When a person needs assistance from Catholic Charities, it's
usually one of the more difficult periods of their life, said Art Bennett,
president and CEO of diocesan Catholic Charities. They could be facing
homelessness, illness, unemployment, an unexpected pregnancy or the challenges
of living in a new country. Catholic Charities staff encourages clients to see
their difficulties as a chance for growth.
“We only talk to people who have big problems, so we want to show
them the opportunity this presents, and also to give them hope and support,”
said Bennett. He’s fostered that mindset among the employees and volunteers of
the organization too, which has helped them push through obstacles and serve
even more people in need throughout the diocese. Now, after 10 years at the
helm, Bennett is retiring. His replacement, Stephen Carattini, will take over
Jan. 4.
Diocesan Catholic Charities serves the community in many ways,
including providing food for the hungry through the St. Lucy Project, running
two free medical clinics, providing adoption services, transitional housing,
mental health counseling, emergency financial assistance, a prison ministry,
workforce development, and immigration and refugee services.
Before coming to Catholic Charities, Bennett, a parishioner of
Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria, founded the Alpha Omega Clinic, which
offers mental health services from a Catholic perspective at locations around
the Washington area. Some of the Catholic Charities programs such as immigrant
and refugees services were relatively unfamiliar to Bennett. “But they seemed
exciting so I gave it a shot,” he said.
Over his tenure, Catholic Charities has evolved from 100
employees and 1,000 volunteers to 130 employees and 4,000 volunteers. They’ve
gone from having one counselor in a parish to 18 counselors in 18 parishes.
He’s most grateful for the growth of the St. Lucy Project and the Mother of
Mercy Free Medical Clinics.
At its start, the effort to feed the hungry centered around the
food stored in the basement of Christ House in Alexandria, said Bennett. Now,
the St. Lucy Project has a warehouse in Manassas, three food pantries and
partnerships with several more pantries to serve the seven cities and 21
counties that make up the diocese.
The creation of the Manassas Mother of Mercy Clinic began when
members of the BVM Foundation, a trust formed by local Catholics, purchased the
office space where a recently closed abortion clinic operated, then offered the
location to Catholic Charities. “Mother of Mercy is one of the most radical
transformations I’ve seen,” said Bennett. “From an abortion clinic to a free
clinic that primarily (serves) immigrants.” A second clinic in Woodbridge
opened this year.
Bennett has been incredibly impressed by how much time and money
people give to Catholic Charities, and the support shown by Bishop Michael F.
Burbidge and Bishop Emeritus Paul S. Loverde. He sees it as a manifestation of
their love for God. “The faith really comes down to love and service. (If) you
have deep love, you’ll want to show that through serving others. People get
that,” he said. “(Care for the poor) is not an add-on. Christ always stopped to
help the poor. He went from town to town to hang out with the poor. It's the core
message of the Christian faith.”
In his retirement, Bennett plans on doing marriage therapy again,
spending time with his grandchildren and helping Catholic Charities in any way
he can. It’s been a rewarding 10 years, he said. “This has been the best job of
my life by far.”