Gaudium et Spes and the Praxis of Charity:

Interpreting the Signs of the Times in Our Work to Accompany Families

Patrick Brown, Brian Corbin, Cynthia Dobrzynski

Catholic Charities USA

Catholic Social Tradition Conference Fiftieth Anniversary of Gaudium et Spes

University of Notre Dame
Center for Social Concerns
March 22-24, 2015

Abstract: Throughout its history, Catholic Charities has interpreted the signs of the times to
respond proactively to the causes and symptoms of families and individuals in need, and in
todays complex and global world, these efforts must more than ever include a focus on the
systemic barriers preventing families from achieving economic and social stability.
In this paper, we offer a brief history of our movement and show that advocacy for charity and
justice is at the core of our identity. We highlight innovative programs that offer models for a
more effective and efficient response to the plight of 45 million Americans in need than our
current fragmented and fraying social safety net. And we offer three policy principles and five
anti-poverty lenses that inform our approach to advocacy, a work that is essential to our identity
as workers in the vineyard of both charity and justice.
We call for a holistic approach, focused on individual needs of each clients, and grounded in
rigorous social science, and encourage the Church to heighten its efforts to be a prophetic
witness to more comprehensively and effectively addressing the griefs and anxieties of those
in need.

Introduction The Church in the Modern World

The joys and the hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the men [sic] of this age, especially
those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties
of the followers of Christ. 1 So begins Gaudium et Spes, laying out the challenge to be taken up
by those who would follow Christ; when one member of our human family suffers, the whole
body suffers.
In the international development sphere, the material deprivations and abject poverty
provide a vivid picture of what it means to be hungry, thirsty, naked, or without shelter. Catholic
Relief Services is on the front lines of responding to the needs of those in developing nations.
But here at home, in this land of plenty, far too many of our neighbors go to sleep on an empty
stomach, without means of supporting themselves or their families, abandoned and alone, or
otherwise unable to pursue their full God-given potential.
Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), as the national representative of the Churchs social
services agencies accompanying the poor in communities across America, has a special call to
understand and address the systemic barriers that prevent our nation and society from building a
social order that is more just. Throughout our history, we have engaged people of good will to
respond to the poverty that is as if Christ Himself were crying out in these poor. 2 In
communities across America, local Catholic Charities agencies and programs continue this work,
accompanying families and individuals in need. But in order to live out our dual mission of
charity and justice, we must also address the root causes that are keeping so many families
trapped in poverty.

Pope Paul VI. Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World - Gaudium et Spes. 1 Vatican: the
Holy See. Rome, 7 Dec. 1965.
2
Gaudium et Spes. 88
P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 1

The challenges of today are different than those facing the church and the world 50 years
ago, and require a new approach and fresh enthusiasm. We must continue to read the signs of
the times and devise forms of assistance and accompaniment that fit these new needs and
realities. 3 Led by the example of Pope Francis, challenged by the legacy of a War on Poverty
launched over 50 years ago, driven by the unacceptable reality of 45 million Americans in need,
and inspired by the life-changing work our agencies are accomplishing every day, CCUSA wants
to be involved in new conversations about meeting the needs of families and individuals.
In this time of tremendous focus on the needs of the family, and responding to the
remarkable changes in social structures that have dramatically altered what families look like and
are in need of, our society needs to re-commit to supporting the family, what Gaudium et Spes
calls the school of humanity. 4 Based on the local realities witnessed by Catholic Charities
agencies every day, and grounded in rigorous social science, the Churchs unique and vital voice
can encourage society to address more comprehensively and effectively the griefs and
anxieties of those in need. To build a society that is more just and charitable, we must
constantly analyze the micro- and macro-level problems in our own culture, and address the
unique challenges facing families in our own country and in our own time. In this work, we
suggest three policy principles and five lenses of understanding and approaching meaningful and
long-lasting reform of our anti-poverty system.
A Legacy of Scrutinizing the Signs of the Times
In addition to representing our member agencies on the national level, Catholic Charities
USA has a long history of engaging with elected officials, researchers, political leaders, and all
those of good will to build a stronger society that fully acknowledges and supports the inherent

