Cross Catholic Outreach

Delivering food, shelter, and hope to the poorest of the poor

Delivering food, shelter and hope to the poorest of the poor.
Pizza.
Father Glenn Meaux of the Kobonal Haiti Mission offers a delicious take on the Church’s social doctrine.

Explaining Catholic Social Teaching With Pizza

When I was growing up, my family was always on the go. But one of the non-negotiables in our home was that we would all sit down for dinner together at 5:30 p.m., as soon as Mom called. My parents understood that eating family meals together was important, and they treated it as a special time to pray, laugh, and be fully present with one another.

Family meals are also a wonderful time to talk about our Catholic faith!

A few years ago, I learned an easy way to explain Catholic Social Teaching — the Church’s social doctrine — from Father Glenn Meaux, founder of the Kobonal Haiti Mission. It’s a great lesson to share over your pizza lunch or dinner because it provides an easy-to-remember explanation you can share with your kids, family and friends.

A Haitian woman receives the Eucharist on the tongue.
Fr. Meaux believes that Christ must be at the center of poverty relief efforts in order to create lasting change.

Catholic Social Teaching in Action

As a missionary priest, Fr. Meaux is transforming lives in rural Haiti through poverty relief programs including housing, water, education, microenterprise, food and agriculture. Undoubtedly, one of his greatest accomplishments has been spiritual outreaches that draw hundreds of people to Mass every Sunday to receive Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Fr. Meaux is a strong believer in Catholic faith formation, and the Kobonal Haiti Mission is grounded in the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching. That’s why he came up with a helpful mnemonic device to explain Catholic Social Teaching to kids and families. A mnemonic device is a learning tool that helps people remember information. Examples include the spelling tip “i before e, except after c” and the name “Roy G. Biv” to memorize the colors of the rainbow (and in case you’re wondering, they are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet).

Related: Catholic Education for Haiti’s Children

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A Catholic priest blesses a Haitian woman holding her young son.
The Kobonal Haiti Mission was founded on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

A Catholic Priest’s Tip to Understand Catholic Social Teaching

Fr. Meaux explains Catholic Social Teaching with this phrase: “Please send round pizza with square corners.” The first letter of each word represents the main idea of each of the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching.

  • Please – Life and Dignity of the Human PERSON. (Human life is sacred.)
  • Send – Call to Family, Community and Participation in SOCIETY. (Our society affects human dignity.)
  • Round – RIGHTS and Responsibilities. (Human rights must be protected.)
  • Pizza – Preferential option for the POOR and Vulnerable. (Put the needs of the poor first.)
  • With – The Dignity of WORK and the Rights of Workers. (Workers’ rights must be protected.)
  • Square – SOLIDARITY. (We are one human family.)
  • Corners – Care for God’s CREATION. (Protecting our planet also protects people.)

Want to go more in depth on Catholic Social Teaching? We sat down with Bishop Carl Kemme of the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, for a detailed look at how Catholic Social Teaching helps people live a life of holiness.

A Haitian family stands in front of a new home.
Over the years, Cross Catholic Outreach and the Kobonal Haiti Mission have partnered to build 885 homes. Will you help us build our 886th?

Support Catholic Social Teaching in Haiti

Faithful friends like you have an important role to play in the Kobonal Haiti Mission’s large-scale efforts to transform lives, change entire communities, and build bright futures for the glory of Jesus Christ. Fr. Meaux has a bold and cost-effective plan to build 28 stormproof homes and repair 50 existing homes for deserving families. Your generous support will help Kobonal’s families discover the greatness that lies within so they can break the cycle of poverty.

Join us today in this transformative mission!

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Jim Cavnar

Jim Cavnar

A deeply committed Catholic, Jim Cavnar co-founded Cross Catholic Outreach to follow Christ’s command to care for the poorest of the poor. Jim’s career spans more than four decades in ministry management and leadership. He has traveled around the globe to speak at conferences and parishes, and he has been called upon to minister to church-based humanitarian programs. Representing Cross Catholic Outreach, Jim has traveled to the Vatican on numerous occasions, meeting St. John Paul II, Pope Emeritus Benedict and, most recently, Pope Francis.

Proceeds from this campaign will be used to cover any expenditures incurred through June 30, 2023, the close of our ministry’s fiscal year. In the event that more funds are raised than needed to fully fund the project, the excess funds, if any, will be used to meet the most urgent needs of the ministry.