Catholic Churches helping poor

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tayloresque

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Hi everyone,

I was talking with my MIL, who’s so anti-Catholic, about churches in general. She said that she doesn’t hear of any churches, other than her own Baptist church, out in the community helping the poor. I told her that there are Catholic churches all over the world helping the poor and that there are even some Catholic hospitals dedicated to helping people (I think somehwere in Asia). I know there are Catholic Charities, St. Vincent De Paul, Loaves and Fishes (not sure if that’s Catholic). I was wondering if ya’ll can help me out and tell me some more places or church programs.

Thank you and God Bless!
 
I’d just pick up your parish bulletin and see what all is listed in there!
Or contact the parish office and share your story! I’m sure they’d love to evangelize in this way… showing that our Catholic Faith is charitable in our local communities! 🙂
 
Our parish actually started a soup kitchen that feeds a hot meal to 300-400 people daily, as well as passing out clothing, and hygiene products to the homeless. They also do emergency food boxes twice a month and pass out over 1000 complete turkey dinners the day before Thanksgiving every year. They provide haircuts, hot showers, and bus vouchers for anyone who has a job interview. They also have live Christian music each evening.

On top of that, here in the Phoenix area, we have St. Mary’s Food Bank, and our St. Vincent de Paul also has a soup kitchen.

It is also worth mentioning the CDA that each diocese has each year to raise money that is often used to help the poor. Here in the Phoenix area, we use much of that money to help the Native Americans on the reservations have a better life.
 
The Catholic church give lots of money to help the poor. Caritas is one of the largest aid organizations in the world and it is a Catholic charity. Almost all major cities in the country have several Catholic hospitals. They will usually take people regardless of their ability to pay. Catholic Charities is one of the largest US organizations for giving money to the poor in the US and Catholic Relief Services is one of the largest US organizations for giving internationally. Many large cities also have soup kitchens run by Catholic churches.

Most Knights of Columbus groups have poor outreaches. The one I am a member of runs a Share program which specializes in low cost meals for the poor.

Most dioceses have Capital Campaigns that give a large portion of the money to programs for the poor.

All you have to do is ask her for proof. Just compare the numbers at her church to your diocese and I am betting there is a huge difference in favor of the Catholic church.
 
It isn’t just Catholic Charities… it IS individual parishes too… and diocese level giving as well…

Here are some examples in my own life:
my kids were allowed to go to parish schools on grants when I couldn’t afford it…

my parish gave me vouchers for groceries at a local store… they keep them in the office for such occasions…

my boss is constantly being asked by our parish to help with money, jobs and homes for the hispanic’s in our area. He has homes that he lets them use rent free for a while and jobs on his farms, and he has even given money for things they need… not to mention him giving the start-up money for a brand new Catholic High School…

Catholic Charities provides all kinds of services based on income… from counseling to daycare so single moms or anyone in need can get help.

In our diocese we have all kinds of programs that we support to help anyone in need… clothes, food, shelter, counseling… you name it!
 
tayloresque said:
She said that she doesn’t hear of any churches, other than her own Baptist church, out in the community helping the poor.
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The first thing you could say is:
Matthew 6
[1] "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
[2] "Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
[3] But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
[4] so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
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But this might be a stretch. There are just so many charitable arms of the Catholic Church, and the ones that are run by religous are more impreessive since they take a vow of poverty and focus most of their time in helping the community. I have a friend in the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and they do a lot of work in the poor communities.
 
RANT ALERT: Before I launch into things individual Catholic parishes do to serve the poor, I must give correct information. At least the program I use and endore, [SHARE (http://www.sharewi.org/), is not “low cost meals for the poor”. Rather, it is a food purchase club that was founded by Catholics to provide a purchase point for low-cost, quality food, as well to encourage volunteerism. It has taken off so that most states have at least one SHARE point in within their boundaries, sometimes at Catholic parishes, sometimes at other ecclesial communities, sometimes at neighborhood points. Anybody can use SHARE. There are no income qualifications. Marauder might be talking about another program, but there are misconceptions about my SHARE program. One of them is that it is only for the “poor” or “disadvantaged”. If more middle-class families would use SHARE when offered in their area, it would keep the program going for those who are less economically advantaged, while saving those middle-class families $$. And the food is FABULOUS. This month, a traditional pack included chicken thighs (big, meaty ones!), shrimp alfredo, Italian sausage, sallisbury steaks, raw chicken tenders, Virginia ham, spaghetti sauce, pasta, fresh fruit and veggies, and a special item with each traditional package (could be a canned good, could be a pack of frozen food, could be a dessert item). All that for $18. RANT OVER.

