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) 


http://www.artinthepicture.com/artists/Michelangelo/judgment.jpeg

On Sunday (Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ The King

 Year  A  http://usccb.org/bible/readings/112011.cfm ) we read in the Gospel of Mathew about the parable of the Last Judgment.  In the first reading from the Prophet Ezekiel, we hear of God’s concern for us: “The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal...”  Jesus parable of the Last Judgment brings to sharp focus the essence of this Old Testament prophecy: “when i was hungry.....you gave me food...”   In this last Sunday in Ordinary Time, we celebrate the Solemnity of Jesus Christ as the King.  Jesus’ proclamation of the end times reminds us that we will be judged by our intentions and actions, especially regarding our concern for our most needy brothers and sisters.

In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org ,  we are the arm of the bishop -- The Church -- called upon to help organize our response to those who are hungry, thirsty, in prison, sick, a stranger or without shelter.  All believers -- disciples -- are called to see Jesus in the face of those in need right in our own midst and throughout the world.  Catholic Charities, with Caritas throughout the world, helps to organize that love -- bringing people together in solidarity with each other.  In these last week of the Church year, I ask you to reflect upon how you respond to Jesus’ call to “do it to me.”  Thanks for all you do.


Reflection from Church Documents and Official Statements

Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace
TOWARDS REFORMING THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL AND MONETARY SYSTEMS IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBAL PUBLIC AUTHORITY, October 24, 2011

A liberalist approach, unsympathetic towards public intervention in the markets, chose to allow an important international financial institution to fall into bankruptcy, on the assumption that this would contain the crisis and its effects. Unfortunately, this spawned a widespread lack of confidence and a sudden change in attitudes. Various public interventions of enormous scope (more than 20% of gross national product) were urgently requested in order to stem the negative effects that could have overwhelmed the entire international financial system.

The consequences for the real economy, what with grave difficulties in some sectors – first of all, construction – and wide distribution of unfavourable forecasts, have generated a negative trend in production and international trade with very serious repercussions for employment as well as other effects that have probably not yet had their full impact. The costs are extremely onerous for millions in the developed countries, but also and above all for billions in the developing ones.

In countries and areas where the most elementary goods like health, food and shelter are still lacking, more than a billion people are forced to survive on an average income of less than a dollar a day.

Global economic well-being, traditionally measured by national income and also by levels of capacities, grew during the second half of the twentieth century, to an extent and with a speed never experienced in the history of humankind.

But the inequalities within and between various countries have also grown significantly. While some of the more industrialized and developed countries and economic zones – the ones that are most industrialized and developed – have seen their income grow considerably, other countries have in fact been excluded from the overall improvement of the economy and their situation has even worsened.





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.

http://yarsawich.com/ccd/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/give-thanks-to-the-lord.jpg

THURSDAY, November 24.  Thanksgiving Day.  Thank you for all your talents of time, talents and treasure.  May God bless you and your family during this time of thanksgiving.




SHARING HOPE IN HARD ECONOMIC TIMES.

During the month of November, as we prepare for our national holiday, Thanksgiving, we want to give thanks to persons, parishes, groups, and schools who have supported the work of Catholic Charities throughout the year.  This week, I would like to give special thanks to Humility of Mary Health Partners  http://www.hmpartners.org/  -- its hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, hospice, and all of its system -- for their on going commitment to serve those in need.  This year St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Youngstown celebrates its 100th anniversary.  Last week we celebrated the feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, their patron saint.

 PAPAL INTENTIONS:   November 2011

General Intention: That the Eastern Catholic Churches and their venerable traditions may be known and esteemed as a spiritual treasure for the whole Church.

Missionary Intention: Justice and Reconciliation in Africa.
That the African continent may find strength in Christ to pursue justice and reconciliation as set forth by the second Synod of African Bishops.

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 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. 

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/
 

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 (Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year  A   http://usccb.org/bible/readings/111311.cfm ) we read in the Gospel of Mathew about the parable of the ten talents.  Here the master gives various stewards different levels of items to ‘steward” in his absence.  The one given ten talents doubles his gift; another doubles the two talents he obtained; a third is afraid and buries his sole talent to find he has not obtained anything new when the master returns.  This story’s many meanings point to the reality that God has invested in us gifts that we are to “steward” during our lives and will have to make a reckoning at the Last Judgment (a story we are building toward during these last days of Ordinary Time).

