St. Andrew: A reminder to serve others and love your neighbor

By Ashley Lahr

As November comes to a close and Thanksgiving bellies begin to deflate, I am reminded what Catholic Charities of Central Texas is here for: to continue to make a difference in people’s lives by creating hope and providing help. One ultimate example of this is St. Andrew, whose feast day is today, November 30.

St. Andrew was an Apostle and the brother of Simon Peter, both of which were fisherman. Andrew became one of the first disciples of Christ and left everything behind to follow Him.



St. Andrew was not only one of the first disciples but he also dropped everything to follow Jesus without hesitation. It is hard to imagine what this must have been like for him and how drastically his life changed thereafter. Catholic Charities is a light for men just as St. Andrew was for those that listened to him. Providing help and creating hope for others come through love and faith and sharing gifts that we have been given.

Being fishers of men is an analogy that is used often in the Christian community, but what does this really mean for us and for those we help? At Catholic Charities, we are called to seek out those that need help and hope everyday. We work to find those that need assistance or help not because those in need are Catholic, but because we are. Catholic Charities serves everyone regardless of age, faith, ethnic background, and economic circumstance. We set out each day to find new ways to help those who cannot find or provide the resources needed to get through each day.

For example our Angel of Hope Food Pantry feeds nearly 150 families each week. In 2008, we served over 5,000 pounds of food and grocery products each week. The food pantry also works to raise awareness of hunger, health and nutrition. In addition, the food pantry is a place for neighbors to help neighbors through donations, volunteer work or food.

Another example is our Immigration and Legal Services which has been operating for 7 years. ILS works with families and individuals to become self sufficient through the immigration process with low-fee legal costs. In the 7 years of operation, we have assisted 4,881 clients with immigration needs.

As we delve deeper into this holiday season, let us not forget why we are helping and what we can do to become of greater service to those around us. St. Andrew is a prime example of what it means to follow Christ’s example and how we can work together to love our neighbors and help those who need it.

Catholic Charities receives 200 Thanksgiving care packages to give way to those in need

Generous donations of food from St. Michael’s Catholic Academy and Holy Cross Catholic Church allowed Catholic Charities to distribute over 100 Thanksgiving care packages yesterday at the 1st annual Angels of Hope Thanksgiving Celebration.

A total of about $10,000 worth of groceries was collected so that families in need will be able to make their own Thanksgiving meals.

Volunteers, staff and clients gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving and share other services provided by Catholic Charities on Tuesday, November 24, 2009, from 3:00pm – 5:30pm. The Thanksgiving care packages include the essentials for a complete thanksgiving meal; turkey stuffing, corn, pumpkin pies, cranberry sauce, gravy, and a gift card for a turkey of the families’ choosing. The Thanksgiving care packages were made possible thanks to generous donations of food by parents and children of St. Michael’s Catholic Academy and parishioners of Holy Cross Catholic Church. Thank you to Catholic Charities of Central Texas volunteers for making this event such a success.

Catholic Charities & Catholic Identity: Who Do We Say We Are?

By Cynthia Colbert
Executive Director

Scriptures tell us that there was confusion, even disagreement among the followers of Jesus when he posed the question “Who do people say that I am?” After almost 2,000 years there would very likely be some confusion today if that same question were applied to Catholic Charities. There are those who would identify us with a particular service, such as the Angels of Hope Food Pantry or Immigration Legal Services. So they would be inclined to say that we are a basic needs agency, or an organization that serves immigrants. No doubt there are those that would describe us as a general social service agency or a network of ministries. But, that is not all that we are. We are a Catholic ministry and a nonprofit social service agency.

Catholic Charities of Central Texas is a ministry of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin. As such, we are a faith-based organization with a three-part mission of service, advocacy and collaboration. We exist to give witness to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. That message calls us to recognize Jesus is in every man, woman and child and that we are called to love Him through them. That call challenges us today in the same way Jesus challenged the people of His time to serve Him through our brothers and sisters and to exercise a preferential option for the poor. Our mission, our values and our strategic plan are rooted in the scriptures; we are guided by Church teachings, tradition and by the rich body of growing Catholic Social Teaching of our own day.

