Fr. Kammer Briefs Diocesan Charities Staff

By Michael F. Flach
HERALD Editor
(From the issue of 5/11/00)

ARLINGTON — Jesuit Father Fred Kammer, president of Catholic Charities USA, spends little time at his Alexandria office. He is constantly traveling across the country, meeting with local diocesan officials and volunteers and helping them spread the message about Catholic charitable agencies.

Father Kammer only had to travel a few miles last Friday when he met with an estimated 60 staff members from Catholic Charities of the Arlington Diocese at St. Agnes Parish Hall in Arlington. Father Chuck McCoart, executive director of Catholic Charities, and Peter Davis, president of the Board of Directors, were among those in attendance.

Catholic Charities USA, formerly the National Conference of Catholic Charities, was founded in 1910 to help advance and promote charitable programs of the Catholic community in the United States. It provides consultation, information and planning assistance to a network of more than 1,400 agencies and institutions.

Diocesan officials handle the bulk of charitable needs at the local level. The U.S. bishops charged the national office with responding to disasters such as floods, hurricanes and earthquakes in this country.

In addition to his national travels, Father Kammer represents North America before Caritas International, the international conference of Catholic Charities.

Father Kammer’s talk last week focused primarily on the question, "Why do Catholic Charities employees do what they do?"

The Scriptural connection for justice and charity actually goes back to the Old Testament, Father Kammer said. In the Jewish tradition the word "Anawim" meant "those who cry out for help."

"It was a matter of justice for the Jewish people to take care of widows, orphans and strangers," he said.

Jewish, Muslim and Christian scholars all agree that the tradition of justice, not charity, goes back to the Old Testament, Father Kammer said.

"The work you do has roots that go back 3,000 years," he said.

Healing was a dominant theme in Jesus’ ministry as well, Father Kammer said. Jesus helped restore sick people so they could return to full-life in the Jewish community.

The early Christian community had a justice problem, he said. The Greeks complained they were not getting enough of their share for widows and orphans. Deacons were appointed to make sure justice was being met.

Father Kammer then presented a quick sketch of charitable work through the centuries. In the 4^th century, when Christianity became accepted, Christians started to minister to others outside the community.

Health care and social services became institutionalized during the monastic tradition during the "Dark Ages." In the Middle Ages, religious communities established houses in cities to reach the poor, homeless and sick.

In the United States, six Ursuline Sisters from France opened the first Catholic orphanage, health care center and outreach to prostitutes in New Orleans. That tradition will be recognized in 2002 when Catholic healthcare and Catholic Charities officials gather in New Orleans to celebrate 275 years of combined service, Father Kammer said.

In 1969, a "cadre" of 16 Catholic Charities officials identified service, advocacy and convening as the main mission of Catholic Charities in the United States. "Those three words are now in almost every mission statement nationwide," Father Kammer said.

Despite unprecedented economic growth among large segments of society, there has been a 500 percent increase since 1981 in the number of people coming to Catholic Charities nationwide for food and shelter, Father Kammer said. In 1998, Catholic Charities served 9.8 million people with a budget of $2.2 billion.

Catholic Charities officials are proud of the fact that only 1 percent of the total budget is spent on fundraising and development. But Father Kammer is trying to get local agencies to expand this number.

"It is important for you to become ambassadors for Catholic Charities," he said. "Tell the story of your agency."

The Vision Statement written for Vision 2000 stresses empowerment as the "strategic direction," Father Kammer said.

"Catholic Charities is not a growth industry," he said. "We don’t want to be serving 20 million clients in five years.

"Remember the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd," Father Kammer said. ‘The Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. We have to put ourselves on the line everyday."

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