Peace and Justice Activities at the Mount

Motivated by Jesus’ call to love our neighbor and by the Benedictine value of hospitality, Mount sisters have been actively advocating for the needs of the poor and immigrants, educating groups about how to address justice issues, and promoting ethical investing practices. 

Billboard Reminds Travelers to Feed the Hungry 

During Lent, the Mount purchased a space on an electronic billboard featuring the message “I was hungry and you gave me food” with Jesus’ signature. The billboard included a photo of an African child holding a USAID food packet. Located on highway I-29 just minutes from the KCI airport, the billboard message was shown for 8 seconds every minute from March 13 through April 24, 2025. 

Sisters Address Missouri River Minister Group 

Sister Anne Shepard gave a presentation on “Who Is My Neighbor?” at the Missouri River Minister Annual Fellowship Dinner at Trinity Episcopal Church in Atchison on March 26, 2025. She explained why immigration is an important pro-life issue for Mount sisters and detailed the many ways our community has ministered to immigrants since 1863, when we were asked to come to Atchison to teach immigrant children. She noted that the gospel story of the Good Samaritan, the focus on hospitality in the Rule of St. Benedict, and the principles of Catholic/Christian social justice fuel our passion for this topic. Sister Anne and Sister Barbara McCracken then led a discussion on what we can do to care for our neighbors. 

Prayer Services Focus on Social Justice Concerns 

Once a week during the 2025 Lenten season, Sisters Jennifer Halling and Micaela Randolph planned and led a 15-minute prayer service that was live-streamed on the Mount Facebook page. Each service featured a specific social justice concern: care of the poor, the needs of refugees and immigrants, world peace, healing for the physically and mentally ill, stewardship of the earth, and upholding human dignity. 

Sister Barbara McCracken Speaks Out 

The Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, which sponsors a peace lecture each year, invited Sister Barbara McCracken to discuss the spiritual aspects of peacemaking at Bethel College in Newton, Kansas, on March 27, 2025. Sr. Barbara also was a speaker at the Free State Rally on April 27, 2025, in Thompson Park, located in Overland Park, Kansas. At both events, Sister Barbara spoke about principles of nonviolence, the Gospel call to care for the poor, and Jesus’ instruction to love our neighbor. 

Socially Conscious Investing Gains Media Attention 

A six-minute interview with Sisters Rose Marie Stallbaumer and Barbara McCracken conducted by Elizabeth Schulze appeared on ABC Evening News on April 11, 2025. The feature focused on the Mount’s use of socially conscious investing as a tool to promote human rights and protection of the environment. The ABC television station KQ2 News in St. Joseph, Missouri, also interviewed Sisters Rose Marie and Barbara about this topic for a two-minute segment that aired on April 27, 2025 (https://youtu.be/1kQ0q97ZDYI?si=IyOUEiXsLm4CgoPa). The Kansas City Star newspaper interviewed Sr. Barbara about her history of social justice activism and work in the area of socially conscious investing for a story that appeared on May 21, 2025 (see https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article306747746.html).   

Phone Campaign Advocates for the Poor 

Sisters have been using the 5 Calls app to contact their representatives and senators regarding cuts to Medicaid coverage, humane treatment of immigrants, reduction of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) aid, and other issues affecting the lives of poor people in the United States. Information about this advocacy tool can be found at https://5calls.org/.