The populations we serve are culturally diverse and our work force is increasingly diverse as well, including Catholics and those of other faiths. Because of the diversity of our programs, our staff, our volunteers and our clients, it means that we must be intentional in maintaining our Catholic identity. We cannot be just another local social services agency. As a Catholic agency, we receive our authority to exist and to serve from the Bishop of our Diocese; we function faithfully within the mission and structures of the Diocese of Austin with a proper respect for the role of our Diocesan Bishop; and we operate under policies, procedures and practices that are faithful to our mission and values.

So what makes Catholic Charities “Catholic”? We are Catholic because everything we do is in response to God’s love for us and our love for Him. Our Holy Father said it best in his Encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, “With regard to the personnel who carry out the Church's charitable activity on the practical level, the essential has already been said: they must not be inspired by ideologies aimed at improving the world, but should rather be guided by the faith which works through love (cf. Gal 5:6). Consequently, more than anything, they must be persons moved by Christ's love, persons whose hearts Christ has conquered with his love, awakening within them a love of neighbour.” Please pray for and support our ministry in 2010 as we continue to reach out ands serve the poor and vulnerable in our Diocese. God bless you and may you too, be “ awakened within for a renewed love neighbour.”

(This article is to be featured in the December 2009 issue of Catholic Spirit)

St. Margaret of Scotland

By Ashley Lahr
St. Margaret of Scotland’s feast day is today, November 16. She is not like most saints who worked for the poor. She was not born into poverty. In fact, she married Malcolm III the King of Scots and became queen consort. She and Malcolm bore eight children, six sons and two daughters. Pope Innocent IV canonized her in 1250 AD in order to venerate her personal holiness, fidelity to the Church, work towards religious reform and charity. She was known to personally serve orphans and the poor everyday before she had eaten herself. Her influence exceeded the expected and had an impact on her husband and her children. Every night, she awoke at midnight and went to Church services.

St. Margaret was a living example of what it should be like to have it all and keep giving. “Having it all,” however, can come in many different forms. She did not let her status and rank control who she was a person. She gave her time and talents to the Church for the betterment of society. Like all saints, she is a prime example of how we should model our lives regardless of our place in society. In the end, it will not matter who had the biggest house or the most money. It all boils down to who we are as people and how we are able to make a difference in the world.

Let us take St. Margaret as an example of pure and holy charity. At Catholic Charities we work to help those in need by using the resources we have available to us and continuing to search for efficient ways to help others. We are here to provide HELP and create HOPE, which can be a very daunting task at times. However, with the help of volunteers and donations we are able to make peoples needs become an attainable reality. One example of this would be 57 year old Soraya. She came to the United States from Afghanistan in 2002 in order to find a better life for her herself and her six children. She was a witness to her husband’s death by the Taliban forces and many other atrocities in her country. But she pressed on and did not let this bring her down. In early 2009, with the help of Catholic Charities, she had access to social programs that she needed in order to help treat her early dementia since the other programs were expiring. Fortunately, in March 2009 with the help of our staff and programs, we helped her file paperwork, prepare for her immigration interview and accompany her to the interview for her to become a U.S. citizen. Soraya is now a proud, safe citizen who is able to live a safe and secure lifestyle while living the gift of freedom we enjoy everyday.

Featured in a UT blog

Our food pantry coordinator, Meg Kee, has been featured in a University of Texas at Austin Blog! Get it here:

http://blogs.utexas.edu/hunger/2009/11/12/catholic-charities-of-central-texas/

All Souls Day... A Careful Reminder

By Ashley Lahr

This past Sunday and Monday was All Souls day, a day in which we reflected those we have lost and the faithfully departed. When I went to mass Sunday night, it was a somber homily but at the same time, I had a rush of wonderful memories from those who I have lost in the past. In the Church, we set aside two days to remember those who are not here with us anymore but we there is one important factor- we can’t forget why we are here to begin with. We are still here, so we need to make the most of it.

