Catholic Charities USA has selected Atlanta director of parish and social justice ministry, Susan Sullivan, to join its national parish social ministry leadership team.

According to its literature, the team is “a network of people in parishes, dioceses and Catholic Charities agencies working to act for justice and serve those in need in our Church, our communities, our nation and our world,” it reads. “The Parish Social Ministry Section serves as a primary means for sharing best practices among members and as a resource for Catholic social teaching materials, training and formation work.”

Sullivan, who has served in her current position with the Atlanta Archdiocese for less than a year, has previously worked in areas of social justice for other dioceses, including for the Glenmary Home Missioners and the St Vincent de Paul Society, and is also a former staff writer for The Georgia Bulletin. She said she is looking forward to the opportunity to network with others in similar positions around the country.

“This offers an interesting cross section for resource development, sharing of expertise and networking,” she said. “In so much of what we’re trying to do we face a lot of the same challenges. It will be great not to have to reinvent the wheel.”

The leadership team meets six times a year, including twice in person and four times via conference calls. The first meeting of the year is held in February in Washington, D.C., the weekend before the annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering.

During that time, members of the team are briefed by staff from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and then lobby their local senators and representatives on behalf of social justice issues.

“It all works toward our ultimate goal—giving a voice to the voiceless,” Sullivan said.

In the archdiocese, parish and social justice ministry, a division of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Inc., is active in addressing economic, spiritual, physical and emotional poverty throughout North Georgia. Staff members provide assistance to parishes beginning their own social justice ministries, and also work with the greater archdiocese to present programs that shed light on the issues of poverty.