Thank you to everyone who helped with the hurricane supply collection at St. Clement of Rome. See below information on the collection on the Northshore November 7-9 and an updated list of items needed.

The Archdiocese of New Orleans is reaching out to support our sisters and brothers affected by Hurricane Michael by collecting much needed relief supplies. Below are the times, locations and list of items needed. A truck will be placed at Northshore Catholic Pastoral Center on the following days and times so you can drop of the supplies.

Drop Off Location:  Northshore Catholic Pastoral Center , 4465 HWY 190 East Service Rd, Covington, LA 70433

Drop off Times: 

• Wednesday, November 7, 2018:     9:00 AM till 2:00 PM
• Thursday, November 8, 2018:       12:00 PM till 6:00 PM
• Friday, November 9, 2018:            9:00 AM till 2:00 PM

Items Needed:

NO Clothing and NO Household Items Please (will not be collecting)

NO Water (do not need at this time)
Cleaning Supplies (Priority)- Trash Bags, Brooms, Mops, Disinfectant Wipes, Bleach, Laundry & Dish Detergent
Kitchen Starter Kits (Plates, Glasses, Utensils)
Gloves
Pet Supplies
Baby Food, Diapers & Pull Ups (in need of size 5-7)
Baby Sunblock & Bug Spray
Diaper Rash Cream & Ointment
Paper Towels & Toilet Paper
Flashlights, Lanterns, Solar Lanterns
Batteries
Hammers & Duct Tape
Sunscreen, Hand Sanitizer & Bug Spray
Toiletries- Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Wet wipes, Deodorant, Dry Shampoo, Conditioner, Razors
Underwear & Depends

We are coordinating with Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida to deliver the supplies to the most needed impact areas. The items will be sent to a Catholic church in the impact zone. Thank you for reaching out in their time of need.

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In his message for Lent last year, Pope Francis said, “Let us pray for one another so that, by sharing in the victory of Christ, we may open our doors to the weak and poor. Then, we will be able to experience and share the full joy of Easter.”

During this Lenten season, inspired by this call to prayer, we here at Catholic Charities are uniting with our brothers and sisters in the community during our Lenten campaign: Unity through Prayer.

This year, in addition to giving up something for Lent such as chocolate or fast food, our staff is donating to Catholic Charities the money they would have spent purchasing those things as part of our Unity through Prayer Lenten campaign!

In preparation for this campaign, our staff decorated milk cartons to house their weekly donations using the campaign title as inspiration. The result was a miniature community made up of churches, synagogues, mosques—all places of prayer!

We invite you to please join with our Catholic Charities staff in prayer, fasting, sacrifice and almsgiving throughout the forty days of Lent. A weekly, monthly or one-time gift to Catholic Charities provides unrestricted funds which support all 30 of our programs.

We also invite you to use our template to construct your own milk carton collection box!

Your gift provides pre-school education for children in need, care for the physically and developmentally disabled, shelter for the homeless and so much more. In the past year, the generous support of our donors enabled Catholic Charities to serve more than 76,000 individuals in need. When you support Catholic Charities this Lent and join us in prayer and sacrifice, you foster hope in our community and open our hearts and doors to the weak and poor. 

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Idoshia Gordon was struggling with a feeling that her life was lacking something. An empty nester, she came home from work around 1:00 each afternoon to a big, empty house.

To fill her time, her home and her heart, she began fostering children through the Department of Child & Family Services (DCFS). She found the work immensely rewarding, but she knew had more to give.

Years earlier, her mother had suffered a severe stroke, leaving her with a feeding tube and other medical equipment. Idoshia took her in and cared for her. Having this experience as a skilled nurse, she made the decision to begin fostering medically needy children through Catholic Charities’ Therapeutic Family Services program.

Therapeutic Family Services (TFS) matches children with moderate to severe emotional, behavioral, or developmental problems, or medically fragile children with families who provide specialized foster care. TFS foster parents work with social workers and a team of medical professionals who develop a treatment plan to help reunite the child with their family if possible or to find them a permanent home if not.

Idoshia believes programs like TFS that specifically address the needs of medically fragile foster children are important because when a child is in foster care and they have these medical problems, there needs to be somewhere for them to go other than an institution.

Her favorite part of the work is watching the children grow and improve. “They come into my home and their health improves. They get a better quality of life,” she says of her time with the foster children. “I just love it. I love to see them get better and go back home if they can.” 

For the past 22 years, Idoshia has been welcoming children into her home, helping them learn, grow and develop until a time when they can return back to their own homes.

She finds the work rewarding and encourages other empty nesters like herself to consider volunteering as foster parents if they’re able, especially to medically needy children.

