What are the Chapters and Clubs of Catholic Relief Services?

Catholic Relief Services Chapters and Clubs are communities of people who are working to transform the world. Each year, thousands of people participate in CRS campaigns to eradicate global poverty and injustice. 

These advocates also engage their communities in advocacy and community giving to make a difference. As CRS notes, “The world’s problems are big and complex, but when we come together in faith and action our impact knows no bounds.”

Next week, CRS is offering people an opportunity to learn how they can join a CRS Chapter or Club. It is just one way to support our sisters and brothers around the world who are experiencing hunger, poverty, and other vulnerabilities. On either Tuesday, April 26, or Wednesday, April 27, you can see what CRS Chapters and Clubs are and how you can make a difference. 

Here is the link to register for either one of the two, hour-long sessions: 

• Tuesday, April 26, at 8 p.m. 
• Wednesday, April 27, at 4 p.m.

January is Poverty Awareness Month

During Poverty Awareness Month, join the U.S. Bishops, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and the Catholic community in the United States in taking up Pope Francis' challenge to live in solidarity with the poor. How do we do this? One way is to use this poverty awareness calendar and contemplate the daily reflections. Another is to join the advocacy network of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office of Government Relations to let our elected leaders hear the voice of the Catholic community in the United States.

We will have more suggestions in the coming days, but these links provide a good starting point.




"I want a Church which is poor and for the poor."              

- Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium)

Catholics lead the way

A new column from the Association of Religious Data Archives (ARDA) reports Catholics are among the leaders in efforts to change public policy:

When religious groups move from the noise of denominational battles to enlisting congregational foot soldiers for moral agendas, no group is more successful than the Catholic Church . . .

In a column headlined “Catholic churches most likely to be on the front lines of issues from abortion to poverty, ” author David Briggs writes:

When religious groups move from the noise of denominational battles to enlisting congregational foot soldiers for moral agendas, no group is more successful than the Catholic Church, the 2012 National Congregations Study finds. 

A quarter of Catholic congregations reported that they had lobbied officials in the last 12 months, and more than half of Catholic congregations said they had organized or participated in a demonstration or march on a public issue or policy. 

In contrast, just 10 percent of Protestant congregations reported taking either action, the study found. 

And while Catholics were most active on the abortion issue, they also were more likely than other groups to lobby and demonstrate on a wide range of issues, from combating poverty to advocating for immigration reform.

The rest of the column is here.

Does this sound like your parish? If not, perhaps you should contact the diocesan Commission on Peace and Justice to learn how you can engage people in the effort to influence public policy.  The Commission can provide you with speakers and resources to educate parishioners about Catholic social teaching and help you create a social justice ministry that follows Pope Francis’ advice to engage the world. As the Pope wrote in The Joy of the Gospel, [220.] "People in every nation enhance the social dimension of their lives by acting as committed and responsible citizens, not as a mob swayed by the powers that be. Let us not forget that 'responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation'."

You can call the Commission at 518-453-6695 or send an e-mail to Deacon Walter Ayres, Director of the Commission, at Walter.Ayres@rcda.org

What has Catholic advocacy accomplished?

Kathy Saile, Director of the Office of Domestic Social Development for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Steve Colecchi, Director of the Office of International Justice and Peace, have written a summary of Catholic advocacy efforts during the last six months, what has been accomplished, and what we can do to follow-up with our Congresspersons during the next several months. Among the issues discussed are housing, the farm bill, the federal budget, and international assistance. The summary is here.