A NEW MOMENT ENVISIONING THE MINISTRY OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES 2017-2022A NEW MOMENT ENVISIONING THE MINISTRY OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES 2017-2022 Original Good Samartian icon commissioned by CCUSA and painted by Janet Jamie.TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword Most Reverend David A. Zubik, DD, Bishop of Pittsburgh, Episcopal Liaison, Catholic Charities USA Preface Sister Donna Markham OP, PhD, President & CEO, Catholic Charities USA A New Moment: Envisioning the Ministry of Catholic Charities 2017-2022 Catholic Charities Strategic Priorities Catholic Charities: A Ministry of Love and Mercy v vi 1 6 8FOREWORD For over 100 years, Catholic Charities USA has been reaching out to and offering a helping hand to people in immediate need. A place to stay, a warm coat, something to eat, a listen- ing ear—all this continues to be a genuine and consistent commitment of Catholic Charities. At the same time, Catholic Charities advocates for changes needed in government systems so that just solutions to poverty may be formed. The dual obligation of service and advocacy remain central to the ministry of Catholic Charities. As an expression of the compassion and tenderness of God, our agencies strive to meet the critical needs of their local communities. In the Year of Mercy, I applaud Catholic Charities in its efforts to continue to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as together we forge forward toward the future. Most Reverend David A. Zubik Bishop of Pittsburgh Episcopal Liaison, Catholic Charities USA vPREFACE As we continue our participation in the unfolding story of the ministry of Catholic Charities in the United States during this Year of Mercy, we take to heart anew the commitment to love our neighbors who struggle as they live under the weight of poverty in this rich nation. Catholic Charities’ commitment was first articulated in the Charter of 1910, expanded upon in the Cadre Report, and deepened in Vision 2000. Now we share a new “chapter” in this important work of our church as we continue to respond to the needs of people who are vulnerable. In the midst of these fractious times that mark the latter part of this decade, we have been profoundly moved by the words of Pope Benedict XVI who implores us to be organizers of love and by Pope Francis who challenges us to be salt, leaven and light providing a beacon of hope to those in need. We take to heart this mandate to love and to serve as we commit ourselves in this moment to minister tirelessly on behalf of those who are most vulnerable. To that end, the ministry of Catholic Charities across the United States has been engaged in a process of identifying our national strategic priorities for the next five years and artic- ulating our vision for the future. This year-long process has been grounded in study, prayer and theological reflection as it incorporates the journeys in faith of diocesan directors of Catholic Charities agencies, national office colleagues, members of our Boards of Directors and many others engaged in the ministry of charity, mercy and compassion who accompa- ny us in this sacred work. Central to this process has been reflection and faith sharing on the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:30). This powerful story of compassion beyond bound and openness to human suffering regardless of culture, touched us and impelled us to scrutinize how we are charged in this moment to care for our sisters and brothers who “lay half dead along the roadside” of social disdain. viIn the pages that follow, we share with you some thoughts on this gospel passage as it relates to our ministry today. We invite you to join us in continued prayer and reflection as we continue to ponder this scripture story and probe how it invites us to respond to those who are suffering in our midst. Our vision for Catholic Charities takes shape and form from the impetus of this scripture passage and from the encyclicals and messages of our two most recent Holy Fathers. Of course, no vision is complete unless it carries with it a sense of how we will strive to enflesh it. Consequently, with the able assistance of Nygren Consulting, diocesan directors and national office staff engaged in a process of identifying the most critical needs of poor and vulnerable persons at this moment in time and began to explore the actions we will take to address these needs. The seven national strategic priorities identified assist us in focusing our ministry and communicating our collective story as the tangible face of mercy in the Catholic Church in this country. Specific goals, objectives, and timelines pertinent to local needs of each agencies are being developed. While the vision is compelling and the strategic priorities daunting, we believe that along with 70,000 committed employees and more than 200,000 dedicated volunteers and benefactors, we will be agents of mercy and compassion, easing the suffering of our sisters and brothers in need in these unsettled times. We are deeply grateful for the support of our bishops throughout the country who stand with us and work alongside us in this sacred undertaking of Caritas in our domestic church and thankful to each person who extends themselves in kindness and generosity to those most in need. Sister Donna Markham OP, PhD President & CEO Catholic Charities USA viiAs Catholic Charities, we labor in the streets inviting and serving those who have been left out to know and experience the tremendous and abundant love of God through Jesus Christ. We commit ourselves to break down walls of division that keep sisters and brothers separated from one another, excluded, or rendered disposable by our society. With joy, we resolve to build bridges of hope, mercy and justice toward the creation of a culture of communal care responsive to the cries of those who are poor.A NEW MOMENT ENVISIONING THE MINISTRY OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES 2017-2022 OUR CURRENT MOMENT The Spirit once again is stirring in our hearts and in the world. We are moved by Pope Francis’ visit to the United States in September 2015 and his continual invitation to us to promote a “culture of care” i and compassion throughout our world. Especially attentive to the cries of the poor as they emerge from the cry of the earth, his encyclical Laudato Si’ echoes themes of his message to our Annual Gathering in Charlotte, NC on October 8, 2014: We are all connected to one another and we encounter the face of God through the people whose lives we touch. Indeed, this is a new moment as the Spirit stirs our hearts to enter ever more deeply into the venues of suffering in our interconnected world.ii Pope Francis’ visit to the United States and the United Nations heralded a new moment of the Spirit at work among and through us all. Calling for renewed vigor in reading of the signs of the times through his vision of the Church as a field hospital, Pope Francis’ witness of encounter and accompaniment with the marginalized and vulnerable was palpable as he visited Catholic Charities agencies in Washington DC and East Harlem, NY. His clarion call connecting “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor”iii and his impassioned message to Catholic Charities gathered in Charlotte galvanized us to continue to work tirelessly on behalf of those “excluded” and “disposable.” His challenge to “be in the streets” with those who are suffering and to enter into an encounter that opens the way for others “to know and experience the tremendous and abundant love of God through Jesus Christ” reverber- ates deeply within us. He called us to break down walls of division and open our hearts to embrace all who have been relegated to the margins of society. A New Moment: Envisioning the Ministry of Catholic Charities | 1Next >