You are invited to join with the
Archdiocese of Louisville for a
Lights for Liberty Vigil to End Human Detention Camps on
Friday, July 12 from
7:45 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. on the steps of the
Cathedral of the Assumption, 433 South 5
th
Street in downtown Louisville.
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Bishop Joe Vásquez, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, are
calling us to action because of our government’s inhumane treatment of our immigrant brothers and sisters:
“We join with our Holy Father Pope Francis in immense sadness, having seen the horrific images of Oscar Martinez and his daughter Angie Valeria who drowned in the Rio Grande Valley while attempting to flee persecution and enter the United States. This image cries to heaven for justice. This image silences politics. Who can look on this picture and not see the results of the failures of all of us to find a humane and just solution to the immigration crisis? Sadly, this picture shows the daily plight of our brothers and sisters. Not only does their cry reach heaven. It reaches us. And it must now reach our federal government.”
This event will feature music, local speakers impacted by our government’s immigration policies, a call to action and the lighting of candles and a few moments of silence to express our concern and solidarity with those detained in the inhumane conditions found on our southern border.
This event is part of Catholic Charities of Louisville’s
Be Golden
Campaign.
Be Golden
draws on all faith traditions to remind us of the importance of treating each other with dignity and respect. The theme is universal, but its focus is on immigrants, with goals to foster empathy and increase recognition that immigration is a human story.
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By Archbishop Joseph Kurtz
Most of you by now have seen sketches of the newly planned Catholic Charities Center that will be on the campus of Holy Name Parish. Some of you may have seen the video that details the dire need for a new facility so that the staff of Catholic Charities can continue to be effective in their work of charity. (If you have not seen the video, it can be viewed
here
.) The buildings that have been used are old and re-purposed, inefficient and inaccessible. A layman who visited the facility recently told me that he needed only five minutes to see the great need for a new Center.
I am grateful to inform you that generosity has come from so many directions to make the campaign a great success at this stage. I want to extend special thanks to Deacon Scott Haner, chair of the Catholic Charities Board of Directors, Lisa DeJaco Crutcher, Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities and the campaign executive committee.
Besides replacing the facilities, the new center will accomplish something much greater. It will become a hub of charity for the local church, which as you know is comprised of 110 parishes stretching from the Ohio River to the Tennessee border. Just as the archdiocesan Pastoral Center has become so accessible to staff and volunteers to support ministries that stretch to every corner of the Archdiocese, so the new Catholic Charities Center will do much of the same.
If you have not already seen my interview with Deacon Scott Haner on the April edition of
Conversations with Archbishop Kurtz
, you can view it (see segment two)
here.
Deacon Scott describes very well the need for a new facility and the reality that this will be a hub touching the lives of the faithful in every corner of the Archdiocese’s 24 counties. In addition, there have been many stories in
The Record
. Please continue to take an interest.
Becoming a hub will not happen accidentally. The staff and board members have made it a priority to reach out and extend services across the city of Louisville and to engage in meaningful dialogue to support the works of charity throughout the 24 counties of the Archdiocese, especially within parishes.
Some of you know that the work of Catholic Charities is dear to my heart. I reviewed
a column that I wrote in September of 2010
in which I detailed not only my commitment to Catholic Charities but my experience over the last 50 years.
In the video that makes the case for the new Catholic Charities Center, I announce that the title of the campaign is “Building A Brighter Future: Calling Those of Goodwill to Care for Many in Need.” As Cardinal Hickey used to say, we serve people through Catholic Charities not because they are Catholic but because we are. That phrase captures the essence of what we are about. Through Catholic Charities, you and I reach out to virtually every human person within the Archdiocese to enhance their human dignity, to lift them up and give them a meaningful direction in their lives. Through Catholic Charities, we provide a brighter future to people young and old.
Catholic Charities, however, also has a great effect on those of us who participate. Through our efforts - whether as volunteers as donors or as prayer partners - we support the work of Catholic Charities and so fulfill the mandate of Jesus to go out into the world and to serve those most in need. “Lord, when did I see you hungry and give you food?” Chapter 25 of the Gospel according to St. Matthew makes it very clear that the work of charity is not optional in our lives. When we reach out to serve others, you and I grow in our generosity and in our likeness to Christ. Thank you for taking an interest in the Catholic Charities Center as a new hub of charity, now and into the future.
