Unfinished business: Community economic development and the U.S. catholic bishops’ economic pastoral

In their Pastoral Letter on the Economy, the U.S. Catholic bishops call for an analysis of how our values are reflected in the economic sphere. In this article, the author discusses the underlying assumptions of various development models and strategies in light of Catholic social teaching, and argues that the community‐based economic development model is best fitted to the values articulated in the pastoral letter. The article concludes with some practical suggestions regarding activities for parishes and social service agencies.