1 Religion and Civic Engagement

Religion and Civic Engagement

Joseph C. Donnelly

Arizona State University

PAF 112

Dr. Jonathan Koppell

12/9/2020
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The St. Patrick Center is a resource for the homeless that operates primarily in downtown

Saint Louis, MO. This organization does amazing work for the people in society who are living

under inhumane conditions, but is also an excellent example of how identity can be used as a

mobilization strategy when pursuing civic engagement. The St. Patrick Center strongly aligns

itself with a Catholic identity and mission. Using Catholicism as a base, this organization also

mobilizes people through its Irish heritage and history in the city of St. Louis to connect with

potential clients, donors, and volunteers. By analyzing and comparing the St. Patrick Center’s

operations, history and programs with other civic projects, it is evident that religion is a common

and effective mobilizer for civic action and engagement in America.

One of the first organizations that was focused on in this course was the Womens’

Christian Temperance Union. Founded by Francis Willard in 1873, this organization used its

identity as a christian organization to appeal to a wide scope of women and expand their cause

beyond temperance. This “Do Everything” policy showed the WCTU’s “advocacy not just of

temperance but of women’s rights, social justice, and world peace” (Willard House Museum).

The St. Patrick Center has expanded its outreach and goals in a similar way. While their main

focus is on helping the homeless, they used their resources to collect PPE for front-line workers

and the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic. This idea of mobilization and civic action

that grows beyond an original purpose is not unique to organizations associated with religion, as

evidenced by the #MeToo movement discussed in this course, but in the case of the WCTU and

the St. Patrick Center it is easy to see how their identity as a group with religious purpose

motivated them beyond their initial goals.

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Another identity that the St. Patrick Center affiliates with is an Irish history. This

coincides with its Catholic identity through the name of the organization and is expanded on in

the names of programs like "the shamrock club" and fundraiser events in March like the "pot 'o

gold" campaign and an "Irish party" specifically aimed at those who wish to celebrate their Irish

heritage. This intersectionality of identity helps strengthen a base of fundraisers and volunteers

under the general identity of Catholicism.

Continuing with St Patrick Center and identity, there are certainly examples of identity

divide that had to be overcome in the course of this organization's work. Saint Louis is one of the

most segregated cities in the United States (Scruggs 2017), and homelessness is an issue that

disproportionately affects people of color (Homelessness and Racial Disparities). Furthermore,

Catholics in Saint Louis are predominantly white (VenCuentro 2018). And so there arises a

disconnect between these identities of race, religion, and most importantly income. St. Patrick

Center managed to bridge all of these identity divides by asking for donations and volunteer

hours through the lens of Catholic service. This is yet another example of how the ideas of

service and charity intrinsic in religion can be such powerful motivators for social engagement.

Examining these problems of identity divide leads into the questions about how the St

Patrick Center looks to achieve its goal of ending homelessness in Saint Louis. The organization

seeks to end homelessness through its "housing first" model. This ideology operates on the

assumption that food and clothing donations, while incredibly important, come second to

establishing homes and shelter to those in need. Once these people are set up in housing

situations, they are given opportunities for self improvement through job training, one on one

sessions with social workers, even meditation. This base of secure housing allows for people

who are struggling to focus on themselves rather than where their next rent or mortgage payment
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may come from. This is a clear example of social over political engagement. While the St.

Patrick Center is supported by local/federal government grants, it is not lobbying for changes to

legislation that would enact this kind of safety net on a wide scale through the government.

The question of effectiveness in solving a problem through social or political engagement

thus follows. When examined through the lens of religion it should be clear where the line

between church and state is drawn, but that is unfortunately not the case. It is clear that religion

is a powerful motivator for good in the arena of social engagement and service, but there is

reason for concern when the eyes of the church are set on changing legislation. Prejudice against

certain beliefs or forced compliance with others go against the ideas of America's democracy as a

whole. And yet there are plenty of topics that have seen opposition from religious groups in

recent years, ranging from topics of same sex marriage to abortion rights. It is in my opinion a

shame and disservice to religious institutions that these are the issues they choose to fight

against. Why not lobby for and mobilize this powerful religious base to create social safety nets

for the most poor people in society? Adopting programs like St. Patrick Centers' "housing first"

on a legislative level should be at the forefront of the Catholic agenda. These are the problems

that create true hardship, and the great motivator of religious identity should be used to push

these issues to the forefront of social and political discourse. Unfortunately, the two party system

has pushed these ideas of social democracy too far away for real consideration, when it is really

people on all sides who would benefit from wide scale adoption of these programs and policies.

Religion is a universal trait in society and a powerful force for good in many, but not all,

cases throughout history. The Saint Patrick Center is an amazing example of the use of that

identity to create social capital in a community. However it is possible to hope for a society

where people engage not only on a social level to help people suffering from homelessness, but
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also on a political level. The St. Patrick Center received roughly 9 million dollars in federal

funding for its efforts in social engagement (Saint Patrick Center). It is possible that someday

organizations can work with the government to have a more widespread impact in a beautiful

collaboration of social and political engagement to create positive change.

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Works Cited

Annual Financial Report 2020. Saint Patrick Center, 2020.

Falino, Phil. THE DIMINUTION OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN AMERICA. New York

University, 2015, wagner.nyu.edu/religion-and-civics/civic-engagement.

“Frances Willard House Museum and Archives.” Frances Willard House Museum & Archives,

23 Nov. 2020, franceswillardhouse.org/.

“Homelessness and Racial Disparities.” National Alliance to End Homelessness, 27 Oct. 2020,

endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/what-causes-homelessness/inequality/.

Koppell, Jonathan. Association and Social Capital. Arizona State University, 2018,

youtu.be/u_SUOk6iIsY.

“PERSON-FIRST LANGUAGE.” St Patrick Center, 20 Feb. 2020,

stpatrickcenter.org/person-first-language/.

Scruggs, Danielle. “St. Louis Named America's 10th ‘Most Segregated City.’” FOX 2, FOX 2,

24 July 2017, fox2now.com/news/st-louis-named-americas-10th-most-segregated-city/.

“ST. PATRICK CENTER.” Start Here St. Louis Area Resource Directory,

www.startherestl.org/st-patrick-center.html.

VenCuentro, 2018, pp. 1–4, Key Demographic, Social, and Religious Statistics for the

Archdiocese of St. Louis.

https://vencuentro.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/928-St.-Louis-EN.pdf