3
4

Gaudium et Spes. 4
Gaudium et Spes. 52
P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 2

dignity of all, especially those on the margins of society. The organizations vision statement
provides an apt summary of this legacy of service and advocacy:
Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of
human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given
to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families,
and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate
oppression, and build a just and compassionate society. 5
Throughout our history, Catholic Charities in the United States have lived out our identity
of being the hands of the Church ministering to the wounds of Christ personified in the lives of
the poor and marginalized. Starting in 1727, with French Ursuline Sisters in what is now the
Ninth Ward of New Orleans offering shelter to widows and orphaned children, Catholic social
services have been woven into the fabric of our country. 6
The vast majority of those receiving services from Catholic charitable organizations in
the early years of our nation were themselves Catholic. In 1866, the bishops of the United States
noted the large number of Catholics imprisoned and destitute in a pastoral letter, specifically
referencing the Irish newcomers which made up the majority of delinquent youth in American
cities. It is a melancholy fact, and a very humiliating avowal for us to make, that a very large
portion of the vicious and idle youth of our principle cities are the children of Catholic parents. 7
In 1910, the National Conference of Catholic Charities (NCCC) was founded on the
campus of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., to provide a national forum
for discussion, social work best practices, and addressing the systemic causes of poverty and
destitution in the United States. At that Charter meeting, Catholic Charities declared itself to be
the attorney for the poor. This aspiration and insight leads our work today.
5

Catholic Charities USA vision statement.

Portions of the following section are heavily taken from Catholic in Charity and Identity, published in 2010 by
Catholic Charities USA.
7
Second Plenary Council of Baltimore, Pastoral Letter. Baltimore, Md. October 1866.
6

P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 3

As Catholics became part of the American mainstream, the work of Catholic social
services agencies expanded to include all suffering from exclusion, disability, or economic or
social deprivation, regardless of race, creed, or social background. Understanding the need to
address the causes of poverty, in addition to its effects, the NCCC played a significant role in the
shaping of social welfare legislation such as the National Housing Act of 1934 and 1935s Social
Security Act, specifically in the development of Aid to Dependent Children and Child Welfare
Services.
In 1969, inspired in part by the summons of Gaudium et Spes to live out the Churchs
duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times [and] interpreting them in the light of the Gospel, 8
the NCCC launched a process of reflection on the work and ministry of Catholic Charities,
culminating in Toward A Renewed Catholic Charities Movement, a document that would
become known as the Cadre Study. The document reoriented the mission of the national Catholic
Charities network to prominently take up the roles of social action, legislative advocacy, and
convening.
The Cadre Study focused on the mandate for renewal of various institutions in the church
and the challenges being made to nearly all institutions in society. The document reflected upon
the fact that not only were society and the Church changing, but also that the very structure and
fabric of social work practices and agencies was the subject of massive demands for a new
orientation toward action and away from direct service. 9 From then on, the Catholic Charities
movement has strived towards living out its mission statement in every aspect of its
responsibilities and actions: to provide services to people in need, to advocate for justice in
social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same.
8

Gaudium et Spes. 4
Cadre Study (Toward a Renewed Catholic Charities Movement: A Study of the National Conference of Catholic
Charities.) Washington: National Conference of Catholic Charities, 1972.

