Exercising solidarity with those in need By BISHOP JOEL M. KONZEN, SM | Published August 5, 2026 | En EspañolRecently, in reading, I came across the phrase “the solidarity of the shaken.” It was used by a 20th-century philosopher to describe our communal experience in times when a solid firmament seems to be threatened or lost. Our Church has always sought to minister hope and mercy to those in need, be that spiritual or temporal need. As the poet John Donne wrote, “Every man’s death [read also ‘suffering’] diminishes me because I am involved in mankind.” We cannot champion our own liberty without also wanting it for those who are deprived of it and legitimately seek to know its reassurance.