On Monday, June 12, 2017, parish representatives from Holy Trinity in Washington, D.C., St. Ignatius in Baltimore, St. Ignatius in New York, Old St. Joseph's in Philadelphia, Sacred Heart in Richmond, St. Raphael the Archangel in Raleigh, and St. Peter in Charlotte, all worked with Bread for the World to address world hunger at Congress.

Representatives from seven Jesuit parishes pause for a picture at St. Mark's Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill where the Bread for the World worship service and legislative briefing took place.

Prior to the parish reps heading to Capitol Hill, many other parishioners joined forces in a letter writing effort so that thousands of letters would arrive for their senators in Congress. The 2017 Bread for the World campaign urges Congress to invest in and protect vital policies and safety-net programs—including WIC, global nutrition, SNAP, and refundable tax credits.

Letter templates were provided at Masses so that parishioners could write and sign letters supporting programs that invest in human potential and help to eradicate hunger. Fr. John Michalowski, SJ, parochial vicar at St. Peter Catholic Church summed it up best, “God is good. Let us pray that the grace of the Holy Spirit can break down partisan barriers so that our nation can continue to help the poor and hungry both here and internationally.”

Parishioners at St. Peter Catholic Church in Charlotte, NC, write and sign letters, advocating for the poor and hungry.