Sanctifying Modernity

Sanctifying the Grocery List: Catholic Social Teaching in What We Eat

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🥕 1. Buy Directly from Local Farmers

  • Shop at farmers markets or directly from nearby farms.
  • Supports subsidiarity, fair wages, and stewardship of creation.
  • Builds local solidarity and reduces supply chain waste.

🛒 2. Form a Parish-Based Buying Club or Food Co-op

  • Gather parishioners to place bulk orders for staples like grains, beans, oils, or meat.
  • Negotiate better prices and support ethical wholesalers or Catholic-friendly producers.
  • Promotes solidarity and community-driven economics.

🐄 3. Participate in a Meat Share (Quarter or Half Cow/Pig)

  • Partner with a regenerative or ethical livestock farm.
  • Reduces costs per pound and supports humane animal care and small family farms.
  • Reinforces care for creation and local resilience.

🧺 4. Join or Start a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

  • Pay up front for a weekly share of seasonal produce.
  • Encourages seasonal eating, supports farmer stability, and reduces food waste.
  • Models mutual trust and interdependence.

🏡 5. Grow a Parish or Neighborhood Garden

  • Use church land or shared backyards to grow food for families or the poor.
  • Offers a chance for children to learn stewardship and labor dignity.
  • Produce can be shared at parish events or donated to a local shelter.

🍞 6. Cook from Scratch More Often

  • Reduces reliance on processed, waste-heavy, and industrial food systems.
  • Supports simplicity, family time, and domestic craftsmanship.
  • Teaches gratitude and intentionality in daily meals.

🍽️ 7. Host Monthly “Slow Food” or “Feast Day” Dinners

  • Celebrate liturgical feasts with potlucks featuring homemade or local foods.
  • Builds community and keeps Catholic culture alive around the table.

🛍️ 8. Support Catholic or Christian Food Brands

  • Examples: Mystic Monk Coffee, Monastery Jam, Abbey Roast.
  • Directly supports religious communities and small Catholic enterprises.

📦 9. Avoid Wasteful, Convenience-Driven Buying

  • Say no to excessive packaging, fast food, and single-use items.
  • Encourages temperance, personal discipline, and environmental stewardship.

🍷 10. Choose Wines and Specialty Foods from Catholic Regions or Monasteries

  • Purchase from regions with deep Catholic traditions (e.g., Chianti Classico, Trappist breweries).
  • Connects food to cultural and spiritual heritage.

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