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)
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On Sunday, ( The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/060312.cfm) we read from the Gospel of Matthew regarding a great commission: go and baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus gives His promise that He is with us “always, until the end of the age.” Matthew fully reveals the Triune nature of God and brings to full light the other readings about the nature of God’s love and our adoption as God’s children. We know we are abundantly loved and secure knowing our true God.
In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org , we see the face of God with each person we encounter. As staff of Catholic Charities we show God’s face to each person we encounter, especially to those who are alone, afraid, desperate and abandoned. We are that place of welcome and hospitality. Jesus’ continued presence among us through the Spirit empowers us to be that witness to God the Father’s love, mercy, compassion and justice in the world through our work of service, advocacy and convening.
Reflection from Church Documents and Official Statements
Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship - Part I - The U.S. Bishops’ Reflection On Catholic Teaching And Political Life
Why Does the Church Teach About Issues Affecting Public Policy?
9.
The Church's obligation to participate in shaping the moral character
of society is a requirement of our faith. It is a basic part of the
mission we have received from Jesus Christ, who offers a vision of life
revealed to us in Sacred Scripture and Tradition. To echo the teaching
of the Second Vatican Council: Christ, the Word made flesh, in showing
us the Father's love, also shows us what it truly means to be human (seeGaudium et Spes,
no. 22). Christ's love for us lets us see our human dignity in full
clarity and compels us to love our neighbors as he has loved us. Christ,
the Teacher, shows us what is true and good, that is, what is in accord
with our human nature as free, intelligent beings created in God's
image and likeness and endowed by the Creator with dignity and rights.
10.
What faith teaches about the dignity of the human person and about the
sacredness of every human life helps us see more clearly the same truths
that also come to us through the gift of human reason. At the center of
these truths is respect for the dignity of every person. This is the
core of Catholic moral and social teaching. Because we are people of
both faith and reason, it is appropriate and necessary for us to bring
this essential truth about human life and dignity to the public square.
We are called to practice Christ's commandment to "love one another" (Jn
13:34). We are also called to promote the well-being of all, to share
our blessings with those most in need, to defend marriage, and to
protect the lives and dignity of all, especially the weak, the
vulnerable, the voiceless. In his first encyclical letter, Deus Caritas Est,
Pope Benedict XVI explained that "charity must animate the entire lives
of the lay faithful and therefore also their political activity, lived
as 'social charity'" (no. 29).
11.
Some question whether it is appropriate for the Church to play a role
in political life. However, the obligation to teach about moral values
that should shape our lives, including our public lives, is central to
the mission given to the Church by Jesus Christ. Moreover, the United
States Constitution protects the right of individual believers and
religious bodies to participate and speak out without government
interference, favoritism, or discrimination. Civil law should fully
recognize and protect the Church's right, obligation, and opportunities
to participate in society without being forced to abandon or ignore its
central moral convictions. Our nation's tradition of pluralism is
enhanced, not threatened, when religious groups and people of faith
bring their convictions and concerns into public life. Indeed, our
Church's teaching is in accord with the foundational values that have
shaped our nation's history: "life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness."
12.
The Catholic community brings important assets to the political
dialogue about our nation's future. We bring a consistent moral
framework—drawn from basic human reason that is illuminated by Scripture
and the teaching of the Church—for assessing issues, political
platforms, and campaigns. We also bring broad experience in serving
those in need—educating the young, caring for the sick, sheltering the
homeless, helping women who face difficult pregnancies, feeding the
hungry, welcoming immigrants and refugees, reaching out in global
solidarity, and pursuing peace.
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.
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For Daily Readings http://www.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month
SUNDAY, JUNE 3. Blessed John XXIII (1881-1963). Although
few people had as great an impact on the 20th century as Pope John
XXIII, he avoided the limelight as much as possible. Indeed, one writer
has noted that his “ordinariness” seems one of his most remarkable
qualities.After his ordination in 1904, Angelo returned to Rome for canon law studies. He soon worked as his bishop’s secretary, Church history teacher in the seminary and as publisher of the diocesan paper.
His service as a stretcher-bearer for the Italian army during World War I gave him a firsthand knowledge of war. In 1921 he was made national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith; he found time to teach patristics at a seminary in the Eternal City.
In 1925 he became a papal diplomat, serving first in Bulgaria, then in Turkey and finally in France (1944-53). During World War II, he became well acquainted with Orthodox Church leaders. With the help of Germany’s ambassador to Turkey, Archbishop Roncalli helped save an estimated 24,000 Jewish people.
Named a cardinal and appointed patriarch of Venice in 1953, he was finally a residential bishop. A month short of entering his 78th year, he was elected pope, taking the name John, his father’s name and the two patrons of Rome’s cathedral, St. John Lateran. He took his work very seriously but not himself. His wit soon became proverbial, and he began meeting with political and religious leaders from around the world. In 1962 he was deeply involved in efforts to resolve the Cuban missile crisis.
His most famous encyclicals were Mother and Teacher (1961) and Peace on Earth(1963). Pope John XXIII enlarged the membership in the College of Cardinals and made it more international. At his address at the opening of the Second Vatican Council, he criticized the “prophets of doom” who “in these modern times see nothing but prevarication and ruin.” Pope John XXIII set a tone for the Council when he said, “The Church has always opposed... errors. Nowadays, however, the Spouse of Christ prefers to make use of the medicine of mercy rather than that of severity.”
On his deathbed he said: “It is not that the gospel has changed; it is that we have begun to understand it better. Those who have lived as long as I have…were enabled to compare different cultures and traditions, and know that the moment has come to discern the signs of the times, to seize the opportunity and to look far ahead.”
He died on June 3, 1963. Pope John Paul II beatified him in 2000.
MONDAY JUNE 4. St. Francis Caracciolo (1563-1608) A
medical crisis that proved to be a false alarm changed the life of this
16th-century saint. At age 22 Francis developed a troublesome skin
disease resembling leprosy—one of the most dreaded diseases of the day.
He
vowed that if he recovered he would devote his life to God. The skin
condition cleared up completely. Convinced his recovery was miraculous,
Francis kept his promise to God.He studied for the priesthood in Naples. There he befriended a man who wanted to establish a new religious community that would focus on both the active and the contemplative life. Francis helped draw up Rules for the new Order of the Minor Clerks Regular. Members of the Order agreed among themselves never to seek leadership within the group, though Francis was elected many times to serve in such positions.
Even in his capacity as superior of the Order, he insisted on sharing simple tasks: sweeping rooms, making beds, washing dishes. As a priest Francis spent many hours in the confessional. He also begged in the streets for the poor and gave away most of his possessions to the needy.
Francis died in 1608. He is the patron saint of Naples and Italian cooks.
CHARITIES NEWSBYTES
PAPAL INTENTIONS: June 2012
General: Christ, Present in the Eucharist
That believers may recognize in the Eucharist the living presence of the Risen One who accompanies them in daily life.
Mission: European Christians
That
Christians in Europe may rediscover their true identity and participate
with greater enthusiasm in the proclamation of the Gospel.
Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
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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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