A.T.H. (Peterborough Action Tiny Homes).



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Thank you very much for the morning connection.

This year will be my first to really enjoy and take in the pumpkin festival ! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

See you around 🎃

Ruth Ann McClure
Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 16, 2026, at 6:29 AM, Keene United Church wrote:


Show quoted text

The idyllic countryside hamlet of Keene Ontario, located just 15 minutes east of Peterborough has played host of The Keene Pumpkin Festival since 2007. A family event that is fun for people of all ages.

10/15/2026

Good morning,



Here is the Moderator of the United Church of Canada’s message to Canadians to support Cubans by acting prior to the Oct.27 and 28th meeting of the UN General Assembly when they will vote on ending the U.S. embargo on Cuba.



https://youtu.be/VMuAEtMkCx4



On October 27 and 28, the United Nations General Assembly will vote to end the decades-long U.S. embargo on Cuba. In the above video, Moderator Kimberly Heath urges us to send letters regarding the profound humanitarian crisis facing partners in Cuba to the Prime Minister and other key officials, letting them know that Canadians care, that Cubans cannot wait, and that Canada must act with courage, compassion, and urgency.

Your letter is needed now(opens in a new tab). The US administration continues to threaten military attacks against Cuba, causing increased stress and harm to the well-being of Cubans. While other leaders across Latin America condemn these threats, Canada has remained silent. This vote is another important opportunity for Canada to take clear and public action to respect the principles of national sovereignty and international norms, and to prevent war against Cuba and help end the full-blown humanitarian crisis. Canada must continue to vote "yes" in favour of ending the U.S. embargo, as it has done consistently for 33 years.

The United Church of Canada has been in partnership with churches and ecumenical organizations in Cuba for 50 years. These include the Cuban Council of Churches, the Martin Luther King Memorial Centre, the Christian Centre for Reflection and Dialogue, the Ecumenical Seminary for Theology, and the Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba.

Partners tell us that the Cuban people are living in a profound humanitarian crisis. The U.S. fuel blockade, and the tightening of other U.S. coercive sanctions, has caused an unprecedented scarcity of food, access to potable water, transportation, basic medicines, and needed medical procedures. As a result, Cubans every day face slow and preventable deaths in inhumane conditions, with rural areas hit the hardest.

The country has experienced multiple blackouts(opens in a new tab) that left the totality of its population without power for extended periods of time. Partners are responding through humanitarian relief for the most vulnerable, including children, seniors, and people living with disabilities. Partners provide pastoral support and accompaniment in the face of this asphyxiating blockade.

A group of independent experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council have urged swift action(opens in a new tab) by the international community and civil society to prevent a “silent Gaza” from unfolding on the island. They stated that “Measures that knowingly deprive a population of the means to survive strike at the most basic guarantees of the rights to life and diminish the core of human dignity.”

Your letter will not only tell Canadian officials to vote “yes” the annual UN resolution to end the U.S. embargo on Cuba, but will ask them to:

Publicly oppose and work to stop a U.S. military intervention in Cuba
Speak out forcefully against unlawful U.S. coercive measures to withhold fuel and starve the Cuban people
Work more determinedly with the United Nations and other countries, in ways that respect Cuban sovereignty, to get fuel and other life-sustaining supplies to Cuba.
Increase Canadian government aid to Cuba (currently just $13.5 million to date)
Partnership with Cuban churches and ecumenical organizations has involved the exchange of personnel between theological schools, long-term relationships between local congregations, and sharing financial resources through the Mission and Service Fund. It has also involved advocating together for the end of the blockade against Cuba, for economic and gender justice, and for other key global ecumenical issues.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Canada to act to end the U.S. blockade of Cuba: ...

10/14/2026

Good morning,

On October 14, 2018, Pope Francis officiated at a ceremony declaring that Oscar Romero, the fourth Catholic Archbishop of San Salvador, is a saint. During his beatification ceremony in 2015, the Pope said, "His ministry was distinguished by his particular attention to the most poor and marginalized." Today is a time to remember and celebrate his life and witness.

Romero was born on August 15, 1917. He began pursuing a life of ministry at age 13 and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1942. Although he started out as a conservative priest and theologian, his faith deepened over the years and took a radical turn in response to the anguish of the Salvadoran people. The question that burned in his heart and eventually turned his life around was "How do we speak of God in the midst of unjust suffering?"

Over 60,000 people died in the civil war which raged in El Salvador during the 1980s. The right-wing government, with financial aid from the United States, carried out a vicious campaign against leftist guerillas, and many civilians were caught in the crossfire. Romero, then the Archbishop of San Salvador, tried to prevent this by speaking truth to those in power, calling them to conversion and a change of their ways. He was assassinated while celebrating mass in a hospital chapel.

His violent death begs the question “How do we speak of God in the midst of unjust suffering?”

As we prepare for this Sunday’s service that focuses on World Food Sunday, let us ponder Romero’s words about seeking Jesus in the poor and marginalized.

Seeking the Child Jesus "We must not seek the child Jesus in the pretty figures of our Christmas cribs. We must seek him among the undernourished children who have gone to bed tonight with nothing to eat, among the poor newsboys who will sleep covered with newspapers in doorways."— The Violence of Love compiled by James R. Brockman

On the Poor
"I am glad, brothers and sisters, that our church is persecuted precisely for its preferential option for the poor and for trying to become incarnate on behalf of the poor. And I want to say to all the people, to rulers, to the rich and powerful: If you do not become poor, if you do not concern yourselves for the poverty of our people, as though they were your own family, you will not be able to save society."
— Oscar Romero and the Communion of Saints by Scott Wright

The Struggle for Justice
"Everyone who struggles for justice, everyone who makes just claims in unjust surroundings is working for God's reign, even though not a Christian. The church does not comprise all of God's reign; God's reign goes beyond the church's boundaries."
— Oscar Romero and the Communion of Saints by Scott Wright