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 (The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Year A http://www.usccb.org/nab/010911.shtml) we read in the Gospel of Matthew telling us of that great event wherein Jesus presents himself to John the Baptist. While John baptizes Jesus, as he emerges from the water (a foretaste of His death and resurrection) we hear the voice of God proclaiming His Son. Jesus came to announce a new time. The prophet Isaiah foretells of Jesus' mandate: "I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness."
In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org , we too continue that ministry and mandate of Jesus to bring Good News to those who are in need: the senior who is afraid of living alone; the child seeking assistance with school supplies; that family trying to keep their home amidst the trials of foreclosure; that young man from another country seeking a means to care for his family back home; that woman expecting new life seeking assistance to help feed her newborn; that prisoner hoping to be released soon and needing help to get back on his feet. These are some examples of how Catholic Charities provides help and creates hope for persons each day, living out the call of Jesus himself to bring abundant life and joy into the world.
Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, Caritas in Veritate
The way humanity treats the environment influences the way it treats itself, and vice versa. This invites contemporary society to a serious review of its life-style, which, in many parts of the world, is prone to hedonism and consumerism, regardless of their harmful consequences. What is needed is an effective shift in mentality which can lead to the adoption of new life-styles “in which the quest for truth, beauty, goodness and communion with others for the sake of common growth are the factors which determine consumer choices, savings and investments”. Every violation of solidarity and civic friendship harms the environment, just as environmental deterioration in turn upsets relations in society. Nature, especially in our time, is so integrated into the dynamics of society and culture that by now it hardly constitutes an independent variable. Desertification and the decline in productivity in some agricultural areas are also the result of impoverishment and underdevelopment among their inhabitants. When incentives are offered for their economic and cultural development, nature itself is protected. Moreover, how many natural resources are squandered by wars! Peace in and among peoples would also provide greater protection for nature. The hoarding of resources, especially water, can generate serious conflicts among the peoples involved. Peaceful agreement about the use of resources can protect nature and, at the same time, the well-being of the societies concerned. (par. 51a)
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.htm
Some important date(s) this week:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/ByDate.aspx
Last week was National Migration week. Please take time to review and reflect upon the US Catholic Bishops' message on Migration and Immigration. Visit http://www.usccb.org/mrs/nmw/
Annual Mass for Life
Saturday, January 15th (Canton)
Saturday, January 22nd (Youngstown)
Bishop Murry will celebrate the Annual Mass for Life at St. John the Baptist Church in Canton on January 15th at 10:30 AM and at St. Columba Cathedral on January 22nd at 10:30 AM. All are welcome.
SHARING HOPE IN HARD ECONOMIC TIMES.
Fact: Catholic Charities USA—which consists of 1,700 diocesan-associated agencies—is the second largest social service provider in the United States, surpassed only by the federal government.
Hope Works Offer New Series
Starting Tuesday, January 18th at 6:30 p.m. and continuing every Tuesday evening through February 22, Blessed Sacrament Parish in Warren will be hosting a six-session series, "The ABC's of Getting the Job You Deserve." The series will give those in attendance an action plan that will bring success, and help them stand out from other job seekers. There are professional speakers each week and success stories that will help get everyone through the winter darkness. These sessions will be held at Blessed Sacrament Parish’s Regan Hall, 3020 Reeves Road, NE, Warren. Please call the parish at 330-372-2215 to speak to Terry about registering and for more information. There is no charge for this session.
Hope Works is sponsored by Trumbull County Catholic Parishes and with Sharing Hope in Tough Times, a project of Catholic Charities
PAPAL INTENTIONS: JANUARY 2011
General Intention: That the riches of creation be preserved, valued and made available to all, as a precious gifts from God to mankind.
Missionary Intention: That Christians may achieve full unity, bearing witness of the universal fatherhood of God to the entire human race.
Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
Bury the dead
Note: Please consider joining our
FACEBOOK CAUSE http://apps.facebook.com/causes/106889
FACEBOOK GROUP http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=461833870606
FACEBOOK FAN
TWITTER account, CCDOY, http://twitter.com/CCDOY
for current updates and calls to action that we can all use.
See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org 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: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/
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