“I see clearly,” Pope Francis said at the outset of his papacy, “that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the church as a field hospital after battle.”

This inspiring vision by Pope Francis speaks volumes on the importance of the Catholic social tradition and the role of pastoral ministry in addressing the social issues of our time. The premise for this book is the recognition that society is in a state of deep transition. This social transition includes massive and daunting cultural, political, economic, and environmental changes. But for members of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis’ vision can inspire the need to rethink and promote parish social ministry throughout the United States. This guiding metaphor can serve as an interpretive lens for the Church to become an instrument of systemic change through the parish and diocesan level. After spending decades promoting social ministries at these local levels, Latinx activist and scholar John Gonzalez is convinced that the Catholic church can and should play a more effective role in responding to these needs, particularly if those working in the trenches have a clearer, deeper understanding of Catholic social teaching. This book will show the soaring aspirations of social justice in the Catholic tradition—and what it means to put those aspirations into practice.

Drawing on the author’s poignant experiences in social ministry, and his occasional dark nights of the soul, Catholic Social Teaching in Action is the story of how to make a difference. It demonstrates that Catholic social teaching and pastoral ministry is integral to a truly faithful Church, a Church that responds to the pain and suffering in our world and lives up to the theological and ethical commitments found in the Gospels. By showing Catholic social teaching in action, John Gonzales reveals a Church that, in the words of Pope Francis, can heal wounds and warm hearts.