Catholic Charities. Providing Help. Creating Hope.
VISION:
Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity
of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission
of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with
individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs,
address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and
compassionate society.
MISSION:
Rooted in the Mission of the Diocese of Youngstown "to minister to the
people in the six counties of northeastern Ohio . . .(and) to the world
community", we are called to provide service to people in need, to
advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church
and other people of good will to do the same.
GOALS:
Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs,
strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income
people. Working to reduce poverty in half by 2020.
KEY VALUE: Hospitality
WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20)
On Sunday, (Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time http://usccb.org/bible/readings/062313.cfm ) we
read from the Gospel of Luke about Jesus direct question to his
Apostles: Who do you say that I am? The Apostles offer prophetic
names; St. Peter professes that He is the “Christ of God.” Jesus then
continues to tell them that to be His followers, one must be willing to
carry one’s cross, daily, and be a servant to others -- be willing to
lose one’s life. Jesus foretells his followers that the Son of Man will
not reign like worldly kings, but has rather already opened up the
“Kingdom of God” by welcoming all - since there are neither “Jew nor
Greek,” “slave nor free,” “male or female” but all are “one in Christ
Jesus.”
Catholic Charities (http://www.ccdoy.org)
remains steadfast in its core value of offering hospitality to all
persons, whoever they may be, not matter their condition. We will do
the best we can to serve each person, family or community we encounter.
Further, we know that our mission is rooted in Jesus’ command to love
and serve each other. We too, with St. Peter, declare that Jesus is
“The Christ of God” who shares His abundant love, mercy and hope.
Thanks to your generous support to the Annual Bishop’s Appeal for
Catholic Charities and Church (http://www.doy.org) we continue to bring this Good News -- the Good News that God loves us, love us unconditionally.
Reflection from Church Documents and Official Statements
http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/images/year-of-faith-logo-montage.jpg
http://cmsimg.news-press.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A4&Date=20130315&Category=OPINION&ArtNo=303150023&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&Editorial-Pope-Francis-unique-chance
Pope Francis: On the People of God
Vatican City, June 12, 2013 (Zenit.org) http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/on-the-people-of-god
Here is the translation of the Holy Father's address before and after the recitation of the Angelus in St. Peter's Square.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today
I would like to briefly highlight another term with which the Second
Vatican Council has defined the Church, as "the People of God " (cf.
Dogm. Const. Lumen gentium, 9; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 782).
And I do so with some questions, on which everyone can reflect.
1.
What does it mean to be "People of God"? Firstly it means that God does
not belong specifically to any people; because it is He who calls us,
summons us, invites us to be part of his people, and this call is
addressed to us all, without distinction, because God's mercy «wants
salvation for everyone» (1Tm 2,4).. Jesus does not say to the Apostles
and to us to form an exclusive group, an elite. Jesus says: go and make
disciples of all Nations (cf. Mt 28,19). Saint Paul states that in the
people of God, in the Church, "there is no longer Jew nor Greek ...
since you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3,28). I would also say to
those who feel far away from God and the Church, the one who is fearful
or indifferent, who thinks he can no longer change: the Lord calls you
to join his people and does so with great respect and love!
2. How does one become a member of this people? It is not through
physical birth, but through a new birth. In the Gospel, Jesus says to
Nicodemus that one must be born from above, out of the water and the
spirit to enter into the Kingdom of God (cf. Jn 3:3-5). It is through
Baptism that we are introduced to this people, through faith in Christ, a
gift from God that must be nurtured and grown throughout our life. Let
us ask ourselves: How can I grow the faith that I received in my
Baptism?
3.
What is the law of God's People? It is the law of love, love for God
and love for your neighbor according to the new commandment which the
Lord has left us (cf. Jn 13:34). A love, however, that is not sterile
sentimentalism or something vague, but that which recognizes God as the
only Lord of life and, at the same time, receives one’s neighbor as a
true brother, overcoming divisions, rivalries, misunderstandings,
selfishness; both things go together. How much we still have to do in
order to live this new law concretely, that of the Holy Spirit who acts
in us, that of charity, of love! When we look in the newspapers or on
television, there are so many wars between Christians: but how can this
happen? In the people of God, how many wars! In the neighborhoods, in
the workplace, how many wars out of envy, jealousy! Even in the family
itself, how many internal wars! We must ask the Lord to make us
understand this law of love. How beautiful it is to love each other as
true brothers. How beautiful! Let's do one thing today. Maybe we all
have people we like and others we dislike; maybe many of us are a little
angry with someone; then, say to the Lord: Lord, I am upset with this
person or that. I will pray for him and for her. Praying for those with
whom we are angry is a good step in this law of love. Do we do it? Let's
do it today!
4.
