New Name Same Mission

It’s been more than 35 years since the Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach (or, CCAO) first came to Washington, DC. Over the decades, we’ve met with hundreds of Congressional offices, offered dozens of comments on federal regulations, and brought constituents from across the country to their nation’s capital in order to meet with their elected representatives. 

Our office was established by the Missionary Society of St. Columban in 1985, after decades of working with vulnerable communities across the globe to create equitable and sustainable conditions within their countries. But they realized that their work was often impeded by economic and military policies supported by the United States’ government. CCAO was created to bring the experiences of the Columbans to lawmakers in order to help advance more just, peaceful, and sustainable policies. 

As we enter a decade that vulnerable communities and scientists are telling us will be especially pivotal for the future of our planet, we felt the need to update our brand, messaging, and programming to better reflect who we are and all we have to offer. 

Because now more than ever, in the face of so much injustice, many people of faith across the country feel like it’s a struggle to advocate for justice. They feel like they don’t have enough information to engage in meaningful discussion or that they don’t know what else they can do after taking an initial action.

That’s why we’re here! We believe that each person can be empowered to help build a society that liberates the poor, welcomes all migrants, and cares for the earth. 

That’s why we’re excited to share with you our new name and branding! Starting this month, we will now be known as the St. Columban Mission for Justice, Peace, and Ecology (or, St. Columban JPE). Our new logo represents the global hope for a more just future, a hope that each of us can share when we are filled with the fires of empowerment. 

You can find us online at our new website - https:///columbanjpe.org - and on Facebook and Twitter at @StColumbanJPE. 

What will remain the same since we started in 1985 is our mission: we equip people of faith with the skills they need in order to evaluate public policy, build bridges between communities, and advocate for the common good. 

In order to make this vision a reality, we’re excited to offer a number of new programs in 2022, including a monthly “Advocate’s Newsletter” and monthly virtual workshops. Old programs will also continue, especially our advocacy skills trainings, which we offer multiple times throughout the year. The picture on the right is one of our pre-pandemic cohorts, representing states from Texas to Nebraska and beyond. 

You’ll also continue to receive email “action alerts,” inviting you to advocate to your Members of Congress or the Presidential administration whenever an urgent issue related to US/MX border policy or ecology arises. Finally, we’ll still be creating free resources - like our “Border Solidarity Toolkit” - that helps you put your faith into action. 

As we enter this exciting period of renewal, will you help us make this future possible? Please consider supporting our mission here.

Whether it was by writing to your Members of Congress asking them to respect the rights of migrants, or whether it was by joining a campaign to advocate for our common home, you have played a big role in helping to build God’s kingdom of justice. We look forward to continuing this journey with you. 

Thank you for your support!