By Megeen White, Associate Director, National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
The National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd proudly joined interfaith partners on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, for a powerful public Jubilee event in Washington, DC. Standing before the World Bank headquarters, we united our voices as part of the global Proclaim Jubilee initiative, calling for debt relief and economic justice for vulnerable nations worldwide.
As part of the Jubilee USA Network, NAC helped plan and participate in this gathering that brought together representatives from multiple organizations committed to economic justice. The Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns, Caritas International, and the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life joined us in this sacred act of advocacy, each contributing their unique voice to our shared mission.
The event was deliberately timed to coincide with the 2025 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, ensuring our message reached decision-makers when they were gathered to discuss global economic policies. Our presence served as a powerful reminder that behind every debt statistic are real communities struggling to access basic necessities like healthcare, education, and climate protection.
Voices of Hope and Action
The gathering featured several speakers who spoke of the spiritual and practical dimensions of debt justice. Susan Gunn from the Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns opened our time with prayer, reading from Psalm 146, and calling us to “open our eyes” to paths of peace and justice. Her words reminded us that prayer itself is a form of advocacy, connecting our hearts to God’s call for justice.
Eric LeCompte from Jubilee USA provided crucial context about the campaign’s goals, while Alfonso Apicella from Caritas Internationalis shared a powerful reflection on Pope Leo’s recent apostolic exhortation on love for the poor. His message emphasized that this Jubilee year calls us not just to celebration, but to “forgive, restore, and reshape our world in accordance with God’s justice.”
The Sound of Liberation
A particularly moving moment came when Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb explained the significance of the Jubilee Shofar (ram’s horn) and led us in sounding it together. The shofar represents both warning and release – warning about the urgent crisis facing debt-burdened nations, and the promise of liberation that comes with Jubilee debt relief. Rabbi Dobb connected this ancient symbol to contemporary realities, noting how unsustainable debt burdens create “crushing the citizens of developing nations“, forcing environmental destruction and deepening poverty.
Our Commitment to Turn Debt Into Hope
Through our participation in this event and our ongoing advocacy work, NAC demonstrates our commitment to the “Turn Debt Into Hope” campaign. We recognize that over 50 countries currently spend more on debt repayments to international creditors than on essential services like schools, hospitals, and climate protection. This crisis particularly affects the Global South, where many of our sisters and partners-in-mission work alongside vulnerable and marginalized communities.
By participating in this public witness, NAC joins thousands of advocates globally in calling for debt cancellation policies that prioritize people and planet over profit.
A Call to Continued Action
Our presence at this event represents more than a single moment of witness – it embodies our ongoing commitment to organizing hope and advocating for systemic change. As we heard throughout the gathering, true Jubilee requires not just forgiveness of existing debts, but transformation of the economic systems that create these crises in the first place.
We invite the global Good Shepherd network to join us in this vital work by signing the Turn Debt Into Hope petition (here), participating in advocacy efforts, and supporting policies that promote economic justice for vulnerable nations. Together, we can honor Pope Leo’s call to “remedy the remote causes of injustice” and work toward a world where dignity and hope flourish for all God’s children.
Learn more about the National Advocacy Center here.
