Social and Global Missions of the Church with Special Emphasis on Immigration Deacon Continuing Education Saturday, February 3, 2018 St. Aloysius Catholic Church
Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte Mission Statement We are a Christian ministry of charity, service and justice dedicated to providing help to those in need, hope to those in despair, and inspiration for others to follow. Through the work we do we are a Pro-Life, Pro-Charity and Pro-Justice Organization! It is what makes us Catholic! Learn more at www.ccdoc.org
Map of Diocese of Charlotte and Locations of Catholic Charities
Overview of the programs of Catholic Charities Program Summary Pamphlet - Handout
How Can the Deacon Community Support Catholic Charities? Seek to understand the message of Deus Caritas Est Advocate for Catholic Charities Visit or tour Catholic Charities sites Educate yourself about CCDOC programs and services Mention Catholic Charities in your homilies Promote Catholic Charities events and programs Attend Catholic Charity events and programs Facilitate parish-based fundraisers and drives Ask us for assistance and guidance when needed Invite Catholic Charities to host educational events Consider donations to Catholic Charities
Catholic Social Teaching The Church’s social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society.
Catechism of the Church Catholic Social Teachings 7 Themes of CST (USCCB) Handout Rights and Responsibilities Dignity of Work & Rights of Workers Life & Dignity of the Human Person Option for the Poor Call to Family, Community, & Participation Care of God’s Creation Solidarity Catechism of the Church Laborem Exercens Catholic Social Teachings The Challenge of Peace Faihful Citizenship Economic Justice for All Humanae Vitae Catechism of the Church Evangelicum Vitae Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Mater et Magistra Deus Caritas Est Centesimus Annus Rooted In Scripture Rerum Novarum Pacem et Terris Deuteronomy Leviticus Matthew Mark Genesis Luke John Paul Isaiah Acts Psalms Sirach Jeremiah
Good Resource – Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church The body of the Church’s social teaching (i.e the trunk of our CST Tree) taken in its entirety is known as the “Social Doctrine of the Church.” Good Resource – Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church For simplification purposes, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has presented this body of teaching through seven key themes.
We Implement the Social Teachings of the Church through Social Ministry
The Message of Catholic Social Teaching “The central message is simple: our faith is profoundly social. We cannot be called truly “Catholic” unless we hear and heed the Church's call to serve those in need [charity] and work for justice and peace.” (from Communities of Salt and Light, U.S. Bishops, 1993)
“Two Feet” of the Church’s Social Ministry - HANDOUT Both feet are needed to stand up, maintain balance and move forward. Example of the two feet of social ministry: We must feed the hungry now and also work to end hunger in our world. Meet present needs Work to solve problems Charity or Direct Service Justice or Social Change Parable of the Good Samaritan Story of Exodus
Two Feet Image of Social Ministry applied to the work of the Church on behalf of the Immigrant
In summary… Charity responds to immediate needs. It addresses the negative effects (hunger, lack of shelter, need for warmth, burial of the dead). Justice responds to the structures or institutions that cause the negative effects. Working for justice seeks to address effects at their source. In our Social Ministry we the Church, the People of God, must Do Charity and Work for Justice
Respect for Life as Foundation of CST The primary foundation for all of Catholic Social Teaching is from the Book of Genesis… Every person is made in the image and likeness of God and therefore is worthy of dignity and respect. The respect for Human Life and Dignity is the key foundation of Catholic Social Teaching
Evangelium Vitae – The Gospel of Life (St. John Paul, 1995) What is the “Gospel of Life”? The Gospel of Life is the central Christian doctrine of the value and sacredness of human life from conception to natural death. “The Gospel of Life is at the heart of Jesus’ message,” wrote Pope John Paul II in his 1995 encyclical “Evangelium Vitae” (“The Gospel of Life”). He added that the “Gospel of God’s love for man, the Gospel of the dignity of the person and the Gospel of life are a single and indivisible Gospel.” The Gospel of Life is a Consistent Ethic of Life
Respect Life Program Calendar of Events/Campaigns October – Respect Life Month (USCCB parish mailing) Marches for Life in January (sharing news and logistics) Annual Day of Prayer and Awareness of Human Trafficking Victims – February 8 Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats (March 9-11, June*, October 26-28) Respect Life Conference (next conference is on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018 at Bishop McGuinness Catholic School in Kernersville) Respect Life Essay Contest
2018 Diocese of Charlotte Respect Life Booklet, produced by Catholic Charities Respect Life Program, is now available. HANDOUT Respect Life Events Year Round. The Catholic Charities Respect Life Program gladly accepts invitations to speak at diocesan parishes, schools and Campus Ministries.
Deus Caritas Est The Church cannot neglect the service of charity any more than she can neglect the Sacraments and the Word (n. 22). The Church’s deepest nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility: -proclaiming the Word of God -celebrating the sacraments -exercising the ministry of charity These duties presuppose each other and are inseparable. For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being (n. 25)
Deus Caritas Est states that there needs to be an organized response to the Church’s Social Mission Love of neighbor, grounded in the love of God, is first and foremost a responsibility for each individual member of the faithful, but it is also a responsibility for the entire ecclesial community at every level: from the local community to the particular Church and to the Church universal in its entirety. As a community, the Church must practice love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community. (Deus Caritas Est, no. 20)
Prayer for Charity and Justice Almighty and eternal God, may your grace enkindle in all persons a love of the many unfortunate people whom poverty and misery reduce to a condition of life unworthy of human beings. Arouse in the hearts of those who call you God a hunger and thirst for social justice and for fraternal charity in deeds and in truth. Grant, O Lord, peace in our days, peace to souls, peace to our community and peace among nations. Amen. (Pope Pius XII)