What is the mission of the People of God? To bring into the world the
hope and salvation of God: to be a sign of God's love which calls
everyone to have a friendship with him; to be the yeast that leavens the
dough, salt that gives flavor and protects from corruption, light that
illuminates. All around us, just by opening a newspaper – as I said- we
can see that the presence of evil is there, the Devil acts. But I would
like to say out loud: God is stronger! And I would like to add that the
sometimes dark reality, marked by evil, can change, if we first bring
the light of the Gospel, above all with our lives. If in a stadium,
think of here in Rome at the Olympic Stadium, on a dark night, one
person turns on a light, you can just barely see it, but if more than
70,000 spectators each turns on his own light, the stadium lights up.
Let's make our life a light of Christ; together we will bring the light
of the Gospel into the entire reality.
5.
What is the end of this people? Their end is the Kingdom of God, begun
here on Earth by God himself, and that must be extended until its
completion, when Christ will appear (cf. Lumen gentium, 9). The aim then
is full communion with the Lord, to enter into his own divine life,
where we will live the joy of his love without measure.
Dear
brothers and sisters, to be Church, to be God's People, according to
the great design of the Father's love, it's like being the leaven of God
in our humanity, it means announcing and bringing the salvation of God
into this world of ours, which is often lost, in need of answers that
encourage, that give hope, that provide new vigor in the journey. May
the Church be both a place of God's mercy and hope, where everyone can
feel welcome, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live according to the
good life of the Gospel. And to make the other feel welcome, loved,
forgiven, encouraged, the –Church must have its doors open so that
everyone can enter. And we must go out through those doors to announce
the Gospel.
Some important date(s) this week:
See website http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/ByDate.aspx for biographies of Saints and Blessed celebrated this week.
MONDAY, JUNE 24. Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist.
Jesus
called John the greatest of all those who had preceded him: “I tell
you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John....” But
John would have agreed completely with what Jesus added: “[Y]et the
least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28).
John
spent his time in the desert, an ascetic. He began to announce the
coming of the Kingdom, and to call everyone to a fundamental reformation
of life.
His
purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus. His Baptism, he said, was for
repentance. But One would come who would baptize with the Holy Spirit
and fire. John is not worthy even to carry his sandals. His attitude
toward Jesus was: “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30).
John
was humbled to find among the crowd of sinners who came to be baptized
the one whom he already knew to be the Messiah. “I need to be baptized
by you” (Matthew 3:14b). But Jesus insisted, “Allow it now, for thus it
is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15b). Jesus,
true and humble human as well as eternal God, was eager to do what was
required of any good Jew. John thus publicly entered the community of
those awaiting the Messiah. But making himself part of that community,
he made it truly messianic.
The
greatness of John, his pivotal place in the history of salvation, is
seen in the great emphasis Luke gives to the announcement of his birth
and the event itself—both made prominently parallel to the same
occurrences in the life of Jesus. John attracted countless people (“all
Judea”) to the banks of the Jordan, and it occurred to some people that
he might be the Messiah. But he constantly deferred to Jesus, even to
sending away some of his followers to become the first disciples of
Jesus.
Perhaps
John’s idea of the coming of the Kingdom of God was not being perfectly
fulfilled in the public ministry of Jesus. For whatever reason, he sent
his disciples (when he was in prison) to ask Jesus if he was the
Messiah. Jesus’ answer showed that the Messiah was to be a figure like
that of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah (chapters 49 through 53). John
himself would share in the pattern of messianic suffering, losing his
life to the revenge of Herodias.
For Daily Readings http://www.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month
CHARITIES NEWSBYTES
FORTNIGHT FOR FREEDOM: June 21-July 3. 
The U.S. bishops have called for a Fortnight for Freedom,
a two-week period of prayer and action, to address many current
challenges to religious liberty, including the August 1, 2013 deadline
for religious organizations to comply with the HHS mandate; Supreme
Court rulings that could redefine marriage in June, and religious
liberty concerns in areas such as immigration and humanitarian services.
For more information, visit http://doy.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=264:diocese-of-youngstown-participates-in-the-2013-fortnight-for-freedom-&catid=3:press-release&Itemid=95
Bishop Murry will celebrate 12:10 pm Mass at the Cathedral of St. Columba on Monday, July 1, 2013 as part of our Diocesan Fortnight for Freedom Activities.
2013 Annual Bishop’s Appeal for Catholic Charities and Church.
The
in Church/parish appeal is now underway. Please consider a gift to
help support the work of Catholic Charities and other ministries of the
Diocese of Youngstown https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=450afc
PAPAL INTENTIONS: JUNE
Mutual Respect. That a culture of dialogue, listening, and mutual respect may prevail among peoples.
New Evangelization. That where secularization is strongest, Christian communities may effectively promote a new evangelization.
Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
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Note: Please consider joining our
FACEBOOK GROUP https://www.facebook.com/pages/Catholic-Charities-Diocese-of-Youngstown/138817639487339
TWITTER account, CCDOY, http://twitter.com/CCDOY
for current updates and calls to action that we can all use.
For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com
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