Mission Statement † Overview † Staff † Board of Trustees
Mission Statement
The Center for FaithJustice provides transformative experiences of faith in action, building community, serving those in need, educating for justice, and empowering people to change the world.
Overview
Rooted in the Catholic tradition, the Center for FaithJustice affirms the inseparable relationship between ‘what we believe’ and ‘how we live.’ The joining of the words “Faith” and “Justice” into a single term reflects the Center’s commitment to the belief that faith and justice are, for Christians and many others, intimately bound together. The conviction that God calls us - as individuals and as communities - to act on behalf of the vulnerable, the weak, and the oppressed, and that such action is a fundamental expression of our faith, is at the core of our identity. The Center resists any approach to religion or politics and that lead to a separation of faith from the work of justice. Through its work, CFJ calls on people of faith to revisit and renew their commitment to the Good News and the common good.
Participants in Center for FaithJustice programs have provided more than 35,000 hours of community service to those in need including the Central New Jersey (Trenton) area, Philadelphia, PA, and the Appalachian region in West Virginia. But the work of the Center only begins with facilitating service opportunities. Thousands of youth and young adults who have used their time with CFJ to build walls, cook meals and care for children, have spent their evenings in discussion and reflection on issues relevant both to their faith journey and to the needs of the marginalized communities in which they have been immersed. It is this supportive and educational approach to faith and justice that makes CFJ experiences unique and powerful.
The Center offers week-long service immersion projects for youth and young adults as well as a growing number of opportunities for people of all ages to gather together to grow in their understanding of their faith and to deepen their commitment to justice. In Autumn 2009, CFJ began its weekly “Faith & Fellowship”, through which it has welcomed dozens of people to the Center’s Lawrenceville, NJ location for an experience of community and inspired prayer. In addition to regularly providing retreats and workshops for schools and churches, the Spring 2010 will see the start of a lecture series through which academic research on a variety of subjects connected to the pursuit of justice and the articulation of faith will be presented.
Staff
John Bradley
Director of Research
E-mailJohn Bradley holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame Law School, magna cum laude, and a Bachelor of Science, cum laude, from Saint Joseph’s University. After graduating in 2005 from Notre Dame, where he was appointed Executive Articles Editor of the Notre Dame Law Review, John practiced law with the international law firm Jones Day until joining the Center 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, interning at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia, and serving on the Lawyers’ Committee during the 2008 Presidential election.
Prior to John’s legal career, he served as a Campus Minister at both 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.
Brian Covino
Director of Youth & Young Adult Programs
E-mailBrian Covino graduated from the Catholic University of America in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Religious Studies. A member of the Theta Alpha Kappa Honors Society, Brian received Advanced Catechist Certification from the Diocese of Arlington (VA), where he also served as a Theology teacher at Paul VI Catholic High School (Fairfax, VA). Brian came to the Center in September of 2008, having served as a member of the 2006 LeaderworX community and the 2007 WorX Leadership Team. Brian coordinates the ServiceworX, JusticeworX, and LeaderworX programs in addition to organizing the Center’s retreat and catechetical offerings. He also serves as the youth minister at Queenship of Mary Church (Plainsboro, NJ) , a CFJ partner institution. He is currently enrolled in the Masters of Public Administration program at Seton Hall University. Brian resides in Hamilton, NJ.
Chris Davidson
Program Coordinator
E-mailChris Davidson graduated from the Catholic University of America in 2006 with a Bachelors in Architecture. After graduating, he entered the construction field as a project manager working on commercial, institutional and residential buildings. Chris joined the Center staff in September of 2009, having served as a 2008 WorX summer associate and a member of the FaithJustice Fellowship program during the 2008 - 09 academic year. Chris serves as the pastoral associate for youth ministry at The Catholic Community of St. Matthias (Somerset, NJ), a CFJ partner institution, and as member of the WorX Leadership Team. He is currently enrolled in the Diocese of Trenton’s Institute for Lay Ecclesial Ministry / Masters of Theology at LaSalle University. Chris resides in Lawrenceville, NJ.
John Milller
Business Manager
E-mailJohn Miller 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 the Center and brings enormous enthusiasm to the process of building a nonprofit organization committed to building community and serving those in need. John resides in Hopewell, NJ.
Sean Patrick Sanford
Founder & Executive Director
E-mailSean founded the Center for FaithJustice in 2006 after a decade of experience working with Catholic faith communities, youth, young adults, social justice education, and nonprofit organizations. A 1997 graduate of St. Joseph’s University with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Sean has studied Theology at Union Theological Seminary, Pastoral Spanish at the Mexican American Cultural Center, and is currently a doctoral candidate in the Religion Department at Temple University. Prior to founding the Center, Sean served as a retreat coordinator for the Arch-Diocese of Philadelphia, Pastoral Assistant at the Catholic Community of St. Charles Borromeo (Skillman, NJ), and Executive Director of St. Joseph’s Seminary (Princeton, NJ). He has served on numerous boards of faith-based and secular organizations and was a selected participant in the Leaven Center’s Best Practices series. Sean has facilitated hundreds of presentations for parishes, schools, and conferences throughout country on a range of topics including pastoral ministry, justice education and activism, and social entrepreneurship, among others. In 2006, he co-presented an academic lecture as part of St. Joseph University’s Catholic Intellectual Series and was featured in an article detailing alumni working in the service and justice field. Sean has served as a consultant to religious and educational leaders, nonprofit executives and members of the business community on a variety of issues. His academic interests include Catholic studies, American Religious History, Ethics, Political Theory, and a diverse range of cultural studies, including gender, sexuality, critical and social theory, and diasporic religion. Sean holds dual citizenship in the United States and the Republic of Ireland, and resides in Merchantville, NJ with his wife Lisa and his Pit Bull, Maggie.
Auxiliary Staff
Melissa Chedid
Program Associate
Meg Duffy
Program Associate
Stephanie Harris
Program Associate
Diana Loiacono
Program Associate
Dan O’Boyle
Program Associate
Kelly Vuich
Program Associate