More than 600 members of the Catholic Charities network gathered in Richmond from October 12-15 at the 2026 Annual Gathering. Each year, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), the national membership organization representing 170 Catholic Charities agencies in the United States and five territories, convenes leaders, staff, volunteers and supporters from Catholic Charities agencies around the country for several days of idea sharing, trainings and networking.
Invoking the conference’s theme, The Bridges We Build, during her opening address, Catholic Charities USA President and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson praised the network’s collective work in building bridges to those most in need in their local communities and to their fellow Catholic Charities agencies and other critical partners. Reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the year ahead, Robinson praised her colleagues for the many ways they have overcome obstacles to more effectively serve the most vulnerable members of their communities.
“I see a network that, over the past year, has been defined not by struggling but by building — by building new programs, forging new solutions, establishing new partnerships, creating new pathways out of poverty for your clients,” Robinson said. “This isn’t to say that the challenges we’ve faced are gone. It’s a realization and appreciation that so many of you have confronted them, have found your bearings and have moved forward with determination and joy to carry out your mission in new and enhanced ways.”
In addition to Robinson’s speech, the conference’s plenary sessions included fascinating presentations by two award-winning authors and academics, both of whom are featured authors in Catholic Charities USA’s People of Hope Museum. Meghan Sullivan, a philosophy professor and the founding director of the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good at the University of Notre Dame, offered a reflection on the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the Christian concept of love of stranger in the context of modern society. Seth Kaplan, a professorial lecturer at Johns Hopkins University and an expert in fragile states, shared unique insights into how strengthening local communities can address many of the social challenges, from poverty to polarization, facing the United States today. Following their presentations, Sullivan and Kaplan both participated in informative conversations with CBS News Homeland Security and Justice Correspondent Nicole Sganga, who served as an adept moderator for the conference. The packed agenda also included many workshops and learning labs on a variety of topics related to the ministries of the Catholic Charities network.
Commonwealth Catholic Charities, under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Jay Brown, served as exceptional hosts for the gathering. At the opening Mass in the beautiful Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Bishop Barry C. Knestout presided and welcomed the attendees to the Diocese of Richmond.
CCUSA also presented awards to three outstanding members of the Catholic Charities network during the Annual Gathering. Julie Abbott, a compassionate, caring voice on the other end of the phone line for Catholic Charities Maine, received the Volunteer of the Year Award. In recognition of her commitment to serve youth and families in need, Pam Mortensen, director of family development services at Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio, received the Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan Award. And Aden Batar, director of migration and refugee services at Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS),was honored with the Management Excellence Award. In addition to these annual individual awards, three Catholic Charities agencies — Catholic Charities of Philadelphia, Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota and Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska — were celebrated for innovative programming through the conference’s Sparking Innovation initiative.
A gallery of photographs from the 2026 Annual Gathering is available on CCUSA’s Flickr account.
About Catholic Charities USA
Founded in 1910, CCUSA is a national membership organization that supports and represents 170 Catholic Charities agencies across the United States and in five territories. Collectively, the Catholic Charities network each year serves more than 16 million vulnerable people, regardless of their faith or background, through food and nutrition programs, affordable housing, disaster relief and a variety of other humanitarian services.
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