In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org ,  we are called to “invest” wisely the many gifts given to us to care for the poor and vulnerable among us.  In the first reading from Proverbs, we hear about the good wife who “reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.”  Catholic Charities is that organized arm of the Church that must constantly steward resources for the care of the widow, the orphan and the stranger.  Catholic Charities continues to leverage gifts and donations with other resources to ensure that persons and families in need are cared for and shown compassionate hope.  Thank you for your gifts of time, talent and/or treasure.  We will continue to be good and faithful stewards of the mission of Jesus to bring good news and to show/see the face of God.


Reflection from Church Documents and Official Statements

Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace
TOWARDS REFORMING THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL AND MONETARY SYSTEMS IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBAL PUBLIC AUTHORITY, October 24, 2011

In monetary and financial markets, however, the dynamics are quite different. In recent decades, it was the banks that extended credit, which generated money, which in turn sought a further expansion of credit. In this way, the economic system was driven towards an inflationary spiral that inevitably encountered a limit in the risk that credit institutions could accept. They faced the ultimate danger of bankruptcy, with negative consequences for the entire economic and financial system

After World War II, national economies made progress, albeit with enormous sacrifices for millions, indeed billions of people who, as producers and entrepreneurs on the one hand and as savers and consumers on the other, had put their confidence in a regular and progressive expansion of money supply and investment in line with opportunities for real growth of the economy.

Since the 1990s, we have seen that money and credit instruments worldwide have grown more rapidly than revenue, even adjusting for current prices. From this came the formation of pockets of excessive liquidity and speculative bubbles which later turned into a series of solvency and confidence crises that have spread and followed one another over the years.

A first crisis took place in the 1970s until the early 1980s and was related to the sudden sharp rises in oil prices. Subsequently, there was a series of crises in the developing world, for example, the first crisis in Mexico in the 1980s and those in Brazil, Russia and Korea, and then again in Mexico in the 1990s as well as in Thailand and Argentina.

The speculative bubble in real estate and the recent financial crisis have the very same origin in the excessive amount of money and the plethora of financial instruments globally.

Whereas the crises in the developing countries that risked involving the global monetary and financial system were contained through interventions by the more developed countries, the outbreak of the crisis in 2008 was characterized by a different factor compared with the previous ones, something decisive and explosive. Generated in the context of the United States, it took place in one of the most important zones for the global economy and finances. It directly affected what is still the currency of reference for the great majority of international trade transactions.






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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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17.  St. Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231)   In her short life Elizabeth manifested such great love for the poor and suffering that she has become the patroness of Catholic charities and of the Secular Franciscan Order. The daughter of the King of Hungary, Elizabeth chose a life of penance and asceticism when a life of leisure and luxury could easily have been hers. This choice endeared her in the hearts of the common people throughout Europe.

At the age of 14 Elizabeth was married to Louis of Thuringia (a German principality), whom she deeply loved; she bore three children. Under the spiritual direction of a Franciscan friar, she led a life of prayer, sacrifice and service to the poor and sick. Seeking to become one with the poor, she wore simple clothing. Daily she would take bread to hundreds of the poorest in the land, who came to her gate.
After six years of marriage, her husband died in the Crusades, and she was grief-stricken. Her husband’s family looked upon her as squandering the royal purse, and mistreated her, finally throwing her out of the palace. The return of her husband’s allies from the Crusades resulted in her being reinstated, since her son was legal heir to the throne.
In 1228 Elizabeth joined the Secular Franciscan Order, spending the remaining few years of her life caring for the poor in a hospital which she founded in honor of St. Francis. Elizabeth’s health declined, and she died before her 24th birthday in 1231. Her great popularity resulted in her canonization four years later.


SHARING HOPE IN HARD ECONOMIC TIMES.

During the month of November, as we prepare for our national holiday, Thanksgiving, we want to give thanks to persons, parishes, groups, and schools who have supported the work of Catholic Charities throughout the year.  This week, I would like to give special thanks to Beatitude House,  http://www.beatitudehouse.com/   a housing and support ministry of the Youngstown Ursuline Sisters, for their commitment to help women and children get out of poverty.

 PAPAL INTENTIONS:   November 2011

General Intention: That the Eastern Catholic Churches and their venerable traditions may be known and esteemed as a spiritual treasure for the whole Church.

Missionary Intention: Justice and Reconciliation in Africa.
That the African continent may find strength in Christ to pursue justice and reconciliation as set forth by the second Synod of African Bishops.

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 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. 

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/
 

MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for week of November 6, 2011

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) 

http://www.oramaworld.com/images/byzicons/wooden_icons/v2_300.jpg


On Sunday (Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year  A   http://usccb.org/bible/readings/110611.cfm  we read in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus’ parable about the ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom.  We hear about five who were ready; the other five did not have enough oil in their lamps to keep vigil.  When the bridegroom came late, those who were ready were welcomed into the house; the others rushed to fill their oil containers only to find the door locked upon their return. As we enter into the last several weeks of the Ordinary Time of this Church year, the readings prepare us to understand the nature of the “end times” and the coming of the Kingdom of God.  We too must always be vigilant and ready; we do not know the hour when the Son of Man will return in his glory.

