Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

As you are already aware, war has broken out in Israel following brutal attacks by Hamas. This is truly a tragedy and one that we, as people of faith, must bring to prayer.

In solidarity with the people of the Middle East, in particular our Jewish sisters and brothers and all those of good will suffering in the Holy Land, the Archdiocese of New Orleans will join with the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land and Catholic dioceses around the world in a day of prayer, fasting, and abstinence on Tuesday, October 17, 2023. On this day, I am asking all Catholics and people of faith to join us in a day of fasting and in prayer that the fighting will end, hostages will be released unharmed, and peace will be restored. 

Enclosed (below) you will find a “Prayer for Peace: To Mary, the Light of Hope”, which is found in the book of Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers. Please consider using this prayer and making copies of it available in parishes and Adoration Chapels during this time of conflict in the Middle East. Let us ask Our Lady, Queen of Peace and Light of Hope, to intercede for the people of Israel and bring them comfort and peace.

As we join with so many people of faith in praying to bring an end to war, let us continue to pray for peace and an end to violence, murder and racism in our own homes and communities. 

Wishing you God’s blessings and in prayerful solidarity with those affected by war, I am,

Sincerely in Christ,

Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond
Archbishop of New Orleans

Prayer for Peace: To Mary, the Light of Hope

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Help us to conquer the menace of evil, which so easily takes root in the hearts of people today, and whose immeasurable effects already weigh down our modern world and seem to block the paths toward the future.
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning, deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ, this cry laden with the sufferings of individual human beings, laden with the sufferings of whole societies.
Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit to conquer all sin: individual sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world the infinite saving power of redemption: the power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.
Amen

• Saint Pope John Paul II

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The W.K. Kellogg Foundation was founded in 1930 with a purpose of “administering funds for the promotion of welfare, comfort, health, education, feeding, clothing, sheltering and safeguarding of children and youth, directly or indirectly, without regard to sex, race, creed or nationality.”

Today, the Foundation works to ensure all children receive the opportunity to live a life full of quality early childhood experiences, grow up in homes with families that have stable jobs and live in a community in which they are nurtured and cared for. Their grants support a three-fold mission: thriving children, working families and equitable communities.

Catholic Charities’ Cornerstone Builders program, which is a re-entry program for formerly incarcerated men and women focused on rehabilitation through service, is grateful to be a grantee of the Kellogg Foundation.

The grant allows Cornerstone Builders to fulfill two of the Foundation’s main goals: to create working families by helping family members obtain stable, high-quality jobs and to create equitable communities by advancing racial equality and healing, developing leaders and fostering authentic community engagement.

Thanks to the generosity of the Kellogg Foundation, Cornerstone Builders has developed a Workforce Development program, which seeks to reach at least 200 formerly incarcerated individuals each year and match them with resources to help them find employment and stability.

Through word of mouth, letters from those still incarcerated, outreach efforts and more, the program finds participants and begins the process of identifying their needs. Program staff helps them reconnect with family members, enroll for SNAP and Medicaid, apply for a cell phone, find stable housing and anything else they may immediately need. Should they need it, participants can also be enrolled in counseling for substance abuse and/or mental health issues.

Then, through extensive job development training, participants work to identify the transferable skills they may have acquired while incarcerated or in their life before incarceration that can now be used in a different way. Job training also helps participants learn the soft skills needed to find and hold a job such as emotional intelligence and unspoken expectations of them in the workplace.

“These people are re-entering society with poor education rates, low literacy levels and any other number of tremendous barriers,” said Oliver Cunningham, CCANO Workforce Development Specialist. “Other people only see them as their actions – their crime – so, if they don’t have a good support system, these services are essential for them.”

According to Cunningham, navigating simple services after years in prison is a huge challenge for these individuals, who are stuck in what’s known as arrested development – they’ve physically aged, but haven’t actually ‘grown up.’ Some have spent over 50 years in prison and can’t work a cell phone, drive, use a computer or even navigate the city they used to call home.

Thanks to the generous support of the Kellogg Foundation, Cornerstone Builders is able to help these individuals on their path to self-sufficiency and work to create sustainability on a larger scale.

“It benefits the larger society to fund things like this,” Cunningham believes. “Recidivism rates would be through the roof without it. It keeps crime low and connects people to the support systems they need to be better.”

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Every year through HUD, UNITY of Greater New Orleans coordinates a “Point in Time count”. This event consists of two full days of volunteers walking the streets of New Orleans to get an accurate as possible count of the homeless population, as well as a survey of their needs and other demographic information. This data is used to help give local and federal organizations a better understanding of the needs of people experiencing homelessness in the Greater New Orleans area and how we can better serve them.