I personally believe that everyone has a purpose and working in a non-profit environment, this is exemplified everyday. It is comforting to know that I can go to my supervisor or the person who sits next to me and talk about wanting to do something for the grace of God. I am blessed with wonderful things in my life such as my family, fiancé, friends… the list goes on. But I know that when I come to work every Monday and Wednesday, I am helping the greater good. By working closely with the development director, I assist her in whatever tasks she needs at hand and I am currently helping with the annual spring luncheon. People here at Catholic Charities all have a specific role in order to reach an ultimate goal. The final product is extremely rewarding: we are able to provide food for those who don’t have it; legal assistance for those who are trying to become U.S. citizens; our Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing program assists those who have been affected by our economy.

Through these services and my time here at Catholic Charities, I feel like I am able to make a difference in someone else’s life. We aren’t raising money so it can not be used, sitting in a corner of a bank, but we are trying to bring money and resources to those who need it. To those who wake up in the morning with no food in their fridge. To those who can’t pay their bills month to month in order to provide for their family. We are helping these people because we are Catholic and as Catholics we work together to help everyone else, Catholic or not. Coming to work and seeing the same faces everyday working towards the same goal is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. I may not see instant results, but I know that someone, somewhere is being helped and can make it through today and tomorrow. All Souls day has reminded me that those who are still here on this Earth living out Jesus’ words have a purpose. We must purposefully work together to provide help and create hope.

St. Gaspar del Bufalo, a prime example of Jesus' devotion

By Ashley Lahr
Saints in the Roman Catholic Church are examples of what we should be like and how we should go about our daily routine. Jesus is the prime and ultimate model of who we should be as people but as we all know, it is not the easiest thing to accomplish. Saints allow us to have an alternate look inside into the Christ-like life. They serve as a reminder for ourselves and our community in order to understand what it means to be a Christian and the sacrifices we must make in order to carry out our mission. One example of a saint who made sacrifices in order to be like Christ was St. Gaspar del Bufalo.

St. Gaspar’s feast day was last week, October 21, 2009. He was born in Rome on January 6, 1786 and died December 28, 1837. Through the influence of his mother, he became greatly devoted to St. Francis Xavier. In 1808, he was ordained into the priesthood in Rome and along with other clergy who refused to align himself with Napoleon Bonaparte. Gaspar and members of the clergy who refused to follow Napoleon, were exiled to northern Italy in 1808.

When he returned to Rome in 1814, he considered joining the Jesuits but the needs of Pope Pius VII took precedence. He underwent several hardships in order to continue to engage in ministry and preaching. After much ado, Gaspar founded a society of priests, the Missionaries of the Precious Blood in Umbria in 1815. Throughout his lifetime, he spread his devotion for serving others and at one point, was described by St. Vincent Strambi as being “like a spiritual earthquake.” This earthquake shook the core of his contemporaries and he is still remembered today as a significant man who had a profound impact on many individuals.

Being part of the Austin Diocese allows Catholic Charities of Central Texas to carry out its mission to help those in need. We help people on a daily basis not because they are Catholic, but because we are. Sometimes it can be more difficult than expected to sacrifice time or money, but these are some of the strongest ways we can give as a community. Volunteering in our food pantry will help us, and you, help those who can’t put food on the table. Our clients need people who have extra time in their day or dollars to give the unfortunate what we experience on a daily basis. It is easy to take for granted the simple necessities that most of us don’t think twice about. But at Catholic Charities, we help those necessities become a reality. However, all of this couldn’t be done without the help of our community and people like St. Gaspar who donate their time and gifts for others who do not have it. Let’s work together to create our own spiritual earthquake.

Excitement!

