Last month about 900 folks gathered at the Portland Convention Center for the 11th annual Catholic Charities Celebration Event. This year’s gathering commemorated the 75th anniversary of Catholic Charities here in western Oregon. Because of Catholic Charities we Catholics of western Oregon can proudly claim that together we do indeed walk the talk of the gospel. From its earliest years our Christian family always insisted that its leaders, priests and teachers never forget the poor and the needy. Nowadays we describe this hallmark as our “preferential option for the poor.”
How did it all begin? This good work was initiated by Father Lucien Lowerman who had evaluated the Catholic social work that was going on in the archdiocese back in 1933. He eventually presented his report to a group that was assembled by Archbishop Edward Howard in September of that same year. The result was the establishment of our first Catholic Charities Office, where Father Lucien employed four staff members whose principal task was to represent Catholic social service institutions in all court cases and to act as case managers for needy children. It all began with helping children. Ever since, the scope of the mission of Catholic Charities has grown stronger, wider and more effective with each passing year.
On the weekend of April 26-27 our parishes will be soliciting support for this year’s Catholic Charities Appeal. I have asked pastors to announce the Appeal and the corresponding second collection on the weekend of April 19-20 and to take up this special collection the following weekend. My friends, this is a cause truly worth supporting and affords all of us an opportunity, through the Appeal, to acknowledge our fundamental belief in the dignity and sanctity of all human life as well as our solidarity with all humankind.
Let’s face it. Second collections are not always popular with pastors and parishioners. There are so many needs in the parish community itself and everyone understands quite well that charity begins at home. But it is not supposed to end there. Special second collections, like the one I am asking all parishes to take up on the final weekend of April, expand the horizons of our compassion and remind us, as Catholics, of our solidarity with our sisters and brothers everywhere, especially those with special needs. Announcing and taking up a second collection hurts no one. Some folks will choose not to give. That is their prerogative. But many will respond and that is a grace and blessing for others.
You have heard me in the past describe Catholic Charities as the professional social service arm of our church. This is true. This is not to discount the many non-professional services our parishes provide for the needy, such as food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless and comfort for the dying. But there are some more serious problems that require professional assistance. This takes resources more skilled and competent than most of us as individuals are able to provide on our own.
Here in the archdiocese this professional outreach on the part of the church is not restricted to the metropolitan Portland area. In addition to Catholic Charities of Portland, a wonderful network of collaborating agencies carries out this mission and provides related services all across western Oregon. These agencies include Catholic Community Services of Lane County, Catholic Community Services of the Mid-Willamette Valley and Central Coast, Catholic Charities in Southern Oregon, Catholic Youth Organization (CYO)/Camp Howard, as well as numerous grantee agencies located throughout western Oregon.
We have come a long way since our first Catholic Charities Annual Campaign back in 1942. Back then the cost of providing the home, care, food, clothing and medical attention for children was $30 per month, per child. That first campaign raised enough funds to help 67 children. Last year Catholic Charities, together with a number of grantee agencies, assisted more than 100,000 poor and vulnerable Oregonians. Catholic Charities takes special pride in its great efficiency whereby almost 92 cents of every dollar you contribute is spent on services for the poor and needy.
Catholic Charities provides all kinds of services: Caritas Housing, Disaster Relief, Elizabeth House Maternity Home, Latino Services, Human Trafficking Outreach and Support, Immigration Legal Services, Pregnancy Support and Adoption, Project Rachel, Refugee Resettlement and one of our newest and quite successful programs, Housing Transitions. The Housing Transitions Program is built on Catholic Charities’ long history of serving homeless individuals. This program’s unique outreach and support have been benefiting homeless women, for which I am most grateful. During the recent celebration event we received a video report on the story of Linda, a former homeless woman who now is in a home of her own. At the end of the video presentation, Linda herself walked on-stage and thanked all those who made that transition possible for her. It was a very touching moment during our time together that night.
Another important dimension of Catholic Charities’ outreach includes pregnancy support and open adoption services, not always easy to find in a culture that apparently prefers abortion over pregnancy support and adoption in problematic situations. When a woman is pregnant, Catholic Charities provides free counseling, non-judgmental support, information about parenting and adoption and assistance in paying for medical coverage, housing, food and other necessities. All adoption parents are carefully screened beforehand and they all are desirous of a life-long, caring and respectful relationship with a mother. Furthermore, Catholic Charities’ is committed to providing support for all members of the adoption triad, adoptees, birth parents and adoptive parents.
Much more could be said about the wonderful work of Catholic Charities. That is not needed now. What is needed is your prayerful and financial support for this wonderful work. Because of so many generous people, Catholic Charities continues to provide help and create hope for profoundly disadvantaged people across western Oregon. The goal is to promote self-sufficiency, a greater awareness on the part of all of each person’s God-given dignity and opportunities for a better and fuller life. Our gifts do make a difference. I promise to do my part. I hope and pray you will do yours. God bless.
