Readers Respond - May 17, 2014

Charities says thanks!
New Orleans

Pope Francis reminds us, “To love God and neighbor is not something abstract, but profoundly concrete: It means seeing in every person the face of the Lord to be served, to serve him concretely” (Pope Francis, address during his visit to the Dona Di Maria homeless shelter, May 21, 2013).

This has been a favorite quote of mine for some time now. As I witness the day-to-day ministry of our Catholic Charities staff in our many diverse programs, I know the hands of Jesus are hard at work in the real world. There should be no doubt that this work is made possible by the people of our archdiocese who have chosen to see the face of Jesus in those we serve and continually offer their prayers and support for the staff and clients of Catholic Charities.

This is evident in the outpouring of support we received in the Feb. 8-9 second collection for Catholic Charities. I cannot tell you how much of an impact this collection makes in our ability to serve those in need in our archdiocese. This year, through the advocacy of our pastors and by the generosity of parishioners, the second collection total exceeded our past collections!

We are still receiving incoming funds from parishes, too. When you include the efforts of our Catholic school students and faculty through “Show Your Heart Day” in February, we have been extraordinarily blessed by the participation in these important efforts.

I wish to express our sincere gratitude for the support of our local parishes in the second collection for Catholic Charities. Thank you for being a partner in service as we meet the real challenges of today’s ever-changing world. Thank you for seeing the face of Jesus in those in need and choosing to make a difference in their lives.

We continue to explore new ways we can better meet the needs of the people of our archdiocese. We are developing initiatives to ensure that hope, help and the services of Catholic Charities are readily accessible and available to our parishes. We could not do any of this without the involvement of the people of our archdiocese.

I am grateful for your continued prayers and support for the many services of Catholic Charities. Let us join together in praying for safety and protection during the approaching hurricane season. God bless you!

SISTER MARJORIE HEBERT, M.S.C.,
President and CEO
Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans