Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

“The Church’s love for the poor is inspired by the Gospel of the Beatitudes, by the poverty of Jesus and his love for the poor.” ﹣Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, #184

Migrant receives assistance emphasizing importance of assisting poor and vulnerable Discover a powerful collection of resources focused on the Catholic Social Teaching principle of the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable. This principle calls individuals and communities to prioritize the needs of society’s most marginalized members, recognizing their dignity and working toward justice and equity.

On this page, you’ll find:

Prayers and Reflections: Spiritual resources to inspire compassion and solidarity with the poor and vulnerable in light of Gospel values.
Lesson Plans and Educational Materials: Engaging tools for teaching about economic justice, human dignity, and the Church’s call to uplift those in poverty.
Multimedia Content: Videos, articles, and infographics that highlight the lived realities of marginalized communities and the Church’s response to their struggles.
Advocacy Guides: Practical resources for promoting policies, actions, and systems that prioritize the well-being of the poor and address systemic injustices.

These resources provide educators, faith leaders, and advocates with the tools to reflect on their role in creating a just society where the needs of the poor are met with compassion and action. Rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, they inspire a deeper commitment to walking with the vulnerable and advocating for systemic change.

Themes of CST: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

This resource provides an overview of the social teaching on the Option for the Poor and Vulnerable, one of the basic tenets of CST. This six-page resource can be used to gain background knowlege or...

Option for the Poor - an Introduction

This introductory piece is in popular language and discusses the option for the poor and liberation theology as related to poverty in the U.S.

The Preferential Option for the Poor: History and Overview

This 3-page reflection, from the book, Opting for the Poor: The Challenge for the Twenty-First Century, by Peter J. Henriot, S.J., describes: The five stages of the historical development of the...

Retreat

Spirituality of Justice Reflections: Thirty Daily Reflections with Pope Benedict XVI

Spend 5 minutes a day in prayer with Pope Benedict XVI, reflecting each day on a justice quote from the pope, reflection questions, and a prayer. The format of this resource is a short half-page to...

Keeping Families Out of Poverty Means Paying Parents A Decent Wage

This fact sheet/bulletin insert uses information from from Let Justice Roll, the religious initiative for a living wage. It focuses on the idea that one way to reduce poverty for families is to pay...

Lesson Plan

Looking at Root Causes: Why do Immigrants Come to the U.S.?

There are 60 countries in today's world that are poorer than they were 30 years ago. A fifth of the world's population (1.2 billion people) lives on less than $1 per day and almost half the world's...

The Center for Educational Design and Communication

The Catholic Schools of Las Cruces, New Mexico

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The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph

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The Poor are Still Dying from Preventable Diseases around the World

Around the world, millions of people are still dying of diseases for which vaccinations or treatments exist. This fact sheet and interactive quiz looks at the root causes. CST quotes, discussion...

Lesson Plan

A Day in the Life of a Child in the United States

This activity, reproduced with permission from NETWORK Social Justice Lobby, a Catholic advocacy group, walks through the day of children in the U.S. from the perspective of a child in a low-income...

Poverty, War, and the Environment in Darfur

This article and reflection is on the continuing violence in Darfur and its root causes, such as poverty and environmental destruction. Use this resource for group discussion or as a bulletin...