OK, in the Diocese of Rockford, this is what individual parishes are doing:
  • Running quality schools, which non-Catholics may attend. These school frequently have tuition assistance.
  • A parish in Rockford runs a crisis pregnancy center.
  • Another parish runs a women’s shelter. They even bought a house in which to run it, complete with all the appliances.
  • Parishes take turns at the community homeless shelter/ food kitchen- which was founded by Catholics.
  • The bishop has mandated that each parish found a chapter of St. Vincent dePaul.
  • Every parish has its own “rainy day” or “emergency” fund for those who knock on the rectory door and ask for assistance- no matter who they are.
  • Six parishes come to mind that run their own clothes’ closets, where people can go in, pick out clothes that fit them, and take them- no charge.
  • Parish tutoring outreach for public and parochial students.
    Perhaps your MIL has not seen Catholics doing this because she has not left the confines of her Baptist church to look. :rolleyes:
 
Thank you all so much for your responses! I knew that Catholic churches around the world do a whole lot to help those less fortunate. However, I just didn’t know the specifics. Again, thank you very much!
 
tayloresque said:
Hi everyone,

I was talking with my MIL, who’s so anti-Catholic, about churches in general. She said that she doesn’t hear of any churches, other than her own Baptist church, out in the community helping the poor. I told her that there are Catholic churches all over the world helping the poor and that there are even some Catholic hospitals dedicated to helping people (I think somehwere in Asia). I know there are Catholic Charities, St. Vincent De Paul, Loaves and Fishes (not sure if that’s Catholic). I was wondering if ya’ll can help me out and tell me some more places or church programs.

Thank you and God Bless!
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My parish participates in “Inn from the Cold” for homeless people. A lot of different churches do. I am surprised your MIL doesn’t know what great Catholic charities there are. I always thought the church was well known for this… even before I converted.
 
OutinChgoburbs said:
RANT ALERT: …*Marauder might be talking about another program, *
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I know exactly what Share is and isn’t. A complete definition of what Share is wasn’t within the scope of this thread. Share IS an outreach to the poor. The fact that low and middle income people can use it and partake of it doesn’t negate that aspect of the program. Before going on with a rant, you can a) clarify the section you have a problem with or b) ask the person that posted it to clarify the section.

If you noticed my original phrasing “specializes in low cost food for the poor”. Does that mean that that is the only thing that Share is or supports? No. There are many aspects to the program. The same thing can be said about any program. If I said Catholic Charities helps the poor, is that the only thing Catholic Charities does? No.

Relax, take a breather.
 
Catholic Charities is funded primarily by the government. That is why they’ve been required to pay for employee contraception and offer adoption services to gay couples. I don’t think it’s the best example of actual Christian charity.
 
ArdenB said:
Catholic Charities is funded primarily by the government. That is why they’ve been required to pay for employee contraception and offer adoption services to gay couples. I don’t think it’s the best example of actual Christian charity.
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Actually government funding is only a portion of what Catholic Charities receives. You can see their annual report here:
catholiccharitiesusa.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?id=576

or here for a third party review of their numbers:
charityreports.bbb.org/public/Report.aspx?CharityID=1049

It is only a few local branches of Catholic Charities groups that have done this, and the only ones that have are doing it with permission of their local Bishop. Some Bishops where this went to court have decided it is OK to let gay couples adopt through a third party. Other Bishops decided that they were taking their local Catholic Charities out of the adoption buisness.

This is something that Catholic Charities is still fighting in court, the idea that a charity just because it receives money from the government HAS to provide things that go against their ideals.

I know that a lot of dioceses/parishes give money to them.
 
Sina said:
My parish participates in “Inn from the Cold” for homeless people. A lot of different churches do. I am surprised your MIL doesn’t know what great Catholic charities there are. I always thought the church was well known for this… even before I converted.
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Well, my MIL is very anti-Catholic. Whatever the Catholic Church says or believes, she believes the opposite; even if it’s something that’s not true. She doesn’t agree simply because the Catholic Church says it. It is sad though because she’s 79 and harbors this hatred toward the Catholic Church because all her life, she went to a Baptist Church where the preacher preached on the evilness of Catholicism. She’s trying to “save” me. My in-laws are all like that. My SIL (the only one of my in-laws) went to my DH’s Baptism (RCIA) at our parish. When the priest was doing the Holy Water among the congregation, my SIL ducked - yep, she literally ducked - trying to avoid any sprinkling of the Holy Water touching her. But alas, she got a drop of water and guess what…it didn’t burn like she thought it would. 🤷
 
Marauder said:
Actually government funding is only a portion of what Catholic Charities receives. You can see their annual report here:
catholiccharitiesusa.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?id=576

or here for a third party review of their numbers:
charityreports.bbb.org/public/Report.aspx?CharityID=1049

It is only a few local branches of Catholic Charities groups that have done this, and the only ones that have are doing it with permission of their local Bishop. Some Bishops where this went to court have decided it is OK to let gay couples adopt through a third party. Other Bishops decided that they were taking their local Catholic Charities out of the adoption buisness.

This is something that Catholic Charities is still fighting in court, the idea that a charity just because it receives money from the government HAS to provide things that go against their ideals.

I know that a lot of dioceses/parishes give money to them.
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The fact that they’ve received government money means they don’t have much of an argument against following the government’s rules. IMO they’re too involved in receiving and advocating government spending to be considered a private charity. Instead of using all their resources to help people out directly they lobby for government grants and advocate for socialist programs.
 
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