Catholic Charities Special Collection

 

KNXT Pastoral Message, May 2005

Bishop John T. Steinbock

 

My dear people of God,

 

One of the best kept secrets, sad to say, is the many works that our Catholic Charities is involved with up and down the Valley.  We have offices and services in Fresno, Laton, Bakersfield, Merced, Visalia, Porterville, and Farmersville, with extension services in many different parishes and areas.

 

We touch the lives of over 170,000 people each year, amongst them the poorest in our Valley.  We are involved not only with the distribution of food and clothing in our many offices, but we are also involved in direct help with emergency transportation, rent and utilities depending on need and while our financial resources last each month, as well as many other services.

 

We help people with immigration processing in Fresno and Merced, and will soon begin in Visalia and Porterville.  In Fresno, Merced, Kings and Madera Counties, we have a Senior Companion Program, helping elders with their needs in their homes, especially their nutrition and health needs.  Since this last year, we have helped in the resettlement of 547 Hmong here in the Central Valley.  In Laton we have a neighborhood Activity Center, which is involved with dental and health needs of the community, serving especially children and women, along with programs for alcohol and drug prevention, and child abuse prevention.  In Visalia we have a homeless shelter, housing up to ten families at any one time, while also serving over 3500 meals each month to the poor in the area.  In Bakersfield we have a community builder who goes to different poorer areas in the greater community to promote health and educational services.  In Fresno, Bakersfield and Merced we have a payee program to help some 900 men and women each year to receive and manage their money, which helps reduce the homelessness of persons who are disabled in many different ways.   On and on we could speak of the many services of our Catholic Charities for the poor and needy.

 

The core mission of Catholic Charities is to build communities of justice and love by carrying out the social mission of the Church.  I want to thank the staff and many volunteers of Catholic Charities who enable us to carry on this essential work of the Church in proclaiming the Good News of God’s love especially in reaching out to serve our neediest brothers and sisters in the valley.  I also thank the many volunteers in our many St. Vincent De Paul societies in so many of our parishes, which reach out to the poor and needy.

 

On Sunday, May 15^, we will have a special collection in our many parishes for the work of Catholic Charities throughout the Diocese.  I encourage our people who come to Mass on Sunday to be as generous as possible.  I also invite those who are watching this program and are not able to come to Church to send in a donation for Catholic Charities to help us serve the poor and needy, the most beloved of the Lord.  God bless you all.