Ellie (second from left) pictured with CCANO case managers who also participated in the point in time count.

As the Special Projects Coordinator with Catholic Charities, I have had the opportunity to work alongside our case managers to give housing/shelter and other emergency relief assistance to our clients. Through this work I have had the chance to touch the lives of many, as well as learn from those we serve. I have found this work is incredibly meaningful and a critically important part of the functioning and vibrancy of the people of New Orleans. This sentiment was only further solidified by my experience with the point-in-time count.

I volunteered for the time slot from 8pm-2am on Tuesday, January 23^rd. After an hour of training, my team, which was led by an officer who worked for the NOPD Homeless Assistance Unit, hit the streets. We were assigned the Mid-City area and found an encampment of people along the highway overpass as well as in a more wooded area nearby.

The people we met were incredibly friendly and welcomed us into their shelters. These shelters were not merely half-heartedly assembled tents—one in particular was an elevated platform with metal sheeting that had been bolted together to create a barrier from the cold outside. I stepped up and into the shelter and immediately felt relief from the freezing wind. A generator buzzed outside, which enabled the encampment to be lit with multiple lamps and for a heater to create a cozy atmosphere. It was a bit cramped inside as the three people living there allowed all four of us inside to interview them. As I asked the survey questions I gazed around at the flashlights, tool kits, blankets and clothes that occupied the shelter—I couldn’t help but be amazed with how much they were able to do with so little.

After completing the surveys, they offered to introduce us to others in their community—a community where it was made apparent that people looked out for one another and cared deeply for those that needed help. Everyone was more than willing to share their story and contribute to the data collection. They were grateful for the work that we were doing and happy to put forward their knowledge to help our cause.

This experience gave me a fresh perspective of those that Catholic Charities serves every day. Even though we are able to assist this population through our programs, the intimacy of being welcomed into their shelters and learning about their lives was truly inspirational and uplifting.

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Tips from a Counselor

The holiday season is once again upon us, with the brisk weather, warm drinks and all the Christmas cheer and anticipation we could desire. So why do so many of us feel so tired, so down? Whatever you call it – Holiday Blues, Holiday Exhaustion – many of us have a hard time taking care of ourselves over the holiday season and pay the price even long after the festivities have ended.

Make no mistake, while the holiday season can bring immense joy, many are also combatting holiday related stress, loneliness, anxiety and depression. So how do we feel better? How can we effectively deal with these negative and uncomfortable emotions during what feels like it should be a happy time?

The first step – and possibly the most important – is to understand that this is completely normal. None of us is alone in feeling stressed over the responsibilities of the holiday season, the anxiety that comes from knowing you must deal with difficult family members, the loneliness of missing loved ones or any other number of stresses or factors that lead to negative emotions.

Ways to Combat Holiday Stress

The American Psychological Association conducted research on holiday stress and found that over 1 in 3 people experience an increase in stress during the holiday season. While the individuals interviewed expressed that they experienced high levels of happiness, love and high spirits, most of them also reported feelings of fatigue, stress and irritability.

Normal or not, experiencing stress, anxiety and depression is miserable. No one wants to spend more time feeling down than is necessary. Knowing this, how can we get back to a place where we enjoy the holidays?

They key to enjoying the holidays (not just surviving them) starts with caring for yourself. Take time to identify how you’re feeling and give yourself what you need to feel better. Some ideas for self-care are:

• Take time for yourself, but be sure not to become isolated.
• Make sure you’re getting enough rest.
• Reach out to others. Seek out social, community, religious or volunteer opportunities to stay connected.
• Keep your expectations realistic. Families and traditions change and grow. Choose what to keep from year to year and let new traditions develop.
• Learn to say no. Don’t put yourself in a situation that leaves you feeling resentful or overwhelmed.
• Set aside differences. Try to accept family members as they are and wait until another time to air grievances.
• Seek professional help if you need it. Despite all of these strategies, you may continue to feel sad or anxious or experience any number of other negative emotions. If they do not go away, reach out to your doctor or a mental health professional.

Taking Action

If you are experiencing these feelings and have been unable to shake the holiday blues, there are resources available to provide treatment and support. Individual counseling services are available for individuals, couples and families through programs such as Counseling Solutions of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans. Other supports can be located by dialing 211 and speaking with a Via-Link care manager who will identify your needs and refer you to the appropriate services.

In extreme situations, if you feel that you or your family members are in danger of hurting themselves or someone else, call 911 or go to the emergency room for appropriate evaluation and treatment.

The holidays can be a difficult time of year, filled with joy, but also stress and anxiety. With some attention and a little self-care, the holiday season can once again be a time to relish and appreciate.

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