---
title: The Latest | Thomas Sweetser
description: Thomas P. Sweetser, SJ is the founder and director of the Parish Evaluation Project. His articles have appeared in America, National Catholic Reporter, Commonweal, Chicago Studies, Today’s Parish, Human Development, and church.
---

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# The Latest

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## Thomas Sweetser

![Thomas Sweetser](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Photos/Headshots/Thomas%20Sweetser.png)

Thomas P. Sweetser, SJ is the founder and director of the Parish Evaluation Project. His articles have appeared in America, National Catholic Reporter, Commonweal, Chicago Studies, Today’s Parish, Human Development, and church.

### Recent Posts

[![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/VC/Images/church.jpg) ](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/what-if-parishes-got-involved-in-poverty-reduction?hsLang=en-us)

### [What if Parishes Got Involved in Poverty Reduction?](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/what-if-parishes-got-involved-in-poverty-reduction?hsLang=en-us)

 Posted by [Thomas Sweetser](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/thomas-sweetser) on June 21, 2019

David Brooks, a columnist for the *New York Times*, wrote on the Op-Ed page for Friday, April 5, 2019, “Jesus said the poor will always be among us, but there are a lot of people in Canada testing that proposition. According to recently released data, between 2015 and 2017, Canada reduced its official poverty rate by at least 20 percent.” The effort was not just to move people out of poverty, but to eradicate poverty altogether. It meant asking the question, “What does a vibrant community look like in which everybody’s basic needs are being met.” 

[Read More](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/what-if-parishes-got-involved-in-poverty-reduction?hsLang=en-us)

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