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The Sacred Path of Justice
Our Struggles and Our Survival Are Intertwined
October 19, 2024 | By Sr. Mũmbi Kĩgũtha, CPPS
Yesterday I got a chance to encounter the sacred reality of following the path laid down by those who went before us: visiting La Paz, the site where César and Helen Chávez, with many other ancestors, lived and worked as they worked to guarantee basic human rights for farm workers in California.
I’ve lived in the United States of America at two different times in my life. My recollection from the first time around was of seeing fruits like avocados and papayas rarely and at a hefty price. My second stint began six years later and so many fruits and veggies that I thought seasonal were now available almost all year round.
My community, the Sisters of the Precious Blood, who have had a longstanding commitment to caring for the earth, opened up my eyes to the impact of climate change brought about by greenhouse emissions but also about the plight of farm workers majority of who were immigrants. Not just in the warmer climates such as Arizona and California but even close to Dayton, Ohio, which I called home at that time.
The story of the labor organizers who led the action strike in the 1960’s is a testimony to what happens when people and communities unite for a cause under the realization that our struggles and thus our survival are intertwined.
It is a witness to the prophetic call that is rooted in the essence of faith, that compels one to make a lasting difference in the world.
As César said, “We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community.”
May we be our siblings keepers in a world which is asking us to look the other way, and focus on materialism instead of right relationships.
Nuns on the Bus & Friends had a moving visit with the United Farm Workers (UFW) and National Chavez Center in Keene, CA.
Cesar Chavez's grandson Andres Chavez gave us a tour of the campus, which includes the UFW headquarters as well as a retreat and training center for organizers.
The site was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2012.
At the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument, we visited the burial site of Cesar and Helen Chavez, as well as a museum where we learned about the history of the National Farm Workers Association.
The visit was a reminder that the work today to uphold the dignity and rights of workers — a core Catholic Social Justice value — is rooted in a deep, living history of communities like UFW.