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By Sr. Sarah Yungwirth, O.S.B.
Recently, Fr. Peter Do and I had the opportunity to go to Nashville, Tennessee for the Region V Vocation Directors meeting. We were able to connect with Vocation Directors from Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. It was a wonderful experience to network with them and learn from them. We were also able to share with them the good things that are happening in the Archdiocese of Louisville. One of the things we discussed passionately was the desire to create a culture of vocations throughout our dioceses and archdioceses. God is calling women and men to serve Him through lives of holiness and service. God is asking each of us to encourage one another as we strive to discover how God is calling each of us daily to live as his disciples, whatever that may mean for each of us individually.
From this flows the concept of mentoring. We spent a lot of our time together talking about mentoring and accompaniment. Looking at my own life, I think of mentors who guided me and helped me to discover my gifts and talents and how those can be used in service. I thought of the associate pastor at my parish when I was in high school in Maryland, Fr. Jim Proffitt. Fr. Jim saw leadership potential in me and encouraged me to bring those skills to youth group. That experience changed my life and helped my relationship with Christ to blossom in unimagined ways. My youth minister, Karen Gullace, supported me through a big loss in my life and listened to me as I tried to find meaning and purpose in that loss. One of my teachers, Bonnie Pratt, was a listening ear whenever I needed to talk about things with someone who wouldn’t judge. Each of these people were mentors for me in their own way and changed my life. They helped me to begin to discover who I am and how God can be a big part of that through loving presence. There have been many others who have touched me and helped me to grow and become the woman I am today.
Is there anyone in your life that can benefit from some mentoring, support, and encouragement? Is there anyone you know that just needs a listening ear and open heart? Maybe God is speaking to your heart and asking you to reach out to them today. That just might be the blessing that God is desiring to shower on both of you!
Sr. Sarah Yungwirth is Associate Director for Vocations for the Archdiocese of Louisville.
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July 1
@ArchbishopKurtz:
See my blog
for a wonderful talk from the 150th Anniversary Celebration of Little Sisters of the Poor by Mother Provincial Maria Christine Lynch.
June 29
@ArchbishopKurtz:
As we conclude Religious Freedom Week, let us call upon the intercession of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher to inspire us with their courage and wisdom to preserve and defend our religious liberty.
June 23
@ArchbishopKurtz:
Congratulations to newly installed Acolyte, Michael Schay, of St. Catherine in New Haven.
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7/12/2019 7:45 p.m.
7/17/19
(See link for cost/registration)
7/23/19 1:30 p.m.
(See link for registration)
8/5/19 9:00 a.m.
(See link for cost/registration)
8/5/19 1:00 p.m.
(See link for cost/registration)
8/5/19 6:00 p.m.
(See link for registration)
8/6/19 1:00 p.m.
(See link for cost/registration)
8/7/19 11:00 a.m.
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Resources & Recommendations
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This month, we're highlighting some helpful and timely resources for Catholics throughout the Archdiocese. We encourage you to check out the resources below.
Sexual Abuse
Archbishop Kurtz’s “Leadership Briefing” continues to update Catholics about the issue of sexual abuse in the Church. See all editions
here
. In a
recent edition
, Archbishop Kurtz included a detailed Q&A about actions taken with regard to bishop accountability at the June meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Conversations with Archbishop Kurtz
If you missed any episode of Season 10 (September of 2018 to April of 2019) of Archbishop Kurtz’s 30-minute television program,
Conversations
, please
go here
for the topics and a link to each 8-9 minute segment.
Sister Visitor Center Block Party
In honor of 50 years of service to West Louisville, the Sister Visitor Center is
holding a block party
on Wednesday, August 7, 2019, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This will be held on the block of 23
rd
and Market Street in Louisville. All are welcome to this event with food, activities for children, music, and free health screenings. For more information, call Julia Ray at 502-637-9786, ext. 205.
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The Catholic Connection is provided by:
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