June 2026
New Leadership of Cardijn Associates - Commemorating Juneteenth, 250 Years Towards Racial Justice - Magnifica Humanitas - A paradigm shift in theology - French YCW
Friends,
Cardijn Associates has entered a new chapter with a new President and several additions to our Board of Directors. Plans are in the works to renew the growth of our members and to support youth and young adults in the See-Judge-Act approach.
In commemoration of Juneteenth, the recording of a dialogue held by the GU Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life helps us take stock of where we are as we also mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4.
Pope Leo’s landmark encyclical Magnifica Humanitas is undoubtedly the biggest news of the last month and we share several significant reflections by Bill Murphy, Richard Pütz, and Stuart Moran as well as See-Judge-Act resources, from Stefan Gigacz.
Sam Young from the UK explains the influence of the Young Christian Workers movement in France and its relevance in the wake of Pope Leo’s first encyclical while Paul Lentern explores the call of the Gospel in this week’s text.
Plus a reminder of 80th anniversary celebration of IYCS coordination with International YCS leader Roshan Lobo and a reflection session on June 28. All are welcome.
The Cardijn Associates Team
New Leadership of Cardijn Associates
Cardijn Associates is pleased to announce the recent election of its Board of Directors with Dr. Martin Dramou as President. Dr. Dramou is an educator, community leaders, and advocate for youth development and human services across Africa and the United States. He was President of the Young Catholic Students movement of Ivory Coast after high school when he organized a regional retreat of students from eight countries in West Africa. He is currently President of PATHS - Peaceful Actions for the Enhancement of Human Services.
Also on the Board: Karim Mourad, Treasurer; Teresa Mourad, Secretary; and members at-large: Nancy Conrad, Rudy Dehaney, Elisabeth Lama Gobou, Fr. Chris Malano, Bonny Palma, and Fr. Ty Hullinger.
We express our deep gratitude to Nancy Conrad, Past President and Fr. Ty Hullinger, Past Vice President, for their many years of service at the helm. In particular, their critical insights of an active Catholic lay apostolate guided our efforts before anyone realized the significance of Pope Francis’s call for the Synod on Synodality. We are blessed that they will remain on the Board.
We also take this moment to congratulate new Board member Fr. Chris Malano, CSP, on the first anniversary of his ordination!
With Dr. Dramou’s leadership, a new strategic plan is being developed that will guide our path forward. Stay tuned — the whole Cardijn Associates community is invited to engage!
Commemorating Juneteenth - 250 Years Towards Racial Justice: Progress, Promise, and Challenges
Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life brings us a recording of the dialogue on 250 Years Towards Racial Justice: Progress, Promise, and Challenges. Discussants include Bishop-elect Robert Boxie III, new auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington; Melvin Rogers, co-director of the Democracy Project at Brown University, and Diann Rust-Tierney, associate professor of law at the University of the District of Columbia.
Additional Resource: JUNETEENTH: A PASTORAL REFLECTION ON RACIAL JUSTICE by Bishop Daniel E. Garcia and Bishop Roy E. Campbell, (USCCB)
Pope Leo and Magnifica Humanitas in Spain
As Leo explains in Magnifica Humanitas, Catholic Social Doctrine (CSD) is the way the Church is faithful to the Gospel in history. It is a theology of building communion in history, and directs how the Church is present to the human family in history.
READ MORE Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas in Spain (Bill Murphy, Better Politics)
A See–Judge–Act Reflection on Magnifica Humanitas
There is something almost head-scratching about a papal encyclical on artificial intelligence — the oldest institution in Western civilization issuing formal teaching on the newest technology in human history, writes Richard Pütz. But Magnifica Humanitas: On the Protection of Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence is not a panic document, and it deserves more than a quick scroll and a dismissal. Beneath its technical concerns about algorithmic bias, labor displacement, and weaponized disinformation lies a much older question: *What does it mean to be human, and can anything take that from us?*
READ MORE The Machine Doesn’t Have the Last Word: Rahner, Merton, and the Soul of Artificial Intelligence (Richard Putz, Cardijn Reflections)
Nehemiah in Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas
Many readers will be struck by the biblical leitmotif that runs through Magnifica Humanitas, namely the contrast between the building of the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9) and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem described in the book of Nehemiah. The story of Babel is at least culturally familiar, although the nuances of the story may be unclear. In a future piece, I’ll come back to that. Few readers, on the other hand, will know much about Nehemiah or realise that this is the very first time the book of Nehemiah has been cited in a papal encyclical.
READ MORE. A papal first: Nehemiah in Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas (Stuart Moran, Logical Apocalypse)
MAGNIFICA HUMANITAS RESOURCES
Stefan Gigacz, Australia Cardijn Institute, has developed a set of valuable See Judge Act and study resources for people, parishes and small groups including a summary, videos, most frequent words and common phrases.
LEARN MORE Magnifica Humanitas Resources (Stefan Gigacz, Australia Cardijn Institute)
History: God’s artisans
Life was hard for young workers in interwar France, writes Sam Young. Most left school at fourteen, beginning a life of exhausting, insecure and poorly paid industrial labour.
Things weren’t much better at home: working-class housing was overcrowded, public services were scarce, and alcohol abuse was rife. Poverty bred disaffection, and disaffection bred radicalism. In 1925, an insurgent Communist Party performed startlingly well in municipal elections, surrounding Paris with a ‘red belt’ of industrialised suburbs. To many political observers, social upheaval seemed inevitable.
Like the interwar JOC, Magnifica Humanitas suggests adapting the productive technology of capitalism to a Catholic economic vision. It argues that AI, rather than eliminating skilled jobs and eroding worker control, should instead become a tool for workers to hone their métiers and thereby better contribute to humanity’s common good. One hundred years after the foundation of the French JOC, its successors are still fighting for the soul of the global economy.
READ MORE God’s artisans (Sam Young, History Workshop)
Gospel Enquiry: Called and Commissioned
Last Sunday’s Gospel text begins with an expression of Jesus’ compassion for the people in their suffering, writes Paul Lentern. In earlier chapters of the Gospel it is Jesus himself who responds to this suffering through his ministry of healing (Mt 4:23, 8:3, 9:33). Now, it is the turn of the apostles to continue this ministry, just as they had observed, while following Jesus.
The text includes the often quoted reflection on Mission that ‘the harvest is rich but the labourers are few’ (Mt 9:37). The Mission of the disciples is to be twofold – proclaiming that the Kingdom of God is close at hand, just as Jesus had done at the beginning of his ministry (Mt 4:17), and healing the sick, cleansing lepers etc. which had also been central to Jesus’ ministry.
READ MORE Called and Commissioned (Cardijn Reflections)
Events
***IYCS/JEC 80th Anniversary of International Coordination Celebration
June 28, 2026 | IYCS 80th anniversary | Silver Spring, MD. Meet Roshan Lobo, IYCS Secretary General and reunite with IYCS alumni from around the world!
Be sure to also join the special Reflection session from 4 pm - 6 pm. It will be a time to share experiences of how YCS had an impact and generate ideas that allow our youth and young adults to discover the spirit of Catholic Action through See-Judge-Act for themselves.
***Unpacking Magnifica Humanitas: Brief Takeaways webinar
July 1, 2026 | 1:00 pm EDT | Catholic Apostolate Center
Looking for more clarity of Magnifica Humanitas? Systematic Theologian Dr. David Rohrer Budiash, Director of Programs for the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, will be giving a brief presentation on the encyclical and provide some insights into its wider understanding of Catholic Social Teaching.
Cardijn Associates USA
Contact
Email: cardijnassociates@gmail.com