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 (Ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A http://www.usccb.org/nab/030611.shtml ) we read in the Gospel of Matthew how Jesus tell his followers that just because you claim "Lord, Lord" does not mean that you are in conformity with Jesus. Rather, we must listen and follow the word of the Lord, and do his will, that matters. We hear in the reading from Deuteronomy that we have a choice to make: follow the way of the Lord or follow the way of alien gods. Our faith in the Lord Jesus, according to St. Paul, needs to be our response to God's loving call.
In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org , we too cannot hide behind our true identity. We are a Catholic organization committed to serving others in the name of the Church, continuing the ministry of healing of Jesus. We are witnesses to that call to follow the Lord and act in His name. Our Catholic identity means that we are a ministry of the Bishop, who is called upon to proclaim the Word, celebrate the sacraments and provide service and governance to the Church.
Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, Caritas in Veritate
The Christian revelation of the unity of the human race presupposes a metaphysical interpretation of the “humanum” in which relationality is an essential element. Other cultures and religions teach brotherhood and peace and are therefore of enormous importance to integral human development. Some religious and cultural attitudes, however, do not fully embrace the principle of love and truth and therefore end up retarding or even obstructing authentic human development. There are certain religious cultures in the world today that do not oblige men and women to live in communion but rather cut them off from one other in a search for individual well-being, limited to the gratification of psychological desires. Furthermore, a certain proliferation of different religious “paths”, attracting small groups or even single individuals, together with religious syncretism, can give rise to separation and disengagement. One possible negative effect of the process of globalization is the tendency to favour this kind of syncretism by encouraging forms of “religion” that, instead of bringing people together, alienate them from one another and distance them from reality. At the same time, some religious and cultural traditions persist which ossify society in rigid social groupings, in magical beliefs that fail to respect the dignity of the person, and in attitudes of subjugation to occult powers. In these contexts, love and truth have difficulty asserting themselves, and authentic development is impeded.(par. 55a)
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
See website for biographies of Saints and Blessed celebrated this week.
Tuesday, March 8. St. John of God. (1495-1550) Having given up active Christian belief while a soldier, John was 40 before the depth of his sinfulness began to dawn on him. He decided to give the rest of his life to God’s service, and headed at once for Africa, where he hoped to free captive Christians and, possibly, be martyred.
He was soon advised that his desire for martyrdom was not spiritually well based, and returned to Spain and the relatively prosaic activity of a religious goods store. Yet he was still not settled. Moved initially by a sermon of Blessed John of Avila, he one day engaged in a public beating of himself, begging mercy and wildly repenting for his past life.
Committed to a mental hospital for these actions, John was visited by Blessed John, who advised him to be more actively involved in tending to the needs of others rather than in enduring personal hardships. John gained peace of heart, and shortly after left the hospital to begin work among the poor.
He established a house where he wisely tended to the needs of the sick poor, at first doing his own begging. But excited by the saint’s great work and inspired by his devotion, many people began to back him up with money and provisions. Among them were the archbishop and marquis of Tarifa.
Behind John’s outward acts of total concern and love for Christ’s sick poor was a deep interior prayer life which was reflected in his spirit of humility. These qualities attracted helpers who, 20 years after John’s death, formed the Brothers Hospitallers, now a worldwide religious order.
John became ill after 10 years of service but tried to disguise his ill health. He began to put the hospital’s administrative work into order and appointed a leader for his helpers. He died under the care of a spiritual friend and admirer, Lady Ana Ossorio.
WEDNESDAY, March 9. Ash Wednesday.
In the Roman Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/p/Ash_Wednesday.htm is the first day of Lent, the season of preparation for the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.
We extend an invitation from Catholic Relief Services http://crs.org/ to join them on a spiritual journey with Operation Rice Bowl http://orb.crs.org/ this Lent. This is an opportunity to put our Christian faith into action and to help our brothers and sisters in need around the world. Operation Rice Bowl provides an opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of those in need through simple and significant actions.
UPCOMING:
Saturday March 12: First Annual Catholic Charities Comalya, to raise monies for Catholic Charities Senior Services. Visit our website at www.ccdoy.org
SHARING HOPE IN HARD ECONOMIC TIMES.
Plan to jump start your St. Patrick’s Day celebration by attending Catholic Charities’ First Annual Irish Comalya on Saturday, March 12, 2011 from 6:00-10:00 p.m. at St. Michael Parish Family Life Center in Canfield. All proceeds support Catholic Charities’ programs and services for older adults throughout the diocese. Visit www.ccdoy.org for more details or to purchase your ticket.
PAPAL INTENTIONS: March 2011
General Intention: That the nations of Latin America may walk in fidelity to the Gospel and be bountiful in social justice and peace.
Missionary Intention: That the Holy Spirit may give light and strength to the Christian communities and the faithful who are persecuted or discriminated against because of the Gospel.
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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