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We’re excited to share that on December 30, 2017, we surpassed our annual Archbishop Hannan Community Appeal campaign goal of $1.82 million! This is the first time in recent history that we’ve reached the campaign’s goal by year’s end. This wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated support and generosity of donors and volunteers like you!

Gifts to the campaign raise crucial undesignated funds that allow Catholic Charities to respond swiftly, effectively and compassionately in times of crisis, disaster and great need. In 1965, the campaign was founded by Archbishop Philip M. Hannan in response to Hurricane Betsy and the overwhelming needs of our city’s poor.

Today, the campaign raises funds for many of the same needs still facing our community: housing, healthcare, education, emergency response and more. Thanks to your generosity, we’re able to serve more than 75,000 men, women and children annually including the homeless, hungry, elderly, at-risk youth, pregnant women, formerly incarcerated individuals and so many more in need.

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Catholic Charities’ Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) promotes the health, independence and dignity of senior citizens by enabling them to live in their homes and communities as long as medically and socially feasible. It’s a comprehensive healthcare program that includes an adult day health center, primary and specialty physician care, medications, rehabilitative therapy, personal care services and transportation.

On the way to a participant’s home one cold winter morning, a PACE nurse noted the number of homeless people. She commented, “I wish I could go and feed them. That’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

“Let’s do it,” Lynette Gordon, PACE’s Director of Clinical and Day Center Services, replied.

Last month, PACE’s staff did just that. Partnering with Piccadilly, the group served hot meals and distributed goodie bags containing socks, scarves, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other essentials to over 125 homeless men and women in our community. 

Although the day was cold and rainy, the group was excited to deliver food and essentials to the less fortunate. They were so excited that they had enough staff for two different shifts. 

“It’s the true meaning of why we are placed here on Earth. We are our brother’s keepers,” Gordon said of the event.

Moved by the joy this simple act brought, PACE has decided to make it a regular event. They’ll be back on the streets with more food and toiletries after Mardi Gras.

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Dear Friends of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans,

Recently I was asked, “What does Catholic Charities do on a daily basis?” How does one give a simple answer to that question? An answer that would be accurate and satisfying? 

My response is simple: each day, Catholic Charities strives to be the hands and heart of Jesus to those in need. Through our many programs we seek to provide help and give hope to the most vulnerable in our community. 

We at Catholic Charities are marking down the days of our December calendar as we celebrate the holiest of Seasons! We have much to be thankful for including our faith, our freedom and our families. Catholic Charities is especially thankful for our many donors who support our programs and services. It is through their generosity and continued support that CCANO can and does provide help and give hope each and every day!

In celebrating Christmas, we are reminded that God, Our Father and Creator, gives us the greatest gift, His Son, Jesus. Jesus is sent by the Father to give us hope and provide help to us in our earthly journey.

May each of you and the members of your family enjoy the fullness of Christmas blessings today and throughout the New Year!

God bless you,

Sr. Marjorie Hebert, MSC
President & CEO

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John the Baptist was a messenger of God. John proclaimed a message of repentance in order for sins to be forgiven. People believed what he proclaimed. They repented of their sins and were baptized by John in the Jordan River. His message didn’t stop there. John assured that one mightier than he was coming after him and that he would baptize with the Holy Spirit instead of just with water. This is the good news of the Gospel.

Martin Gutierrez lights the third candle on the Advent wreath, the Shepherds Candle.

Do I have the courage, the conviction, and the faith that John demonstrated? Our times are not much different than the times of John the Baptist. We must proclaim a message of repentance and of love. However, it seems that we all need a reminder of what sin is.  It seems that society has blurred our vision making it possible for us not to see the reality of sin. Sin leads us astray from God; it is an offense against him. Sin makes our hearts turn away from God. Just like the people who listened to John, who recognized the areas of their lives that needed to be transformed, we must do the same. Let’s pray that God will grant us the wisdom to recognize what is good and what is evil, what is right and what is wrong. 

During Advent we await the coming of the Lord. Too many of us seem to be searching for Christ without realizing that Christ is not far from us. He might just be waiting at the next crossroad hoping that we leave behind the twisted roads and take the straight paths that lead to him. We don’t have to wait for Lent to do an assessment of our lives to determine what areas are being impacted by sin and take the steps necessary to be reconciled with God. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a special gift that Christ gives to us through the Church. Through this sacrament our sins are forgiven, and we are granted special graces to help us with the battle against evil and the strength to be like John the Baptist, messengers of God. Advent offers an opportunity for us to reflect on our brokenness and open ourselves spiritually so we can be prepared to receive God’s mercy, and celebrate with joy the birth of the Lord while proclaiming the good news of the Gospel. 

Martin Gutierrez is the Division Director over Immigration & Refugee Services, Education Services, Housing & Homelessness, Deaf Action Center and Domestic Violence Legal Services.

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