Catholic Relief & Charity

Members of new advisory council urged to make groups’ voices heard
Apr 08 2009
WASHINGTON – The Obama administration told members of a new President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and other guests April 6 that it wants the government to aggressively encourage participation by faith-based and community organizations in advisory and hands-on capacities.

Speakers suggest ways to join pro-life, social justice efforts
Feb 27 2009
WASHINGTON – At a Feb. 25 workshop during the annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington, speakers asked for a show of hands from those who worked in pro-life ministries for their diocese or parish. A majority of workshop participants raised their hands.

Cardinal George pledges bishops’ support to social justice ministers
Feb 24 2009
WASHINGTON – Saying that the church’s social mission can ease the suffering of the poor and voiceless, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops pledged the full support of the U.S. bishops to the hundreds of people working in social ministry across the country.

Catholics focus on Lent as time of reconciliation and renewal
Feb 13 2009
At St. John’s Catholic Prep School, students star in a film with a modern-day take on Lenten sacrifice. Simon, the top earner at a financial company, sacrifices his job so a co-worker with five children can keep his in the film, shot at the Frederick school.

USCCB, CRS seek 1 million Catholics for global poverty initiative
Feb 12 2009
WASHINGTON – Catholics across a broad spectrum of the church are being mobilized in a renewed effort to fight global poverty.

Pope says fasting in Lent opens hearts to God, hands to the poor
Feb 03 2009
VATICAN CITY – Fasting from food and detaching oneself from material goods during Lent help believers open their hearts to God and open their hands to the poor, Pope Benedict XVI said.

Catholic coalition to unveil ‘St. Francis Pledge’ on climate change
Jan 25 2009
WASHINGTON – During the Easter season, the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change plans to publicly unveil a “Catholic Climate Covenant,” a new initiative to make U.S. Catholics more aware of what they can do to stem climate change and its effects.

Drew DeCoursey, author of book on defense of life, dies at 74
Jan 13 2009
CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J. – A funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 7 at Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Church in Cedar Knolls for Andrew “Drew” DeCoursey, who died Jan. 2. He was 74 and had been fighting prostate cancer since 1989.

Church agencies try to help as unemployed Americans search for work
Dec 14 2008
WASHINGTON – More Americans are losing jobs, and Catholic agencies are trying their best to tide them over until they find new work.

Pope’s busy year highlights three themes: St. Paul, Bible, U.S. trip
Dec 12 2008
VATICAN CITY – For Pope Benedict XVI, 2008 was the year of St. Paul, the year of the Bible and the year of the United States.

Report lauds Bush’s faith-based ventures, seeks reforms from Obama
Dec 12 2008
WASHINGTON – The incoming Obama administration is being handed a report that recommends it embrace the outgoing Bush administration’s partnerships with faith-based organizations, but with some reforms.

Congolese bishops call on U.S. for support
Dec 09 2008
In an effort to quell violence and bring humanitarian aid to thousands of displaced people, two Congolese bishops called on the United Nations, the United States and other Western powers to strengthen international peacekeeping forces in their war-ravaged country.

Grandmom coach keeps giving back
Dec 04 2008
Mary D’Ambrogi no longer draws double-takes when she works a sideline at a sports event.

Study: Overseas aid needed to keep poor from falling further behind
Nov 26 2008
WASHINGTON – Officials from a variety of nongovernmental organizations have urged the United States to continue overseas development assistance despite the current global financial crisis.

CCHD had cut funds to ACORN before campaign
Nov 12 2008
BALTIMORE – The Catholic Campaign for Human Development cut off funding earlier this year to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, known as ACORN, for reasons unrelated to the organization’s current troubles over voter registration and partisan politics, reported the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ subcommittee on CCHD.