Catholic Charities
Catholics Charities is the outstretched arm of service and hope for the Catholic
Church. Across the U.S., Catholic Charities USA encompasses a total of 171
Catholic Charities member agencies, including two in Mississippi. Catholic
Charities USA was founded to promote the work of the diocesan Catholic Charity
bureaus and bring a sense of solidarity to those charitable ministries. The
national foundation’s highest priority is to combat poverty, support families,
and empower communities through the advocacy of traditional values while each
agency provides tailored services needed within their local community. Catholic
Charities can trace its roots back to 1727 when the French Ursuline sisters
opened an orphanage in New Orleans, LA. Around the same time, more Catholic
institutions were established along the East Coast in major cities to assist
orphaned children whose parents were lost to disease and tragedies common in
early America. Similarly, the Catholic Charities agency in Jackson stemmed from
two Natchez orphanages, St. Mary’s Orphanage for girls and D’Evereax Hall for
boys; both were opened in the 1850s. In the early 1960s, a national movement to
create a more home-like environment for orphaned and abandoned children in child
services initiated the transfer of children from group homes and orphanages to
private foster homes. When the orphanages were forced to close in 1962, a
Catholic social services agency was formed in Jackson to help those children
find foster homes and then permanent homes. That agency was incorporated the
next year and officially became part of the Catholic Charities community.
Catholic Charities of Jackson has broadened its services since the 1960s;
however, it is still very active in social services for children including
continued assistance with foster care and adoption services. The agency includes
programs under 12 different categories: Adoptions and Maternity, Alcohol and
Drug, Child Services, Domestic Violence, Immigration, Refugee Services, Rape
Crisis, Runaway and Homeless Youth Shelter, Counseling Services, Family
Ministry, Health Ministry, and Social Ministry. Many of these programs are
sponsored by state agencies such as the Department of Human Services and the
Department of Mental Health. Catholic Charities also works with other non-profit
organizations, such as United Way, to provide services and disaster relief and
also works with the local legislature to preserve traditional morals and values
within our society. During a legislative session, Catholic Charities lobbies for
the upholding of traditional values in state legislation such as pro-life,
poverty assistance, as well as legislation that may affect the operations of a
Catholic Charities program.
Catholic Charities of Jackson provides services for 64 counties within the
state; the additional 18 counties are covered by the Biloxi agency but the two
work together during times of need such as after Hurricane Katrina. There are
two satellite offices to assist Jackson with the 64-county undertaking; those
offices are located in Vardeman and Natchez.
Catholic Charities, nationally, uses 90 percent of all donations to support
service programs. According to the Catholic Charities USA website, a total of
7,736,855 people in the U.S. were helped through Catholic Charities programs
regardless of religious, social, or economic background. As expressed by Rebecca
Harris, Development Director for Catholic Charities of Jackson, “We provide our
services because of our faith, not because of the recipient’s faith”.
Catholic Charities provides a variety of opportunities for the community to
support its ministry. It will host the Bishop’s Ball fundraiser on June 5, 2009
and in October hosts the annual Journey for Hope Luncheon. It also hosts several
smaller fundraisers and collection drives throughout the year with the help of
local churches and organizations.
“Our mission is to be the visible sign of love to those most in need; it guides
us in selecting the services and advocacy work that we do.”-Gregory Patin,
Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Jackson.
For more information on the specific services provided by Catholic Charities
Jackson or to get involved, visit www.catholiccharitiesjackson.org or call
601-355-8634.