Origins and Goals

Passion for Justice

The first coordinators of the SHALOM Network were named May 31, 1995. They were Sisters Krisztina Vargacz, SSND, from Hungary (left) and Margaret Mattare, SSND, from Baltimore.

The Constitution of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, You Are Sent, #17, invites a radical living of gospel justice. “Our living of gospel poverty as School Sisters of Notre Dame urges us to serve the poor. Making the concerns of the poor our own, we become painfully aware of the many who suffer privations stemming from the sinfulness of our world. In accord with church teaching and directives, we work actively, especially in our local situations, to eliminate the root causes of injustice in order to realize a world of peace, justice, and love. To confront injustice credibly requires that we ourselves act justly. We strive to live simply, to value human labor rightly, and to respect the dignity of every person, witnessing that living these values is a possibility for humanity. Strengthened by Christ’s grace and following his example, we are willing to suffer, want, insult, oppression, and death for the sake of the kingdom.” (YAS,1986)

SHALOM representatives meet with Sister Cathy Arat, SSND, Coordinator of SHALOM (fourth from left)

The origins and goals of the SSND SHALOM Network flow from this corporate personality. Mother Theresa’s remarkable passion for justice in educating girls, her own response to institutional violence toward women and her concerns for those who were poor are well-documented. Read more on the goals and the process of selecting the first SHALOM coordinators. The process of selecting the first SHALOM coordinators offers insight into SSND internationality. In 1997, a concise history of the SHALOM Network was reviewed.