{"id":21401,"date":"2023-11-23T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-23T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/?p=21401"},"modified":"2026-02-09T08:15:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T14:15:07","slug":"mary-j-novak-the-messy-necessary-mix-of-faith-and-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/2023\/11\/23\/mary-j-novak-the-messy-necessary-mix-of-faith-and-politics\/","title":{"rendered":"Mary J. Novak: The Messy, Necessary Mix of Faith and Politics"},"content":{"rendered":"<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.blubrry.com\/?podcast_id=122984216&amp;media_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.blubrry.com%2Fmessyjesusbusiness%2Fcontent.blubrry.com%2Fmessyjesusbusiness%2FMJB_Episode_69_Mary_Novak.mp3#mode-Light&border-000000&progress-000000\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"165\" frameborder=\"0\" id=\"blubrryplayer-1\" class=\"blubrryplayer\" title=\"Blubrry Podcast Player\"><\/iframe><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/messyjesusbusiness\/content.blubrry.com\/messyjesusbusiness\/MJB_Episode_69_Mary_Novak.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/?powerpress_pinw=21401-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/messyjesusbusiness\/content.blubrry.com\/messyjesusbusiness\/MJB_Episode_69_Mary_Novak.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"MJB_Episode_69_Mary_Novak.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_subscribe_links\">Subscribe: <a href=\"https:\/\/subscribebyemail.com\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/category\/podcast\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_email\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe by Email\" rel=\"nofollow\">Email<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/category\/podcast\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_rss\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe via RSS\" rel=\"nofollow\">RSS<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Episode 69 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Podcast:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/messyjesusbusiness\/content.blubrry.com\/messyjesusbusiness\/MJB_Episode_69_Mary_Novak.mp3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Play in new window<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/messyjesusbusiness\/content.blubrry.com\/messyjesusbusiness\/MJB_Episode_69_Mary_Novak.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Subscribe:\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/subscribebyemail.com\/messyjesusbusiness.com\/feed\/podcast\/\">Email<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/\">RSS<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/catholic-podcast\/subscribe-to-podcast\/\">More<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Novak-Headshot-cropped.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21403\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.8403361344537815;object-fit:cover;width:425px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>IN THIS EPISODE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh, FSPA, talks with Mary J. Novak, executive director of <a href=\"https:\/\/networklobby.org\">NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice<\/a> in Washington, D.C. Mary shares life experiences that proved her power to serve and respond to human suffering. They get into the mess of human oneness and the necessity for collaboration in response to existential threats like the climate crisis and the fragility of democracy. Their conversation explores the Catholic tradition to \u201cmeddle in politics,\u201d voting rights and why it\u2019s essential for us to focus on strengthening democracy. In answer to Sister Julia\u2019s question, \u201care we called to imagine new systems?\u201d Mary responded, \u201cWe all need structures in our lives for us to flourish. Maybe there\u2019s a better way for us to put democracy together, but much is still working right.\u201d Mary added that \u201cthis is an evolutionary moment, and so how do we keep showing up and how do we surround ourselves with community? Democracy is about participating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ABOUT THE GUEST<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mary J. Novak is the sixth executive director of <a href=\"https:\/\/networklobby.org\">NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice<\/a>, and the first lay leader to guide the organization founded by Catholic Sisters 50 years ago. She is also an associate member of the Congregation of St. Joseph. Mary\u2019s experience as an organizer and activist as well as a trauma-informed lawyer, educator, chaplain and restorative justice practitioner informs her ability to integrate all aspects of the organization to advance NETWORK\u2019s mission. These experiences have also inspired her to initiate a shared leadership model for the first time in NETWORK\u2019s history. Together the leadership team is positioning NETWORK for the future, strengthening relationships with partners who serve the common good, and ensuring that the NETWORK community flourishes in the shared pursuit of justice. A graduate of Santa Clara University Law School and Washington Theological Union, Mary also studied theology and spirituality at Santa Clara University. Prior to leading NETWORK, Mary served as associate director of mission integration and a law professor at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. Mary served as Catholic Mobilizing Network\u2019s founding board chair and is currently chair of the advisory board for the University of St. Thomas Law School\u2019s Initiative on Restorative Justice and Healing.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MESSY JESUS BUSINESS<\/strong>&nbsp;is hosted by Sister Julia Walsh.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Produced and edited by Colin Wambsgans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Email us at&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:messyjesusbusiness@gmail.com\">messyjesusbusiness@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>BE SOCIAL:<\/strong><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MessyJesusBusiness\"><br>https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MessyJesusBusiness<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Facebook:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MessyJesusBusiness\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MessyJesusBusiness<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Twitter: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/messyjesusbiz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">@messyjesusbiz<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instagram:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/messyjesusbusiness\">https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/messyjesusbusiness<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>S<strong>UPPORT US:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/messyjesusbusiness\">https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/messyjesusbusiness<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Episode 69 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh. Podcast:&nbsp;Play in new window&nbsp;|&nbsp;Download Subscribe:\u00a0\u00a0Email\u00a0|\u00a0RSS\u00a0|\u00a0More IN THIS EPISODE In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh, FSPA, talks with Mary J. Novak, executive director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice in Washington, D.C. Mary shares life experiences that proved her...","protected":false},"author":149585918,"featured_media":21404,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2528,698755599,115341,698755601,698755390],"tags":[6722,11944,698756375,7104,214,698755435,698755722,698755374,40112,698756444,897141,102644,401,152217,492366,698756092,2311,1399173,16950,8329,5840,292,3385,95704052,80490,2250849,154615063,30351,50738],"series":[698756626],"class_list":["post-21401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-discernment","category-equity-and-justice-equity-and-justice","category-human-rights","category-podcast","tag-activism","tag-american-politics","tag-building-community","tag-catholic","tag-christianity","tag-civil-rights","tag-climate-justice","tag-community","tag-connection","tag-connection-to-community","tag-discerning","tag-discernment","tag-faith","tag-faith-and-politics","tag-francis","tag-fratelli-tutti","tag-government","tag-government-shutdown","tag-grief","tag-jesus","tag-joy","tag-media","tag-network","tag-nuns-on-the-bus","tag-political-action","tag-political-engagement","tag-pope-francis","tag-service","tag-voting","series-messy-jesus-business"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Care-Not-Cuts-Novak-Landscape-scaled.png","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/messy-jesus-business","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"4NeQ3V3Mm3\"><a href=\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/2023\/11\/23\/mary-j-novak-the-messy-necessary-mix-of-faith-and-politics\/\">Mary J. 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