The Center for FaithJustice provides transformative experiences of faith in action, builds community, serves those in need, educates for justice, and empowers people to change the world.
Our Mission and Our Faith
- The Bond Between Faith and Justice
Rooted in the Catholic tradition, the Center for FaithJustice affirms the essential relationship between what we believe and how we live. We join the words “Faith” and “Justice” into a single term to reflect our conviction that faith and justice are intimately bound together. God calls us – as individuals and as communities – to act on behalf of the vulnerable, weak and oppressed. Through CFJ’s work, we ask people of faith to revisit and renew their commitment to the Gospel and the common good.
We are inspired by the Second Vatican Council’s teaching that “[t]he laity must take up the renewal of the temporal order as their own special obligation,” and thus “[e]verywhere and in all things they must seek the justice of God’s kingdom.” Through our projects, we hope that people of good will grow in understanding of the spiritual life and deepen their commitment to pursuing social, economic, and political justice for all people.
In 2011, Center for FaithJustice project participants will engage in well over 20,000 hours of community service, particularly in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and participate in a similar number of hours of faith and justice education. We believe in an approach to faith and justice that is both active and educational. For details on our youth and young adult offerings, please read about our SOFIA and WorX projects.
We train and supervise ministry professionals in parishes and schools to serve in youth, religious education and social concerns ministries. For more on how CFJ can provide you with the best in lay ministry, please see our Ministry Advancement & Pastoral Support (MAPS) page.
For those looking to discern a career in pastoral ministry or faith-based social services, we offer year-long volunteer opportunities through the FaithJustice Fellowship.
Additionally, we organize a weekly prayer and fellowship experience at our chapel in Lawrenceville, NJ and facilitate occasional adult education events.
Each project is an expression of our commitment to educate the laity and seek a justice inspired by faith. We invite you to become a companion on this wonderful journey.
The Center for FaithJustice is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) public charity.
A Passionate Staff
Seán Patrick Sanford
Founder & President
Seán founded the Center for FaithJustice in 2007 after a decade of experience working with schools, faith communities, and nonprofit organizations. A 1997 graduate of St. Joseph’s University, Seán has studied at Union Theological Seminary, the Mexican American Cultural Center and Temple University, where he is currently pursuing his doctoral degree. Prior to founding CFJ, Seán served in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the Catholic Community of St. Charles Borromeo (Skillman, NJ), and St. Joseph’s Seminary (Princeton, NJ). He has served on boards of faith-based and secular organizations and was a participant in the Leaven Center’s Best Practices conferences.
Seán has given presentations on topics including pastoral ministry, justice education and social entrepreneurship. Saint Josephs’ University awarded him the 2011 Ignatius Award for “embrac[ing] the Jesuit ideal of living … a faith that promotes justice.” His academic research focuses on Catholic studies, particularly in the American context. Sean holds dual U.S. and Irish citizenship, and resides in Merchantville, NJ with his wife Lisa and his Pit Bull, Maggie.
Brian Reavey
Executive Director
Brian is the second Executive Director of the Center for FaithJustice. Prior to joining CFJ in September 2011, he served as the National Director of Marianist LIFE, a national faith formation program for high school students, for seven years.
Brian, who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from the University of Dayton, has designed and developed faith formation programs for religious communities, parishes and schools across the United States and Ireland. He serves as a trustee or advisor for numerous nonprofit organizations, with a particular focus on faith- and volunteer-based organizations.
He previously worked as the Associate Director for Programs and Justice Education at the Romero Center (Camden, NJ) and as the Pastoral Associate for High School and Junior High Youth Ministry at St. Matthias Parish (Somerset, NJ).
John Bradley
Director of Advancement & General Counsel
John holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame Law School and a Bachelor of Science in Management from Saint Joseph’s University. After graduating in 2005 from Notre Dame, John practiced law with Jones Day until joining CFJ in 2010. John’s legal experience also includes working in English barristers’ chambers as a recipient of the American Inns of Court’s Pegasus Scholarship and interning at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia.
Prior to John’s legal career, he served as a Campus Minister at Saint Joseph’s University (Philadelphia, PA) and Archmere Academy (Claymont, DE). As a campus minister, he designed and organized innovative retreat programs and facilitated service immersion and liturgical experiences. John received training in spiritual direction at the Jesuit Center in Wernersville, Pennsylvania. In 1998-1999, after completing a cross-country bicycle trip benefiting Habitat for Humanity, he coordinated the Grays Harbor (WA) Catholic Faith Communities’ ministries to the poor, as a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.
