The Social Action Summer Institute (SASI) was an annual gathering held each July to address a particular justice related theme. SASI traveled to different parts of the country to emphasize a key justice related issue. This event was planned in collaboration with Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office of Justice, Peace, and Human Development (JPHD). The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) was also a focus of the conference by visiting CCHD grant funded recipients. Previous locations included Tucson, AZ; Portland, OR; Chicago, IL; Philadelphia, PA, Salt Lake City, UT; Collegeville, MN; and Atlanta, GA.
Since 1985, the organization has been committed to deepening the capacity of social action directors to engage in the social mission of the church. In recent years, this emphasis centered on SASI. This in-person gathering coincided with our offerings of webinars and a virtual group discussion. In 2024, the board of directors spent time listening to and discussing the needs of social action directors and the changing landscape of social action ministry with our members. The change of course has called the organization to begin emphasizing the spiritual side of social justice work.
At the January 2024 board meeting, the directors voted to change the name from Roundtable to the National Association of Catholic Social Action and Mission (NACSAM). The board also decided to offer a new retreat experience, which will replace SASI. The retreat experience will allow NACSAM to offer a program that will renew and revitalize social action directors in their spirituality.
To learn more about the upcoming retreat, visit the Retreat page on the website.