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: 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. Committed to work 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 (Fifth Sunday of Easter, Cycle B) we read in the Gospel of John about Jesus' call for each of us to be connected to him and his love in order to thrive and bear much fruit. In the First Letter of St. John we are challenged to follow the Lord's ultimate commandment to love each other, in deed and truth, and not just in mere words.
At Catholic Charities we are connected to the Church directly as a ministry and service of the ecclesial community, and we find our identity in the Catholic community civilly and canonically tied to the Bishop through various corporate structures. Like the image of the vine and branches, Catholic Charities is specifically part of the Church's three fold mission to Proclaim the Word, Celebrate the Sacraments, and Provide Service to each other. Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, was very specific about the role of Charities in the Church: we are to organize love in deed and in truth.
Some important date(s) this week:
FRIDAY MAY 15. In 1943, the Diocese of Youngstown was created.
FRIDAY, May 15, 1891, Pope Leo XIII published the "magna carta" of Catholic Social Teachings: Rerum Novarum
FRIDAY, MAY 15. St. Isidore the Farmer. (1070-1130). Isidore has become the patron of farmers and rural communities. In particular he is the patron of Madrid, Spain, and of the United States National Rural Life Conference.
When he was barely old enough to wield a hoe, Isidore entered the service of John de Vergas, a wealthy landowner from Madrid, and worked faithfully on his estate outside the city for the rest of his life. He married a young woman as simple and upright as himself who also became a saint—Maria de la Cabeza . They had one son, who died as a child. Isidore had deep religious instincts. He rose early in the morning to go to church and spent many a holiday devoutly visiting the churches of Madrid and surrounding areas. All day long, as he walked behind the plow, he communed with God. His devotion, one might say, became a problem, for his fellow workers sometimes complained that he often showed up late because of lingering in church too long. He was known for his love of the poor, and there are accounts of Isidore’s supplying them miraculously with food. He had a great concern for the proper treatment of animals.
He died May 15, 1130, and was declared a saint in 1622 with Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila and Philip Neri. Together, the group is known in Spain as “the five saints.”
FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2009. Men Who Cook event. Sponsored by Catholic Charities Regional Agency. Fundraiser. 6 pm at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Hall, Youngstown. Call 330-744-3320 for tickets.
Sharing Hope In Tough Times: Catholic Charities Responds to Families Facing Economic Crisis
Reflection: We thank all mothers for the gift of life. Could that single Mom you know use a little help with her electric bill this month?
Prayer Intention: That we find loving, creative ways to help struggling Mothers everywhere, to thank them for their unselfish gift of life.
PAPAL INTENTIONS:
May 2009
General: That the laity and the Christian communities may be responsible promoters of priestly and religious vocations.
Mission: That the recently founded Catholic Churches, grateful to the Lord for the gift of faith, may be ready to share in the universal mission of the Church, offering their availability to preach the Gospel throughout the world.
Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
1. Feed the hungry
2. Give drink to the thirsty
3. Clothe the naked
4. Shelter the homeless
5. Visit the sick
6. Visit those in prison
7. Bury the dead
See our website at for links to the our ministries and services.
For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at:
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