Following the final weekly vigil that took place on Wednesday, April 30, marking President Trump’s 100^th Day in Office, Jenny Beatrice, Communications Director for the Provinces of Mid-North America, New York-Toronto, and Central South USA interviewed Fran Eskin-Royer, Executive Director–, and Megeen White, Associate Director of the National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd based in Washington DC, USA.

What has been the purpose of these vigils?

FER/MW: During March and April, the National Advocacy Center joined with 28 other interfaith partners for weekly Faithful Witness Wednesdays vigils held on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

The purpose of these weekly public vigils has been to call the U.S. Congress to moral courage and urge U.S. Senators and Representatives to respond to what many see as alarming executive overreach that has sidelined Congress and threatened the vital checks and balances of the US Constitution.

Seeing people of diverse faiths standing and speaking together as a voice for the common good is heartening – and reminds us that differences don’t have to divide us.

How has the current course of the US Administration affected your work?

Our commitment to those on the margins, particularly women and families, never changes no matter what the political climate – our Good Shepherd mission is our North Star. But the unceasing and turbulent decisions and actions being carried out by the current US Administration certainly affect us. Particularly because many of them impact and harm the focus of our work – those who find themselves in precarious and vulnerable situations.

In these changing times, we have to stay grounded and continue to work in community with other advocacy groups, faith-based and secular alike, to pursue the common good.

The divisiveness of these times calls us to redouble our commitment to reconciliation. Even when people with differing opinions or positions won’t engage with us, having a mindset that we are a reconciling presence shapes how we approach the key areas of our work.

What are the key areas of work for the National Advocacy Centre?

Guided by the Good Shepherd Position Papers, we primarily focus on issues that impact the lives of families, particularly vulnerable women and children on the margins of society.

We advocate to promote economic justice and end poverty; seek support and safety for migrant families, including refugees and asylum seekers; address violence in our communities, particularly domestic and gun violence; care for our foster youth; and improve mental health and substance use disorder supports. Our work is also guided by the needs of Good Shepherd partner agencies across the United States.

As a consequence of the respect and value given to the work of the Good Shepherd sisters around the world to combat human trafficking and support victims of this scourge that robs so many of their dignity and freedom, this is one of our primary areas of advocacy.

As our capacity allows, we also work review how U.S. policy impacts other countries, particularly the 67 countries in which sisters and partners-in-mission deliver over 400 Good Shepherd ministries. We are aware that we are a global community, and that the U.S., with its wealth and power, has far reaching influence and responsibility.

Given the divisive times we are living in, it is vital to mention that integral to our work and efforts on any issue is informed and guided by our allegiance to racial justice and equity, environmental justice, and gender equality.

In these ‘divisive times’ you mention, what are the greatest challenges you encounter?

Remaining true to our commitment to reconciliation can be challenging. We have to be able to speak our truth, but we also want to be sure that we build relationships with those with opposing viewpoints and preserve opportunities for dialogue and – ideally – mutual understanding.

In these extremely busy and unpredictable times, it’s easy to feel anxious so the challenge is to not feel overwhelmed – the stakes are too high!

It is not hyperbole to say that people are suffering – or at risk of suffering – as a result of the current Administration’s decisions. The speed at which executive orders, legal challenges, and congressional conversations occur currently has made it more difficult to keep abreast of the many changes and to discern our next steps. However, since we collaborate with multiple coalitions and organizations – some of whom focus solely on one issue – we constantly update each other on changes and opportunities for action.

Another great challenge is combating misinformation in this time of media overload, foreign and domestic A.I. bots, and many people talking over one another. To validate or challenge some of what media influencers and government entities say about issues we also rely on our Good Shepherd partner agencies to hear the voices of the lived experiences of their clients, students, and residents.

How do you keep the Good Shepherd mission, vision, and values at the core of your advocacy work?

Paramount to everything we do is the recognition of the value – the individual worth – of each person – all those with whom we work, those for whom and with whom we advocate, and those with whom we disagree.

 We recognize that the intertwining of justice and compassion – a relationship built on equity and kindness – is critical to creating the healthy communities we seek. These relationships include those with lawmakers and their staff, other advocacy groups and organizations, and with the larger Good Shepherd community.

Our advocacy strategies are varied but are carried out in collaboration with multiple faith-based and secular coalitions and groups. Everything we do in this world of today, we do so in the footsteps of St. John Eudes and St. Mary Euphrasia.

In our work, we are not content to love with our small human hearts, we love with our great hearts!