Is Catholic Charities Catholic?

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My sister recently revealed that she is pregnant to our family. She will be giving up the child for adoption. She wanted to go to counseling for depression. I suggested Catholic Charities (I had seen a flier in my parish). My sister has been fallen away from the Church for a good 10 years, so I figured what a better opportunity to show her how loving Catholics can be.

My sister came over today and asked me if the people who work at Catholic Charities are Catholic. Does anybody know if all of the people that work for Catholic Charities are Catholic?

After the initial questionnaire, my sister was told she needs to go to Alcoholics Anonymous. I asked her how this came about. She said they asked her how much she drinks and she said she hasn’t since she found out she was pregnant months ago, and before then a couple times a week. I really don’t think that not drinking for a few months that someone should be referred to AA.

I assumed that Catholic Charities would be a loving, friendly place for my sister to get help. She does have another appointment, but she’s not sure about it. She is going to get support for depression, not to be lectured on how to live life. I understand that there are changes people can make in their lives, and if someone is an alcoholic and/or depressed, giving up booze would be a good idea.

I guess I’m looking for some (name removed by moderator)ut on what to suggest, or maybe other people’s experiences with Cath Charities, or anything else you think of when you read this post.
 
brian24 said:
My sister recently revealed that she is pregnant to our family. She will be giving up the child for adoption. She wanted to go to counseling for depression. I suggested Catholic Charities (I had seen a flier in my parish). My sister has been fallen away from the Church for a good 10 years, so I figured what a better opportunity to show her how loving Catholics can be.

My sister came over today and asked me if the people who work at Catholic Charities are Catholic. Does anybody know if all of the people that work for Catholic Charities are Catholic?

After the initial questionnaire, my sister was told she needs to go to Alcoholics Anonymous. I asked her how this came about. She said they asked her how much she drinks and she said she hasn’t since she found out she was pregnant months ago, and before then a couple times a week. I really don’t think that not drinking for a few months that someone should be referred to AA.

I assumed that Catholic Charities would be a loving, friendly place for my sister to get help. She does have another appointment, but she’s not sure about it. She is going to get support for depression, not to be lectured on how to live life. I understand that there are changes people can make in their lives, and if someone is an alcoholic and/or depressed, giving up booze would be a good idea.

I guess I’m looking for some (name removed by moderator)ut on what to suggest, or maybe other people’s experiences with Cath Charities, or anything else you think of when you read this post.
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My daughter “placed” her child for adoption in a OPEN adoption. Your sister has three options with regard to adoption. Open, semi open and closed. As far as the AA goes, this is routine questions asked of any agency. They want to address any health issues that may come up later. My daughter was not lectured or told to go to AA. The maternity home she chose was Pentacostal, as I never heard back from any Catholic Adoption agencies, I contacted. The adoption agency was Christian and they were very up front about their rules and guidelines. My daughter was provided a social worker by the adoption agency. We met with her and are still in touch to this day. It is refreshing to hear that your sister realizes that she cannot parent her child and has chosen LIFE for this child and Quality of LIfe. You can help her by asking the questions at Catholic Charities and finding out some info for her. Yes, I can see how it is depressing for her, she is facing an emotional struggle…as long as she has you…she will be fine and this child will have LIFE, and a good one.
 
Yes, Catholic Charities is Catholic. Most people who work there are Catholic, but I don’t think it is a requirement.

My sister placed her child for adoption through Catholic Charities, and it was a very good experience.
 
I think what is being missed here is that the OP stated he referred his sister to Catholic Charities for depression, not for adoption. She is upset because they want her to attend AA and asked him if the people who work at Catholic Charities are Catholic. He is concerned that CC may not be the loving, supportive place he had hoped it would be and asks if we can help alleviate his concerns and share our experiences with CC. He does not mention that his sister has placed her child up for adoption through CC, although she may have, but that is not stated.

So, to answer your question, brian, I don’t have any experience with CC per se, but I have experiences with counselors, and no two are the same. Sometimes it takes a while to find one that one can be comfortable with. So I would not write off the organization, but instead try to find someone she would be comfortable with. As far as I have heard, Catholic Charities is a wonderful organization that helps many people, and I have friends that have been helped by them, but the people there are only human beings and can make mistakes or a counseling relationship may not work out because of personality conflicts. I would urge her to give it another try and perhaps voice her concerns to whoever she is assigned to. She should be honest and upfront about her concerns and her feelings about the referral to AA. Then, if things don’t work out, find another counseling agency. But Catholic Charities has an excellent reputation, at least in my area. I hope she finds the helps she needs.

One more thing: sometimes in counseling one will be challenged. Sometimes it can be rough. This is not a lack of compassion or support on the part of the counselor, but a necessary step to get a grip on reality, which can be distorted by the depression. One’s perceptions and ideas may need to change, and change is never easy. But it is necessary to make progress. People often resist suggestions of change, because it is scary. Good counselors are skilled at helping people through the changes, but they sometimes have to be tough.
 
I used to work for Catholic Charities in my city. About half of the people at the time were Catholic. The Executive Director wasn’t.
 
Not everyone who works at Catholic Charities is Catholic, although most of them should be familiar with Catholicism. In most agencies, the majority of people being served are not Catholic.

I don’t know how much you sister drank prior to becoming pregnant, but it may have been enough to trigger a concern on the counselor’s part. Since alcohol is a depressant, it could be a contributing factor to her depression. Additionally, if she is an alcoholic and is trying to quit “cold turkey” for the sake of the baby (which is admirable!), she may be experiencing withdrawal symptoms that contribute to depression.

I would encourage her to try a different counselor in the agency so that she finds one with whom she feels comfortable – but perhaps she should consider giving AA a try as well.
 
A good friend of mine worked for Catholic Charities for years. We’ve lost touch, maybe he still does. He’s not at all Catholic. By ethnic identity he’s Jewish, but in terms of faith he’s probably agnostic/atheist.
 
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