The following is a speech by Ruthly Cadestin highlighting the past fifty years and noting a recommitment for years to come:

Good Evening,

Again, it’s an honor to welcome you to this special celebration – our 50th Anniversary Gala. Tonight, we gather not just to celebrate, but to remember, recognize, and renew our shared commitment to the mission that brings us together: Advancing social, economic, and environmental justice and advocating for a world where all creation is respected and protected.

To our distinguished guests, particularly the family of Dominican Sr. Patricia Daly, board members, affiliates, partners, honorees, friends, and family – thank you for being here. 

Time flies by quite quickly. It’s been nine months since I officially took this role of Executive Director here at Investor Advocates for Justice. Prior to this role, I sat on the board for three years. The three years only offer a glimpse into the magnitude of the work conducted collectively. This work is truly beyond ourselves, but it is a commission that balances and pulls companies and society together in a direction that is beneficial, healthy, and stable for all. 

I remember my first day at the office. In fact, it feels like it was yesterday. Of course, there was a list of tasks waiting for me on my desk. However, I sat at my desk. And for those who joined me on countless calls, you would see a poster for an article written by the NY Times, dated August 12, 2007, titled “Public Corporations Shall Take Us Seriously,” by Dashka Slater. I remember looking at this poster, wondering who this Sister was who had created a ripple effect for decades in the shareholder advocacy space. I started going through the filing cabinets and looking for something. I did not know exactly what I was looking for, but I knew that, to understand where we, IASJ, were going, I needed to understand the designer’s vision. 

First, I am grateful for those who dealt with the files before I came along; they were very organized to the T. I saw Mary Beth Gallegher’s and Gina Falada’s hands all over it, especially with the color-coordinated bookshelves. And then I found what I was looking for – I found St. Pat’s notes, records of relationships built in times of uncertainty, and campaigns that built that way for us – IASJ during that time, Tri Cri. And over the past few months, I have spoken to CRI leaders, sisters, farmers, workers, politicians, and leaders in this space, some of whom are here tonight. And slowly, I began to gain a glimpse into the Sister who took on corporate giants, representing a $110 billion network of faith-based investors. I wish I had a chance to meet her. Naturally, there is a list of questions I would ask, but I am grateful for the significant impact she made on individuals in this room and the industry of shareholder advocacy. Although she left us three years ago around this time of the year, her zeal, love, and passion for God’s creation still resonate with me today. 

I am also grateful for the woman leadership that has paved the way here today, including Mary Beth, who was ED for eight years, and Gina, who played a significant role in IASJ – both are here tonight. Fifty years is no easy venture, but it reflects years of breakthroughs, challenges we’ve overcome, campaigns we’ve built, and lives we’ve lifted. And now as a small but mighty team of Aaron Acosta, Caitlin Seznec, Tracey-Cadet Fleming and our decided board members – Sister Susan Francois, Sharon Flores-Britt, Dr. Sara Minard, Michelle Perez, Richard Lawton, Sister Ann Scholz, Stacey Pettice, Sister Margaret Anderson, Lyneir Richardson, and Pauline Madriz – we are on a quest ensure we fortify the torch that we are humbled honored to take forward to ensure another fifty years. 

Given this climate, it can be challenging at times to push through and adjust. I will share with you the words I shared earlier this year that still remain relevant at this moment. As we move forward, and in light of our faith-based motivation to radically pursue and promote love, I would like to direct your attention to see the bigger picture magnanimously. We simply cannot afford to have a narrow vision, fixate ourselves on our self-centered, microcosmic differences, and lose sight of the bigger picture – our democracy, planet, and humanity are at stake. The moral compass of being a truly Good Samaritan has been compromised, as the old, harmful, and sinister narrative has labeled communities that do not look like us, talk like us, pray like us, and live like us as foes. IASJ seeks to press forward towards the common good – to sow seeds of love that produce real, flourishing change. In a recent letter of the Holy Father Pope Francis to the Bishops of the United States of America, Pope Francis notes, “The true common good is promoted when society and government, with creativity and strict respect for the rights of all — as I have affirmed on numerous occasions — welcomes, protects, promotes, and integrates the most fragile unprotected, and vulnerable.”

And tonight, I will restate my commitment, that I promise to do what I have always done – serve. And reflecting on my mission commission by Cardinal Tobin earlier this year, I promise to continue serving the women and men religious and all communities,  staff, and board to the best of my ability, promoting and fostering an environment of hope, positivity, and fervent determination. Most importantly, I promise to serve you and our neighbors near and far. IASJ has gracefully and tactfully weathered the storms of change and challenge for nearly fifty years, and I am confident that IASJ will expand and continue to do what it has always done – advocate for a world where all creation is respected and protected.