P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 4

One key element to the second concept of advocacy focuses on our ability as a movement
and as a Church to not only advocate for justice in social structures, but to actually work to
transform and humanize them. This element grew in tandem with the work of the U.S.
Catholic Bishops anti-poverty program, The Catholic Campaign for Human Development
(CCHD) which engaged the Church with many local Catholic Charities agencies on the
forefront in community organizing and community economic development.
Beginning in 1993, the Vision 2000 Task Force began its work of redefining and
developing a strategic plan that would allow the organization, now called Catholic Charities
USA, to face the challenges of the new century. The Vision 2000 document called upon the
church and others to continue to read the signs of the times and engage in charitable and social
justice action.
Taken as a whole, the Catholic Charities network has a long history of not only serving
those in need, but engaging in discussion, thought, and action to make our nation a more just and
compassionate society. Our history shows a commitment to responding to the needs of families
and society in our own country and in our own time, and adjusting our approach and efforts to
address contemporary challenges. We are committed to accompanying those in need on their
path out of poverty, and to using their stories and insights to work with government leaders and
other sectors to build a more compassionate response. Addressing the challenges of today
through the lens of social work, policy analysis, and our Catholic identity isnt a new
responsibility for Catholic Charities; it is central, and essential, to our work.
The Familyis the Foundation of Society
We have seen that Catholic Charities USAs history and legacy compels us to address the
systemic roots of the problem of poverty that leaves 45 million Americans at or below the federal

P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 5

poverty line. 10 In these efforts, we must start with the fundamental building-block of society
the family.
Gaudium et Spes aptly summarizes why supporting the family must be at the center of
our work to reduce poverty: The family, in which the various generations come together and
help one another grow wiser and harmonize personal rights with the other requirements of social
life, is the foundation of society. 11 Through a gift of mutual self-bestowal, parents become
living examples of Christs love for each other and for their children. In family life, children are
introduced the values of patience, kindness, self-sacrifice, humility, faith, hope, and charity;
families provide parents the opportunity to raise new citizens and children of God. Marriage
and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not
undermined. 12 Therefore, our work to reduce poverty must have at its center the importance of
supporting the family, especially ones in need.
The challenges facing families have never been so diverse and pervasive. For many, the
lack of stable employment means that economically providing for a stable family life remains out
of reach. The fraying of the social contract means that the institutions and bonds that families
used to be able to rely on for support are increasingly leaving them on their own. Changes in
cultural and social norms mean that children are more likely to grow up without the love and
support of both biological parents and children in low-income families, who need that support
most of all, are disproportionately impacted by the breakdown of strong family life.

10

U.S. Census Bureau. Income and Poverty in the United States: 2013 Current Population Reports. Washington,
DC: September 2014.
11
Gaudium et Spes. 52
12
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Seven Themes from Catholic Social Teaching. <
http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/seven-themes-of-catholicsocial-teaching.cfm > Washington, DC: 2005.
P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 6

Catholic Charities and Supporting A School of Deeper Humanity

Recognizing the importance of the family, Catholic Charities agencies are involved in
pioneering programs that help address challenges and threats to families social and economic
security. The five pillars of our campaign to reduce poverty in America are each grounded in our
agencies daily work to accompany families on their journey out of poverty.
Addressing the economic challenges facing families need means addressing the areas of:
A) Education and training, B) family economic security, C) food insecurity, D) housing, and E)
health care, all within a special focus of carefully understanding the needs of populations who
are in need of special care. What follows are brief examples of how Catholic Charities agencies
are walking alongside families in communities across America.
A) Education and Training
Students in community college often drop out of school for reasons that have nothing to
do with performance in the classroom, yet a college degree is increasingly important in achieving
economic security. To respond to the challenges that life throws at at-risk and low-income
students, Catholic Charities Fort Worth developed the Stay the Course program, which offers
comprehensive case management to address the students challenges. Through a partnership with
the University of Notre Dames Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities, the program is
engaged in rigorous analysis of the impact and scalability of its offerings. In addition, early
childhood and elementary education is a vital ladder to opportunity that many Catholic Charities
provide and supplement through Head Start or Head Start-like programs. Last year, over 57,000
children benefitted from the education programs offered by Catholic Charities agencies.

