MEDIA: Faith in Action Founder Fr. John Baumann, SJ, Brings Theology to Life for Thousands of Catholics

Read the full article by MegAnne Liebschon on the Jesuits West website

September 6, 2023 — Fr. John Baumann, SJ, is not what he calls an “upfront person.” A lifelong community organizer, he prefers to keep a low profile, whether at protests, city council meetings or press conferences. For him, community organizing is about empowering others to create change in their communities.

“Organizing is putting the people up front,” says Fr. Baumann. “One of my early mentors, he would say, ‘If you get quoted in the newspaper, you’re fired.’”

Having hewn closely to this directive over his five-decade career, Fr. Baumann is a tricky subject for a feature article. His work in founding the international organizing network Faith in Action has helped to shape the mission of West Coast Jesuits and improved the livelihoods of thousands of people around the world. But Fr. Baumann deflects many of these accolades, crediting grassroots leadership as the key to FIA’s success.

“What impresses me most about John is that he’s in no way, shape or form flashy, and yet he’s a powerful quiet force,” says Fr. Bob Fambrini, SJ, pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Phoenix and Faith in Action board member.

Recognizable by a swooping tuft of white hair and rimless rectangular glasses, Fr. Baumann elicits reverence from those who know him. The day after I interviewed him, we both attended a community organizing conference at the University of San Francisco. Although his legacy partially inspired the conference, Fr. Baumann tucked into the less-coveted seats typically left for latecomers. Still, people flocked to him — from old friends and colleagues to strangers who professed their admiration for his work. A patrician set to his shoulders, he leaned in with his whole body to listen.

Today, Faith in Action is one of the largest Jesuit-sponsored ministries in the world, organizing faith communities in 27 U.S. states, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Ghana, and Rwanda. Since its founding in 1972, FIA grassroots campaigns have improved local education systems, increased health care and affordable housing access, and reduced community violence. While campaigns look different based on their context, each is rooted in Fr. Baumann’s organizing philosophy, which acknowledges that the people most impacted by systems of injustice are the best suited to lead the transformation of those systems.

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