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catholicnewsherald.com | May 10, 2013 FROM THE COVER
Dr. Gerard Carter
New name reflects nod to history, renewed emphasis on charity
I
t is my great pleasure to announce an important transition which will take place next week in the diocesan-wide charitable ministry of Catholic Social Services. After almost two years of discussions, with affirmation by the agency Board of Directors, and permission of Bishop Peter J. Jugis, we will be renamed as Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte on May 17. When we began the process of considering a name change, we were guided by the writings of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the critical importance of Christian charity in the life of the Church from the time of Our Savior through to the present day. The theme for this name change – “Renewing Our Roots in Charity” – reflects our desire to connect this ministry even more closely with the biblical foundations of charity and the tremendous history of response to the needs of the poor and the marginalized through the ministrations of the Church. As we are so powerfully reminded by our pope emeritus in his encyclical “Deus Caritas Est” (“God is Love”) and letter “On the Service of Charity,” as individuals and as Church we are called by our faith to live out charity toward our neighbors in need. This call to charity is amply depicted in the Scriptures, especially through the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Last Judgment. In caring for the unknown neighbor in need, the Good Samaritan reflects the selfless love of God to which we are called to imitate. The centrality of our love of neighbor is also made clear through Jesus’ parable of the Last Judgment in which our love and care of others is intimately connected to our love of God: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me…” (Matthew 25:31-46). Our organized work of charity expresses a fundamental nature of the Church. Again, as our pope emeritus wrote: “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” ... (T)he exercise of charity is an action of the Church as such, and that, like the ministry of Word and Sacrament, it too has been an essential part of her mission from the very beginning.” Therefore, to be called Catholic Charities better translates to the indispensable work we do to share the love of Christ with our neighbors in need through one of the three essential parts of the Church’s mission. The logo design shares the basic format used by most Catholic Charities agencies across the nation and incorporates the sacrifice of the Cross in our work of the Church’s charitable ministry. The choice of the color blue for the logo dedicates our work to the Blessed Mother and May was chosen for the roll-out date to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the creation of the agency (May 17, 1973) by Bishop Michael J. Begley and the month of Mary. Rather than breaking with the past, this name change heavily connects this diocesan ministry with its history, the history of the Church’s outreach to the poor and the vulnerable, and as a next step in re-energizing our efforts to meet the challenges of the future. This transition renews our roots in charity with an exciting future of service. Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions. I can be reached via email (gacarter@charlottediocese.org), office phone (704-370-3250) or at our administrative office at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. As we renew our roots in charity, we ask that you remember our work in your prayers so that everything we do may be pleasing to God and in service of Him. Dr. Gerard Carter is the executive director of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte.
Photo provided by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte
Then-Father Michael J. Begley was instrumental in organizing the Bureau of Catholic Charities in 1948. As the new diocese’s first bishop, Bishop Begley incorporated Catholic Social Services on May 17, 1973.
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Renewing roots in charity
n May 17, Catholic Social Services unveils its new name and logo, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte – affirming its long-standing mission of charity, service and justice and rededicating itself to providing help to those in need, hope to those in despair, and inspiration for others to follow. For decades the Church in western North Carolina has been committed to strengthening families, building communities and reducing poverty under various ministries including the most recent entity, Catholic Social Services. With this new name, the ministry honors that history and renews its roots in charity, following Jesus’ call to love and serve one another. Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte continues to offer a variety of services to people in need regardless of their religious, social or economic backgrounds: adoption and pregnancy support, counseling, family outreach, refugee resettlement, immigration services, natural family planning, food pantries, teen parenting support, economic development, disaster relief, pro-life ministry, social concerns education and advocacy, and more. The following pages showcase the work of the people of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte. We hope it inspires you to open your heart and lend a hand.
“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…” — Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, “Deus Caritas Est,” 25a
Learn more about Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte www.ccdoc.org
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