P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 7

B) Family Economic Security

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Biloxi, Mississippi, is providing opportunities for
homeless people in their community. In partnership with Back Bay Mission homeless service
center, Catholic Charities interviewed and hired a client from Back Bays shelter program to
work at their Twelve Baskets Food Bank. While employed and receiving job training at Catholic
Charities, the client also receives case management from Back Bay Mission. As a result the
client is now in stable housing and will become a permanent employee of Catholic Charities later
this year. Once fully employed, the client will act as a mentor to the next person to come into this
program. On another level, various Catholic Charities agencies work with their refugee and
immigrant communities to access needed credit in the banking system in order to stabilize their
lives and garner access to financial services. Recently a new partnership is emerging with the
National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions to serve this population. This
effort harkens back to an earlier era wherein parishes and Catholic fraternal institutions designed
credit unions to support their members.
C) Food Insecurity
Some of the biggest obstacles reported by agencies supporting rural areas are a lack of
access to transportation and, as a result, the inability to access available services. In response,
agencies such as Catholic Charities Bureau in Lake City, Florida, are meeting the needs of the
rural poor by bringing the services to them. Because of the transportation barriers facing this
wide-spread and economically-disadvantaged community, fresh foods are often difficult to come
by. With the help of a refrigerated truck, Catholic Charities Bureaus FeedA- Family program
is addressing the needs of this underserved, rural community by delivering frozen, canned, and
fresh foods to them.

P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 8

Likewise, Crisp!, a mobile food distribution network operated by Catholic Charities of

the Archdiocese of Chicago, enables low-income families to obtain affordable and fresh produce
to support their childrens development and health. Crisp! offers an affordable convenient way
for food desert communities, and other Chicago neighborhoods without the luxury of having a
mobile grocer, to access healthy food.
D) Housing
Launched in 2009 by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, the Holy
Family Shelter helps homeless individuals transition in place by emphasizing ongoing
supportive case management services. With an initial goal of transitioning 25 families each year
out of homelessness, the Holy Family Transitional Services program now helps 30 families
annually move into stable, long-term housing. Over the years, Catholic Charities agencies around
the United States have employed private capital markets to develop permanent and transitional
housing through Low Income Housing Tax Credits. Last year, Catholic Charities agencies
provided over 33,500 permanent affordable housing units to stabilize families needing a roof
over their heads.
E) Health Care
Catholic Charities Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio, is working to increase collaboration
and decrease service gaps across government health systems, particularly as it relates to their
work with vulnerable youth. With the help of a grant through Ohios Strong Families Safe
Communities initiative, and through partnerships with government agencies and community
based programs, Catholic Charities has been able to begin breaking down some of these silos to
provide on-call crisis intervention, respite services in specialized foster homes, family support
groups, and training for rst responders. Through intensive wrap-around services and community

P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 9

based training, this program provides potentially lifesaving services to ensure that these
vulnerable youth do not fall through the cracks.
Special Populations
There are subsets of the population living in poverty that require our special care and
attention, such as pregnant women and young families, youth, seniors, veterans, prisoners reentering society, migrants, immigrants, refugees and trafficked persons. Most recently, the plight
of immigrant children and families seeking a better life in the United States has been the subject
of much coverage and some controversy. Our Catholic Charities network has been on the front
lines of responding to their plight, following the commission to love the alien as yourself; for
you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. 13
In Brownsville, Texas, Sr. Norma Pimentel and Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande
Valley set up a welcome shelter to tend to the needs of exhausted refugee children and families
during last summers humanitarian crisis on our southern border. In the midst of political
disagreement about the fate of these children, Catholic Charities agencies in places like
Richmond, Virginia, San Jose, California, Rochester, New York, and others, volunteered to
provide foster care services to unaccompanied minors, many of whom crossed the border with
nothing more than the clothes on their back.
Innovative Programs
In addition to the five pillars of our ongoing campaign to reduce poverty in America,
CCUSA supports the innovative work of our agencies to comprehensively and holistically
address the issues keeping families from escaping poverty. One such endeavor is the Padua
initiative being piloted by Catholic Charities Fort Worth, which is devoting a team of case
managers to provide intensive and targeted intervention to address each familys unique situation
13

