A Message from our
Executive Director

Catholic Charities. Help and Hope for all Seasons.

Dear Friends:

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent.  Medieval English gave us the term Lent – derived from the German "lengthening of days," associated with springtime.  Spring also connotes a renewal and rebirth – quite appropriate for the time of Lent.

Catholic Charities is proud to serve those of all religions non-Catholics and Catholics alike.  We also proudly draw inspiration from our Christian tradition, values and symbols.

The season of Lent and its three traditional practices - prayer, fasting and almsgiving - provides a simple yet profound opportunity for renewal drawing on the strengths and resources of our Catholic tradition.

Prayer – listening and talking - draws us closer into relationship with God.  We realize more deeply that each person is made in the image and likeness of God. Each deserves dignity and respect.

Fasting, voluntary deprivation - literally of food and, by extension, of other things - draws us into deeper solidarity with so many in our world whose deprivations are not voluntary at all.  Some of these deprivations are so extreme that peoples’ dignity is endangered.

Almsgiving - for others - helps keep our prayer and fasting away from becoming spiritually self-centered.  Almsgiving focuses on the needs of others and generously gives for the good of others.   

The difficult economic times, political paralysis in state and national capitals and so many individual and family uncertainties make these times especially challenging.  The next forty days, as spring arrives, provide a good and necessary opportunity for renewal that looks outside ourselves to God and to our neighbors.
 

Sincerely,

 

Read Monsignor Sullivan's Statement on the Devastating Earthquake in Haiti

Read Monsignor Kevin Sullivan's Bio.