In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org ,  we are always ready and willing to assist those who are in need.  Like the five virgins who did not have enough oil for their vigil, we in Catholic Charities are available to help serve those in need of assistance.  Many come to us at a very late hour when their bills and obligations are piling up.  Sometimes we wonder why these persons/families did not come earlier for help.  Though some could have been a bit more future thinking, it is a harsh reality that when a person is in crisis, one can only see the immediate reality of their lives; also, sometimes it is very hard to ask another person, another agency, for help with their household debts.  Though many can blame people for waiting too long, we in Catholic Charities welcome everyone to our door, and to the best of our ability, help them prepare and plan for future issues.  It is our hope that we can provide assistance so that families can be stable and secure, especially in these uncertain economic times.  Like the Gospel story, we in Catholic Charities are that arm of the Church who is there to help people be ready to face the future, knowing and experiencing God’s love and hospitality.

Reflection from Church Documents and Official Statements

Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace

TOWARDS REFORMING THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL AND MONETARY SYSTEMS IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBAL PUBLIC AUTHORITY, October 24, 2011

Presupposition

Every individual and every community shares in and is responsible for promoting the common good. Faithful to their ethical and religious vocation, communities of believers should take the lead in asking whether human family has adequate means at its disposal to achieve the global common good. The Church for her part is called to encourage in everyone without distinction, the desire to join in the “monumental amount of individual and collective effort” which men have made “throughout the course of the centuries ... to better the circumstances of their lives.... [T]his human activity accords with God’s will.”


1. Economic Development and Inequalities

The grave economic and financial crisis which the world is going through today springs from multiple causes. Opinions on the number and significance of these causes vary widely. Some commentators emphasize first and foremost certain errors inherent in the economic and financial policies; others stress the structural weaknesses of political, economic and financial institutions; still others say that the causes are ethical breakdowns occurring at all levels of a world economy that is increasingly dominated by utilitarianism and materialism. At every stage of the crisis, one might discover particular technical errors intertwined with certain ethical orientations.

In material goods markets, natural factors and productive capacity as well as labour in all of its many forms set quantitative limits by determining relationships of costs and prices which, under certain conditions, permit an efficient allocation of available resources.



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.

http://www.catholic.org/images/saints/619.jpg

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7.    St. Didacus  (1400-1463)  Didacus is living proof that God "chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong" (1 Corinthians 1:27).
As a young man in Spain, Didacus joined the Secular Franciscan Order and lived for some time as a hermit. After Didacus became a Franciscan brother, he developed a reputation for great insight into God’s ways. His penances were heroic. He was so generous with the poor that the friars sometimes grew uneasy about his charity.
Didacus volunteered for the missions in the Canary Islands and labored there energetically and profitably. He was also the superior of a friary there.
In 1450 he was sent to Rome to attend the canonization of St. Bernardine of Siena. When many friars gathered for that celebration fell sick, Didacus stayed in Rome for three months to nurse them. After he returned to Spain, he pursued a life of contemplation full-time. He showed the friars the wisdom of God’s ways.
As he was dying, Didacus looked at a crucifix and said: "O faithful wood, O precious nails! You have borne an exceedingly sweet burden, for you have been judged worthy to bear the Lord and King of heaven" (Marion A. Habig, O.F.M., The Franciscan Book of Saints, p. 834).
San Diego, California, is named for this Franciscan, who was canonized in 1588.



SHARING HOPE IN HARD ECONOMIC TIMES.

During the month of November, as we prepare for our national holiday, Thanksgiving, we want to give thanks to persons, parishes, groups, and schools who have supported the work of Catholic Charities throughout the year.  This week, I would like to give special thanks to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul who have worked with our agencies to meet the needs of persons and families.  We are especially thankful to the Youngstown and Warren District Councils of the Society who provide hot meals almost every day of the year.  Thanks for helping us in Catholic Charities to feed the hungry.

 PAPAL INTENTIONS:   November 2011

General Intention: That the Eastern Catholic Churches and their venerable traditions may be known and esteemed as a spiritual treasure for the whole Church.

Missionary Intention: Justice and Reconciliation in Africa.
That the African continent may find strength in Christ to pursue justice and reconciliation as set forth by the second Synod of African Bishops.

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 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. 

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/