Really excited for our Luncheon and podcasts! Stay tuned. :D

Food pantry coordinator, Meg Kee, featured in Austin Food Bank Podcast

Our food pantry coordinator, Meg Kee, has been featured by the Austin Area Food Bank podcast. This prompted us to begin our own podcasts within Catholic Charities! Listen to the podcast here and give us your feedback. Thanks Meg for all your hardwork and dedication!!



Courtesy of Alese Colehour

Jesus' Compassion is our Compassion

By Cynthia Colbert
Executive Director

I had the opportunity this summer to take a theology course for executive directors of Catholic Charities agencies. There were about 8 of us from around the county who gathered for this unique and valuable formation experience. One of the most memorable reflections came from our discussion of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. The Gospel story reports that as Jesus looked over the crowd – he was moved with pity or compassion, and as a result of that compassion he provided teaching and healing. This was followed by the realization that their basic need for food also had to be met but the Apostles had only a limited number of bread loaves and fish. Clearly, in looking at their “resources”, the Apostles knew it was not enough to feed the large crowd of men, women and children who had gathered. Jesus prayed and a miracle occurred. Through his grace and intervention, there was indeed enough to feed the multitude; there were even leftovers to gather and save for later.

Jesus was moved with compassion. As I reflect on this story, I can almost see the crowd through His yes. Can you? Can you see people who are hurting and in need of support? Can you hear them speak their needs? Maybe some of them had trouble at home and needed healing between a husband, wife or parents and children. Maybe some of them didn’t have enough work so it was hard to maintain their housing and feed their families. Maybe some of them didn’t have clothes to wear or had illness and didn’t have the means to seek treatment. Does this sound familiar? The desperation and the hopelessness that they brought to Jesus more than 2,000 years ago are experienced today by the individuals and families we serve in 2009. Jesus was moved with compassion – and he met their needs with healing, with food and with the restoration of hope. Today, we seek to do no less.

The same compassion that Jesus felt as he looked over the crowds is the same compassion we feel as staff and volunteers of Catholic Charities. Every day, we reach out to provide help and create hope – through our food pantry, through ESL classes, through the Diocesan Law Project, through case management, and many other programs. Like the miracle of the loaves and fishes, we experience modern day miracles. Our miracles come in the form of financial contributions; donations of food and other in-kind supports and miracles come in the hundreds of volunteers who give of their time and talents to make a difference. Often, when we look at our budgets, we can see that there can’t possibly be enough resources to meet community needs. But somehow, a grant or a donation comes in. Somehow, volunteers conduct food drives and contribute their time, talents and treasure to making a difference through Catholic Charities. And somehow, our dedicated staff shows up each day because of their calling to service and social justice. And like the Gospel story of the loaves and fishes, somehow, it’s all enough.

I believe that this compassion unites all of us in Catholic Charities and in parish and community based Catholic services in our Diocese, state and even throughout the world. When we see people in need, our faith motivates us to act - to relieve pain and suffering in whatever way we can and to help restore people to a life of wholeness. This compassion is at work in Austin, TX, in Washington, DC, in Rome, in Germany, in Africa and around the world. And the miracle of the loaves and fishes continues today as we receive the funds and resources it takes to reach out and help those in need.

I am reminded of the recent Verizon commercials where customers have a large crowd of Verizon supporters standing behind them. Have you seen that one? Well, to me, that’s exactly how we are in the execution of our ministry – because standing behind us, though unseen, are Jesus, the saints, our colleagues and the Church, as we offer the hands of help and hope. I feel and believe in the“connectedness” of our work as Catholic Charities and Catholic ministries in the U.S. and in the world. For “we” are truly one ministry with one heart, one compassion, and one church. It all started with the compassion of Jesus more than 2,000 years ago and continues today. This Thanksgiving and this Christmas, draw upon that Christ-given compassion and make a difference for an individual or a family in need. I guarantee, like the loaves and fishes, there will indeed be enough to go around.