Chris Davidson
Program Associate
Chris graduated from the Catholic University of America in 2006 with a B.S. in Architecture. After graduating, he entered the construction field as a project manager working on commercial, institutional and residential buildings. Looking to become more involved in service and justice, Chris served as a 2008 WorX summer associate and a FaithJustice Fellowship volunteer during the 2008 – 09 academic year. The FaithJustice Fellowship allowed Chris to experience different sides of service, justice and ministry, including direct service with the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, advocacy with the New Jersey Catholic Conference and youth ministry in a parish setting. Chris chose to continue in youth ministry as a career and joined the CFJ staff in September of 2009.
Chris serves as the pastoral associate for youth ministry at The Catholic Community of St. Matthias (Somerset, NJ), a CFJ partner institution, and as a SOFIA Leadership Team member. He is currently working towards a Masters of Theology at LaSalle University.
Mike Laskey
Program Coordinator
Mike joined the CFJ team in September 2010 after two years of parish catechetical ministry in Brookfield, Wisconsin through the University of Notre Dame’s Echo Program. Through Echo, which combines graduate studies in theology with ministry experience, Mike completed his Master of Arts degree in Theology in July 2010. Mike also holds his undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Arts in English, from Notre Dame and was awarded the Denny Moore Award for Excellence in Journalism, Notre Dame’s highest honor for a student journalist. During college, Mike spent three summers facilitating JusticeworX and ServiceworX and a semester interning in Washington, D.C. for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Department of Justice, Peace & Human Development.
Mike serves as the pastoral associate for youth ministry at St. Ann’s Church in Lawrenceville, NJ, a CFJ partner parish. He is also engaged in SOFIA program development and communications for CFJ. Mike lives in Haddon Heights, New Jersey.
John joined the Center for FaithJustice staff in November of 2009. Previously a labor management consultant, John is a 2007 graduate of American University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. An innovative thinker and skilled manager, John directs the business affairs of CFJ and brings enormous enthusiasm to the process of building a nonprofit organization committed to building community and serving those in need.
As the overseer of the Casa Retreat and Meeting House, John works with groups to provide a quality space for group retreats and meetings.
He is also the enthusiastic voice on our voicemail, the doer of all things that need doing and an irresistible presence in the office. John calls Hopewell, NJ his home.
Kathy Murray
FaithJustice Fellowship Volunteer
Kathy‘s arrival in August 2011 signaled the start of the second full year of the FaithJustice Fellowship.
She brings a wealth of experience in both pastoral ministry and working with developmentally disabled persons. She was previously a Direct Support Professional for Easter Seals of New Jersey, the Director of Religious Education at the Church of St. Catherine of Siena, and a Associate Retreat Coordinator at Bishop George Ahr High School.
Kathy will primarily be serving as part of the residential team at Visitation Home, a Catholic shared living residence for persons with developmental disabilities.
Widian Nicola
Program Coordinator
Widian came to the Center for FaithJustice after serving as the Resident Campus Minister for Social Justice at St. John’s University. In that role, Widian enhanced the social justice programming on the University campus, led immersion trips and moderated a faith and service live-in community. Prior to her time at St. John’s, Widian completed a year of service at the Vincentian St. Joseph’s Seminary in Princeton, where she worked with youth and young adults throughout the academic year, including in the WorX programs.
Widian was raised in Washington State, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Western Washington University and later received her Masters in Social Work from Eastern Washington University. She worked as a counselor and clinical services manager at Pioneer Human Services in Seattle before relocating to New Jersey. She misses the great State of Washington but is happy to have Hamilton, New Jersey to call home.
Jan Wilcox
FaithJustice Fellowship Volunteer
Jan joined the FaithJustice Fellowship in September 2011 as a next step in her career as a youth minister. She holds a B.A. in Interpersonal Communication from Western Michigan University, with a minor in Comparative Religion, as well as a National Certificate in Youth Ministries Studies from the Center for Ministry Development. After graduating from college, Jan served the last seven and a half years as Director of High School & Young Adult Ministry and Director of Youth Confirmation at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Portage, Michigan. She currently serves on the Regional Coordinating Team for Marianist LIFE Central, a summer high school faith formation and leadership program in Dayton, OH.
