News & Updates
St. Benedict’s Rule in Action: Investing in the Common Good
By Oblate Stephen Bruns
Oblate Stephen Bruns shares inspiring insights on Laudato Si’ during the 2024 Oblate Renewal Day.
In a continuing series of educational workshops, the oblates of Mount St. Scholastica have explored the 2015 encyclical letter by Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, and its relevance to our Benedictine values. During Oblate Renewal Day (ORD) on October 5, 2024, oblates and inquirers delved into the murky waters of investing for the common good.
Goal 3 of the Mount’s Laudato Si’ Action Plan seeks to inform our conscience on ecological economics, specifically investing in the common good. The Action Plan asks us to consider the following questions:
- Do we hold ethical investments? Do we divest from fossil fuels and any economic activity harmful to the planet and people and invest in renewable energy?
- Do we purchase our food and clothes from fair trade operations?
- Do we aim to support sustainable production and ethical consumption?
Sister Barbara McCracken, OSB, a presenter at ORD, has been working with the Benedictine Coalition for Responsible Investment (BCRI) for many years. The BCRI works to build a world in which corporate policies and practices reflect just and equitable distribution of resources for the common good. Members of the BCRI work to influence corporate practices on issues relating to basic human rights. Sister Barbara outlined actions that the Mount takes in pursuing these goals.
Oblate Stephen Bruns furthered the presentation by focusing on what individual oblates can do with the Rule as our guide. He asked the gathering to consider the following questions: What is your personal investment philosophy? How do you wish to proceed with your investment objectives? How do your Benedictine values play a role? He also discussed the need for an ongoing personal conversion as a process in understanding oneself and how each individual can commit, even in a small way, to creating a sustainable lifestyle for the common good.
These thoughts and actions should not be foreign to us as followers of the Benedictine way of life. It was ingrained in St. Benedict’s Rule, and we are charged with carrying the message forward in the 21st century.
Resources for Ethical Investing
Many people have contacted the sisters wanting to know how to practice ethical investing. Sister Barbara encourages them to become more knowledgeable about where and how their money is being used. She says, “The following internet resources will help first-time investors who hope to see their investment improve the world and alleviate poverty.”
- Fennel has excellent glossaries for new investors and will be your online broker for $5 a month.
- Domini is all female led and does “impact investing.”
- Tortoise Capital has an Ecofin Global Renewables Infrastructure Fund.
- The InterFaith Center for Corporate Responsibility has an online newsletter, the “Corporate Examiner.”
- Parametric and FaithInvest are two other investment resources.
- Guide to Sustainable Investment is an initiative of the Laudato Si’ Movement and FaithInvest.
