CHARITY NOW
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ANSWERING RISING NEEDS WITH THE MERCY OF CHRIST
WINTER 2022
Students packing Thanksgiving pantry packages at Sts. John and Paul School, Larchmont.IN A TIME OF DARKNESS, we look for signs of daybreak. When we are surrounded by suffering – and perhaps suffering ourselves – it’s easy to lose patience and hope.
“Every single one of us is living in the shadow of the pandemic,” says Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, executive director of Catholic Charities of New York. But he also reminds us that we have the power to shine a light into the darkness.
The light of God’s mercy is abroad in the land, but it can’t be seen unless we are witness to it. We are meant to be its bearers and its facilitators. It shines in the work of Catholic Charities of New York and its numerous affiliated agencies, bringing food, clothing, shelter, financial assistance, and spiritual and emotional support to those in need. At the parish level, it shines in the many ministries, large and small, that offer love and sustenance to the poor and marginalized in their communities. It shines in each of us when we contribute, volunteer, or just turn a loving eye to our neighbors and ask, “How are you doing? How can I help?”
Human suffering did not start with Covid-19 – but the pandemic, abetted by natural disasters and social upheavals, has intensified many of society’s afflictions. It’s tempting to wish we could solve these social ills through science and technology, the way a disease can be controlled through immunizations and treatments; but there is no vaccine against poverty, no pill to cure homelessness.
As the needs become more vast, do we need to find a new approach to charity? Archways went out among the people who have been working these trenches for decades, delivering services to the poor and marginalized – the staff, program volunteers, priests and parishioners – and found them undaunted. They don’t need us to invent some new treatment or app; they need us to support them, and join them if we’re able, in keeping the beacon of Christ’s love shining.
Follow the links below for an interview with the executive director of Catholic Charities of New York; a look at the impressive community-based ministries of three Westchester County parishes; and a visit to a successful substance abuse treatment program in Sullivan County.