Jan will help develop and facilitate youth and young adult projects, working mainly with the program staff during her FaithJustice Fellowship. Jan is new to the East Coast, having lived only in Michigan up to this point, and misses her two-year-old niece as well as her family, friends, and Lake Michigan, but is excited about this opportunity to grow, and is enjoying calling Lawrenceville, New Jersey home this year.
Kevin Wright
FaithJustice Fellowship Volunteer
Kevin began his FaithJustice Fellowship term in September 2011 and is working, as his primary ministry, with the Church of the Sacred Heart in New Brunswick, NJ.
After a career in manufacturing management, Kevin decided to dedicate himself to serving the poor and the Church on a full-time basis. During the past few years, Kevin has offered his management and language talents to a number of communities, including the Migrant Ministry of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Paterson, NJ, Center for Prevention and Counseling, Inter-Religious Fellowship for the Homeless of Bergen County, and First Presbyterian Church of Passaic’s Soup Kitchen.
Auxiliary Staff
Martha Dudich
SOFIA & FaithJustice Apostolate
Martha has been privileged to minister within a variety of faith communities — parishes, diocesan agencies, retreat centers, retirement communities and now the Center for FaithJustice — for more than thirty years. The last decade included working as a Pastoral Associate for Worship at St. Charles Borromeo in Skillman, NJ and Program Associate for the Vincentian Renewal Center of St Joseph’s Seminary in Princeton, NJ. A passionate student, Martha has pursued advanced degrees in spirituality and fine arts and is currently writing her dissertation for a Doctor of Letters. There are a number of Divine imperatives that resonate with the work to which Martha has been called: feed, welcome, unite, bless, pray, listen, rest, rejoice, wash, eat, drink. At the heart of this role is its communal dynamic. No part can be achieved alone. The clearest, loudest part of any call Martha has heard with regard to her work is that it accompanies others. That work which has brought the greatest joy has connected her to faithful women and men asking, seeking, knocking (lamenting, cajoling, wondering, wandering, thanking, doubting, crying, dying) as together they find their way. From moment to moment they are, any one, shepherd and sheep, pardoner and pardoned, giver and gift. This is the good, important work in which Martha continues to be engaged.
Jenna Vanderhyde
SOFIA Evangelization Team & Mission 52 Volunteer Coordinator
Jenna discovered a variety of faith, friendship and service opportunities at CFJ after moving to Lawrenceville, NJ in the autumn of 2010 from western Michigan. In 2008, Jenna graduated from Grand Valley State University with a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management and minor in Business. She had the opportunity to work as an Activities Coordinator at the Sheraton in Scottsdale, Arizona and study abroad in Italy. Before moving to New Jersey, Jenna was an Event and Program Coordinator for the Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg Chamber of Commerce. In this position, she implemented several community events and business education partnerships for the local community. She also served as a Senior High Youth Assistant and Vacation Bible School Coordinator for Saint Mary’s Church in Spring Lake, a Girls on the Run coach, and Vice President of Grand Haven Young Professionals.
Jenna is happy to bring her passion for events and youth to CFJ as the Mission 52 Volunteer Coordinator and as a SOFIA Evangelization Team Facilitator. She and her husband, Kyle, welcomed their first baby in August 2011.
A Dedicated Board
Board of Trustees
Rocky Balsamo (Chairperson)
Long & Foster Real Estate Inc., The Rocky Balsamo Real Estate Group
Mike Barkley
Campbell Soup Company
Jim Burke
J. Burke Advisors
Erin Dolan
Laura Heil
Megan Lepore
St. Christopher’s Foundation for Children
Kenneth Likely (Secretary)
KT Likely Consulting
Dayna Pizzigoni
Loyola University Maryland
Christine Rath
Somerset Valley YMCA Child Development Center
Mike Stewart (Treasurer)
UBS Financial Services, Inc.
Mary Vanderhoof
Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, LLC
Emeritus Trustees
Michael Gomez
Aline Haynes
Helen Sanford
Polly Seitz
Terri Stolte
Thousands of people have participated in programs directed by the Center for FaithJustice over the years. Here is a sampling of just a few of those alumni and partners.
Alex Varga
Alex participated in a variety of Center for FaithJustice programs as a high school student as well as the LeaderworX program while in college. Years after those experiences, she looked back on the effect that those experiences had on her.
