Story - January 18, 2019 - Catholic Charities of San Antonio (CCSA) President/CEO, J. Antonio Fernandez has been recognized twice by the great city of San Antonio for his leadership and work serving all people with love, respect, and dignity. Fernandez continues to elevate the position of Catholic Charities as the premier social services agency in the city for those seeking…

Story - March 26, 2025 - The following story was provided by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. As Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, we are proud to celebrate one hundred years of services to individuals of all faiths throughout the 28-county Springfield Diocese in Central Illinois. Our story began on March 1, 1925,…

Story - January 10, 2019 - Since 1941, the mission of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Antonio (CCSA) has been to selflessly serve our community under the sign of love. Every day we find ourselves helping others in crisis, and every day “crisis” looks different. One thing I know for sure is that we are called to encounter and…

Story - January 10, 2019 - In the summer of 2014, Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley (CCRGV), under the leadership of Sister Norma Pimentel, established a Humanitarian Respite Center as a response to the substantial increase in families seeking asylum at the U.S./Mexico border. Since then, more than 150,000 individuals, including separated and reunified families, have been welcomed at…

Prayer & Reflection - March 17, 2025 - I sometimes wish I were Irish. Mostly half-Lebanese, half-French, I differed from most of my Irish-Catholic friends growing up at Catholic school. For them, St. Patrick’s Day ranked as the third most important Catholic holiday, following closely behind Christmas and Easter. As a student at Notre Dame, I became a “Fighting Irish” and experienced beer…

Prayer & Reflection - March 13, 2025 - Esther’s prayer embodies the heart of social justice — a cry for deliverance from injustice and oppression. Esther’s prayer reminds us that, even when systems seem stacked against justice, courage and trust in God’s providence can empower us to take bold steps. Her example calls us to persist in advocacy, ensuring that vulnerable communities are…

Prayer & Reflection - March 10, 2025 - Today’s Scripture readings offer explicit directions for Christian behavior. The final two verses of the passage from Leviticus say this: You shall not hate any of your kindred in your heart. Reprove your neighbor openly so that you do not incur sin because of that person. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your…

Story - January 7, 2019 - People living and working near the city dump in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, lived on $10 a day and had no bank accounts. Their sources of credit were street lenders with loans at exorbitant interest rates. In 2015, the Solidarity Foundation set up savings groups in the community. The organization provided financial information and training and…

Story - January 13, 2025 - The Refugee Youth Mentoring program at Catholic Charities Atlanta is part of a larger effort to welcome new neighbors to Georgia, providing services and support as they adjust to their new homes in the U.S. Among the services are afterschool programming to assist with homework, English language learning and acclimating to life and school. Parents…

Story - November 1, 2018 - For the last few years, a particular focus for Catholic Charities of the East Bay (California) in the area of mental health services and trauma informed care has been youth mental health first aid as it applies to those who support young people who have experienced some form of violence. Youth mental health first aid…

Prayer & Reflection - December 25, 2024 - One Christmas many years ago on a visit to my dad, we sat before a cozy fire with our holiday drinks. I asked him what concepts we humans needed to have in our intellectual toolkit as we consider our place in the universe. As a geologist, he immediately responded that we needed to consider the…

Publication - December 13, 2024 - Since its founding, the Catholic Charities network has advocated for just and fair policies that help individuals and families who are poor and vulnerable reach their full potential. Our Catholic tradition teaches that society, acting through government and civil organizations, has a special obligation to consider the needs of these populations. Summary As Congress and…