Leviticus 19:34
P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 10

and challenges. The pilot project, which includes an individualized strengths-based asset plan,
community support, and rigorous impact evaluation through Notre Dames Wilson Sheehan Lab
for Economic Opportunities, will serve approximately 200 families over the next 3-5 years and
has game-changing potential in addressing the unique challenges facing families.
Another untraditional approach in serving families in need is being pioneered in
Washington state as part of a program being spearheaded by the State Catholic Conference of
Washington, the dioceses of Seattle, Spokane, and Yakima and each dioceses Catholic Charities
agencies, and with support from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Pregnancy
and Parenting Support for All (PrePareS) brings together holistic social services and pregnancy
and parenting support services to strategically and comprehensively support pregnant young
women, especially those in crisis pregnancies, to sustain them through childbirth and the
construction of a nurturing home environment. PrePareS promotes the health and wellbeing of
women, children and families through counseling, education and supportive services, and seeks
to facilitate healthy social and emotional development for each child. It also lives out in a
tangible way the Churchs commitment to the protection of all human life and is a powerful
example of cross-agency collaboration and our networks commitment to advancing authentic
human dignity.
50 Years Later, How Best to Foster the Nobility of Marriage and the Family
These programs are doing heroic work. They are pioneering successful approaches to the
micro-level challenges facing families in need. But in order to break the cycle of poverty that
grips so many in our nation, we need a renewed commitment to address the deeper, macro-level
causes that leave so many families broken, left behind, or in need.

P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 11

During the preparation of Gaudium et Spes, the Vatican II council was writing at a time
of profound and rapid changes. 14 The advent of the sexual revolution, a fracturing consensus
on the importance of marriage and the family, and a global struggle between capitalism and
communism were the backdrop against which the Councils work was being done. The
challenges we face today as a Church and social movement are different, but in many ways
related to, or the result of, the changes the Council was responding to in 1965.
Fifty years later, progress has been made on our journey towards a society built on justice
and compassion. Race relations and civil rights have vastly improved since the mid-1960s, and
we no longer live under the imminent threat of thermonuclear war. The unique gifts of women
are now more widely recognized, and technological advancements have increased our ability to
cure disease and build communities even across geographical distances.
At the same time, the economic pressures and social changes have brought new
challenges to bear on families and individuals in need. The hollowing out of the American
middle class has been the result of many factors, including the decline in manufacturing jobs,
increased segregation along socio-economic lines, a widening gap between the incomes of high
earners and those in moderate-to-low income households, and economic pressures that often
force both parents into the workforce just to make ends meet. Put simply, our globalized, fastpaced economy no longer values the domestic sphere, and only those already blessed with the
means to thrive are reliably able to count on the support of a strong family unit. Marriage,
according to Lerman and Wilcox (2014), is increasingly an upper-class phenomenon. 15

14

Gaudium et Spes. 4
Robert I. Lerman and W. Bradford Wilcox. For Richer, For Poorer: How Family Structures Economic Success in
America. Institute for Family Studies/American Enterprise Institute. October 2014.
15

P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 12

Pope Paul VI told us Every attack on the fundamental value of the familyis an attack
on the true good of man. 16 Respecting the human dignity of every one of our brothers and
sisters, regardless of background or situation, means committing to reversing this trend.
In low-income and at-risk communities, in addition to falling rates of marriage and
increasing rates of children born outside of marriage, the problems are compounded by
skyrocketing incarceration rates, punitive welfare reform components, and regressive implicit
marginal tax rates which keep people trapped in poverty. Researchers have found that the impact
of this latest recession hit low- and middle-income families, particularly men, harder than
previous recessions. 17 There are many systemic barriers that keep people and families from
moving out of poverty at the broadest level, Pope Francis has talked about a culture of
exclusion that prevents the poor and marginalized from being welcomed into the broader
community. 18
These barriers range from the small-scale to the global. Conservative researchers and
policymakers have talked about regressive burdens like excessive licensure laws that prevent
low-income individuals from achieving an economic foothold with a job that could lead to
greater self-sufficiency. 19 On the liberal side of the aisle, observers have pinpointed a federal
minimum wage that leaves many families on the brink of economic disaster, and corporate
policies and procedures that dehumanize workers and contribute to instability. 20