“The Center for FaithJustice programs made it so easy to connect — to my peers, to the people we were trying to help, to my faith. Throughout the programs and the months after what I remember most is this incredible feeling — a mix of happiness, hope, purpose, empowerment, amongst many other emotions. I remember that during those experiences, I really felt like myself, and it was the closest I ever felt to being the person that I want to be, and that my faith teaches me to be.
After I graduated from high school and moved on through college and my early adult life — while I continued to volunteer, attend church, develop connections with my peers, and pursue a career dedicated to helping promote environmental and social justice — finding the same connection was much more difficult. And while I can say I am still struggling to find the meaning and purpose in my life and figure out who I am and where I want to be, I continuously draw on my earlier sense of self I discovered in the FaithJustice Programs. I use the feeling as sort of a proxy for making decisions. I know when I am doing something that gives me that same feeling as I had back then, that I am doing something right and I am being who I really am, and closer to who I want to be.”
In 2009, Alex earned a Masters of Science from Columbia University and is currently employed by the Earth Institute, a collection of research centers affiliated with the university. Her work is focused on species and ecosystem conservation.
Rev. Hugo Medellin, C.M.
Hugo volunteered as part of the LeaderworX program in the summer of 2007 while in the Vincentian seminary.
“The energetic young people who formed the LeaderworX group were amazing. They proved themselves to be very dedicated and enthusiastic about social justice issues. As a Vincentian seminarian, I found very encouraging to spend a summer with all of them and I learned a lot from them.
Given my different culture and age, I, at first, felt a little distant. Additionally, because I was so zealously focused on social justice, I wanted to be serious all the time and to keep the focus on what I felt was important. Eventually, I realized more profoundly the wisdom contained in book of Ecclesiastes, “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens.” So I learned to laugh. I laughed many times. Some of the most remarkable moments of laughter were at the work sites. 
For instance, in a daycare facility for mentally challenged people, one of the customers wanted a picture with me. After we took the first shot, I asked for another and he agreed. But this time he took off a helmet he used to wear all the time. Nobody dared to touch that helmet because he would not allow others to touch it, but I took the helmet and put it on. We shared a sweet laugh. There were many moments with a similar feeling of joy during that summer.
I think the JusticeworX and LeaderworX participants also learned from me. I was able to share the stories of my youth and my experience as an immigrant in this country. The other participants and I were able to learn from the differences in our histories, but were also given the opportunity to witness the commonality of our human experience. I felt welcomed as part of that community.”
Hugo Medellin is a member of the Congregation of the Mission. He received an M.A. in theology from The Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in 2009 and is finishing his Masters of Divinity in that same institution. Hugo was ordained a Catholic priest in 2010.
Annie Sauthoff
As a high school junior, Annie participated in a WorX program in the Appalachian area of eastern Kentucky. Shortly after that experience, she reflected on the week.
“During our week in Kentucky, we worked building houses for the poor with Habitat for Humanity. After working through the day on the housing site, we would walk to Hurley’s, a little store near by, in the evenings. One night, when my friends and I went in to buy cookie dough for a snack, the man who owned the store, Cassey, struck up a conversation with us. By the end of the night our entire team was sitting on the porch, discussing the problems of the world with him.
During those few hours we spent on the porch I discovered that I am not alone in the world. Even though I can do many things on my own, I am going to need some help along the way. The people that I was helping were helping me as well. Our program facilitators led me to understand that even though I can do many things on my own, I need others, as they need me.”
A year later, as a high school senior, Annie participated in another WorX program, this time to Tijuana, Mexico.
“In Mexico, I worked beside the poor on the same project. The opportunity to work with the poor brought me back to Mexico two more times, after my senior year of high school and again after my freshman year of college. This experience altered how I did any service in the future and adjusted my vision for what I want to do with my life.”
Annie is currently the Youth Development Coordinator at Juma Ventures, a social enterprise college-access program for at-risk high school youth, where she works to reduce the psychosocial barriers that could prevent them from being successful in college and beyond. She is simultaneously pursuing a Doctorate in International and Multicultural Education with a Human Rights Emphasis at the University of San Francisco. Annie holds a B.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Experimental Psychology from Saint Joseph’s University. In 2007-2008, she served as a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, where she worked as the Outreach Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator and Summer Program Coordinator at the Mustard Seed School in Sacramento, California.