2010-2011 SJU Colloquium
One of the most enduring images of justice is the Roman goddess “Justitia" or "Lady Justice." We can see her carved out of stone and placed in front of court buildings around the globe. She often holds a scale in one hand and a sword in the other. In a few depictions, she is also blindfolded. These are powerful images: justice must be fair, defended, and blind. But the imagery can and often does fail us, especially when the poor and marginalized are involved. The reality is that justice has a face. But it's not the one carved in stone or behind a judge's bench. Instead, it is the face of the refugee escaping persecution, the family displaced by war, the migrant worker advocating for safe working conditions, and the many others who are suffering dehumanizing forms of injustice. This talk encourages us to strip the blindfold from our eyes, recognize the face of justice in those around us, and seek to build communities rooted in peace and justice.
Mary Jo Leddy
Mary Jo Leddy is the director of Romero House Community for Refugees and a lecturer in religion and society and adjunct professor at Regis College, University of Toronto. A journalist and writer, she is founding editor of Catholic New Times, an independent Catholic newspaper published in Canada. Active in many human rights and peace groups, including the Ontario Sanctuary Coalition and PEN Canada, she is a frequent radio and television commentator and international lecturer. Her publications include “Radical Gratitude" (2003);”At the Border Called Hope: Where Refugees Are Neighbours" (1997); "Reweaving Religious Life" (1996); "Memories of War", "Promises of Peace" (1990); and "Say to the Darkness, We Beg to Differ" (1988).
The 2010-2011 Joint School Boards Lecture