16

Pope Paul VI, Message for the World Social Communication Day. Vatican: the Holy See. Rome, 7 Apr 1969.
Monique Jethwani, Serena Klempin, and Ronald Mincy. What the Recession Did to American Fathers. The
Atlantic Monthly. 6 Jan 2015.
18
Pope Francis. Address to the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination. Vatican: the
Holy See. Rome, 9 May 2014.
19
House Budget Committee Majority Staff. Expanding Opportunity in America: A Discussion Draft from the
House Budget Committee. <http://budget.house.gov/uploadedfiles/expanding_opportunity_in_america.pdf>
Washington, DC: 24 Jul 2014.
20
Sharon Parrott, Arloc Sherman, and Danilo Trisi. The War on Poverty at 50, Overview.
<http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=4069> Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Washington, DC:
7 Jan 2014.
17

P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 13

Other barriers that contribute to an economy of exclusion, [or] throwaway culture

include lingering racial inequities 50 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, businesses
like payday lenders and slumlords who make their living by preying on low-income households,
and more global threats, such as climate change, which could most heavily impact those who
dont have the resources to adjust to dramatic changes.
Not all of these problems are solvable in the near-term in fact, many of them will be the
work of lifetimes. They are entrenched, interwoven, and require concerted effort to reform.
Nonetheless, to serve those in need without working for justice would be to live out our mission
with one hand tied behind our back. Gaudium et Spes echoes this concern: The Church and the
political community in their own fields are autonomous and independent from each other. Yet
the more that both foster sounder cooperation between themselves with due consideration for the
circumstances of time and place, the more effective will their service be exercised for the good
of all. 21
Like Isaiah, we are charged with the responsibility to bring good news to the afflicted, to
bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, release to the prisoners. 22
Therefore, to truly address the systemic causes of poverty, as we believe is a vital component of
our role, we suggest the following three public policy principles in understanding and addressing
poverty in America.
Three Public Policy Principles: Holistic, Client-Focused, and Results-Driven
As part of CCUSAs centennial celebration, the organization held a number of regional
listening sessions or poverty summits to better understand and synthesize the challenges
facing low-income individuals and families. We also compiled the latest strategies being

21
22

Gaudium et Spes. 76
Isaiah 61:1
P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 14

pioneered by our member agencies to assist them on their journey. The lessons learned were
turned into a piece of legislation that was introduced into Congress, but fell victim to partisan
gridlock. However, these three focus areas, based on the lived experience of our member
agencies, remain our guiding principles in advocating for a stronger response to the problem of
poverty in America and build opportunities for families to thrive. They are:
1) Holistic: The current system of fighting poverty was developed in an era of
slide rules and electric typewriters. While we have tinkered with the social
safety net over the last 51 years, our national approach is still largely dictated
by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., removed from the daily realities facing
families and communities. Any meaningful reform should look at the system
as a whole, break down bureaucratic silos that hinder effectiveness, and
support the formation of strong families as the basic building-block of a
healthy society.
2) Client-Focused: Truly ending poverty starts with recognizing the dignity
inherent in every person, and building from their strengths and assets.
Utilizing a case management approach, attacking the unique problems
trapping each individual and family in poverty, and stabilizing those in need
before they are at-risk, as opposed to after they have already fallen into
poverty, requires leveraging federal, state, and community resources in the
manner that will be most effective, efficient, and targeted in breaking through
the barriers keeping people in poverty from achieving their potential.
3) Results-driven: In order to invest in what works, we need to know what in
fact does work. While the ministry of charity will continue for as long as the

