For over 37 million Americans, there is a thin line: between eviction and home, between hunger and health, between unemployment and work, between anxiety and stability. This line is the Poverty Line.
A New Life Issues Module for JustFaith created by the Diocese of Phoenix covers abortion, euthansia and the death penalty. This three week course can be used in conjuction with JustFaith or as a discussion program for other groups in your parish.
CCHD Commited to Life and DIgnity of the Human Person
At the most recent Parish Social Ministry Gathering in Washington, D.C., the CCHD confirmed its commitment to upholding the Church's moral and social teachings..
Catholic Campaign for Human Development Approves $300,000 in Grants for Assisting Those Affected by Gulf Oil Spill
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-The Catholic Campaign for Human Development approved grants up to $300,000 to assist people and dioceses affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Meeting June 12, the Subcommittee for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development approved these funds outside of the regular funding cycle of the Campaign in order to help low-income people and vulnerable communities impacted by the oil spill to have an effective voice in shaping the response to this terrible challenge.
"This tragic oil spill has grave human, environmental and economic costs," said Bishop Roger Morin of Biloxi, Mississippi, Chairman of the subcommittee. "As a Church, we mourn the loss of life. We pray for those whose livelihoods are in jeopardy. Through these grants, the Church also offers concrete support to the work that must be done to help these communities help themselves. It's a powerful sign of the essential mission of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development."
The groups who receive the grants will use the funds to provide a voice for the fishermen and communities affected by the spill, coordinate with communities and emergency responders to document the damage, as well as insist on work to restore the damaged wetlands.
Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans said, "The people of the Archdiocese of New Orleans are grateful for the generosity of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. By providing our fishing communities with funds to support their efforts to recover, the CCHD has enabled the Catholic Church to continue to be a sign of Christ's compassion and hope to the fishing communities. This gift is indeed generous and will be used to provide hope and stability for these hard-working families affected by the disastrous oil spill."
These grants reflect the teaching of the Catholic Church, which calls for responsible stewardship of the environment and protection of the poor and vulnerable, who are often most affected by environmental harm.
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is the domestic anti-poverty, social justice program of the U.S. Catholic bishops. Its mission is to address the root causes of poverty in America through promotion and support of community-controlled, self-help organizations and through transformative education.
Founded in 1969, CCHD's pastoral strategy is empowerment of the poor through a methodology of participation and education for justice, leading toward solidarity between poor and non-poor as impelled by the Church's biblical tradition, modern Catholic social teaching, and the pervasive presence of poverty in the United States. This ministry for justice is rooted in our baptism and faith commitment.
The grants, economic development, and education for justice programs of the Campaign, implemented in collaboration with local dioceses, are supported from an annual collection in U.S. Catholic parishes. For parish resources to promote the annual collection visit www.usccb.org/cchd.
Thanks to the generosity of parishioners and the energetic support of pastors and their teams, the Diocese of Phoenix has sent more than $2 million to the national CCHD campaign over the past decades. In return, we have received an estimated $2 million to fund more than 70 projects, ranging from housing and just wages to health care and education.
