Editor's Desk: Walk of Faith

By Michael F. Flach
Herald Editor
(From the issue of 12/4/03)

Those looking for ways to make an end-of-year tax donation should look no further than our own Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Arlington. Whether it’s placing foster children through Children’s Services, finding the right fit for the Car Donation Program, or serving the elderly at St. Martin de Porres Senior Center, Catholic Charities remains a vital cog in the Northern Virginia community. The agency last year served more than 30,000 people, many of whom found themselves in desperate situations.

"This year, we faced one of our most difficult challenges," said Steve Luteran, executive director of Catholic Charities. "We had an enormous budget deficit that required a suspension of some services and staff lay-offs. We came to realize more than ever how important you, our contributors, are. Your generous support has helped us get back on the road to recovery.

"The greatest need in the Church today is for ordinary men and women to rise up and give heroic witness to the Gospel," Luteran said. "We encourage you to join us in our walk of faith."

In his final message as outgoing executive director of Catholic Charities USA (the national office), Father J. Bryan Hehir said Catholics need to remind themselves that a basic premise of Church teaching is that society as a whole is responsible for the common good and that the major sectors of society have obligations in the face of people suffering in poverty.

"We must remember that the government’s responsibility to confront poverty is not limited to what it can do working in partnership with religious or private organizations," Father Hehir said. "The state has clear and independent duties to the welfare of individuals in our society."

Drastic cuts in state budgets have produced daunting challenges for local agencies, in part because Catholic Charities is committed to the principle that church and state should work collaboratively to meet the needs of the poor and vulnerable in society, Father Hehir said.

"During this slow and uneven economic recovery, the holiday season offers a vivid reminder that many of our fellow citizens are still lacking the most basic needs, notably food and affordable housing."

Catholic Charities’ clients come from diverse backgrounds, faiths, and ethnicities. As people in need they are served without regard to faith.

"What unites those we serve is that the challenges in their lives far exceed their resources," Father Hehir said. "They include low-income mothers who lack skills for the workplace, hard-working men who cannot afford a decent place to live, and countless others.

"But charity is only part of the solution. The other half of our mission addresses justice. We must speak to the institutional injustices that trap so many in cycles of poverty. We must speak to the policy decisions that are affected by the tax code, the budget deficit, and the role of the free market.

"These are extraordinary times, filled with exceptional challenges," he said. "And the needs of the poor among us remain, as do the essential themes of our work–service, advocacy, and convening the church around social issues and economic justice. That reality must carry us forward through this holiday season and all the ones to come."

The annual Catholic Charities Christmas Collection will be taken up at all diocesan parishes the weekend of Dec. 13-14. It is a main source of funding for the agency’s day-to-day operating expenses. Your continued generosity and support is greatly appreciated.— M.F.F.

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