P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 15

poor are with us, effectively addressing the structural and personal challenges
impacting families in need requires rigorous, impartial analysis of our
strategies and programs. Our partnership with the Wilson Sheehan Lab for
Economic Opportunities is testament to our belief in the importance of
evaluation and commitment to supporting measurement and using those
results to not only scale up existing programs, but work with policymakers to
craft safety-net programs based on examples that have been proven to work.
These three principles guide our work; they set forward an ideal direction but do not
prescribe us from engaging in discussions about different perspectives or approaches. As
Congress and state governments pursue reform of our social service programs, we encourage
them to keep in mind these policy principles, as well as the four fundamental pillars of Catholic
Social Doctrine: subsidarity, solidarity, respect for the common good, and the essential dignity of
the human person.
Joy and Hope for a World in Need
The recent Extraordinary Synod on the Families addressed many of these same questions
about how to strengthen the family, including the Churchs need to denounce with clarity
cultural, social, political and economic factors, such as the excessive importance given to market
logic, that prevent authentic family life and lead to discrimination, poverty, exclusion, and
violence. 23
The Synod bishops recognized that material poverty often prevents couples from forming
the supportive bonds of family, and that in many marginalized, disenfranchised, or low-income
families, the fruit of poverty and unemployment is a feeling of isolation. They wrote: One

23

Synod of Bishops. The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World
Lineamenta 37. Vatican: the Holy See. Rome, 19 Oct 2014.
P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 16

symptom of the great poverty of contemporary culture is loneliness, arising from the absence of
God in a persons life and the fragility of relationships. There is also a general feeling of
powerlessness in the face of socio-cultural realities that oftentimes end in crushing families. 24
Our agencies see this reality every day; oftentimes, the presence of a supportive family member,
friend, or mentor can be the difference that helps someone surmount the obstacles that had been
trapping them in a life of material and spiritual poverty. These are not issues limited to the poor
middle-class and even high-income families struggle with these pressures. Far from being
extraneous to the work of Catholic Charities, addressing the systemic challenges facing all
families is a vital part of our mission.
Throughout its history, Catholic Charities in the United States have lived out this call
interpreting, as Gaudium et Spes calls us to do, the signs of the times to respond in the manner
most appropriate to the challenges of the present day. Whether providing housing for the
widowed and orphaned in 18th-century New Orleans, ensuring immigrants in 19th-century New
York didnt go hungry, or working to assist those impacted by outsourcing in the 20th-century
Rust Belt, Catholic Charities has adapted to meet families and individuals where they are and
accompany them on their journey.
Saint Pope John Paul II wrote that the Church must be continually encouraging authentic
human dignity, the value of work, and standing in solidarity with those in need The Church is
firmly committed to this cause, for she considers it her mission, her service, a proof of her
fidelity to Christ, so that she can truly be the Church of the poor. 25

24
25

Synod of Bishops. Lineamenta 5.

Pope John Paul II. Laborem Exercens Encyclical Letter. Vatican: the Holy See. Rome, 14 Sep 1981.
P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 17

Now, faced with ever-more-complex and globalized challenges, the need to continue
walking along side those in need while working to address the deeper causes of poverty and want
has never been more important. The efforts of Catholic Charities, and the Church, must now
more include a focus on the systemic barriers preventing families from achieving economic and
social stability. Our mission of spreading gaudium and spes to those in desperate need of joy and
hope is not something that is limited to the Catholic Charities network, but to the whole body of
Christ; The spirit of poverty and charity are the glory and witness of the Church of Christ. 26
The Lord hears the cry of the poor; can we do any less? The griefs and anxieties of
those in need are summoning us to action; as members of one human family, as brothers and
sisters in Christ, we must respond.

26

Gaudium et Spes. 88
P. Brown, B. Corbin, C. Dobrzynski (Catholic Charities USA) 18