Advocacy at Catholic Charities

In response to the teachings of Jesus Christ, the mission of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Saint Louis is:

•  To serve people in need, especially those who are poor and vulnerable
•  To work to improve social conditions for all people in the community
•  And to call members of the Church and community to do the same

Our efforts of advocacy then stem from our mission to serve, improve and to call—to be the face of Christ to all and to put our faith into action in service of one another, especially the poor and those in need. We have the highest example of this in Jesus, at the Last Supper, kneeling, and washing the feet of the apostles. We are called us to a life of service.

We seek to educate and call all our brothers and sisters to not only serve those in need, but to help change the social conditions that, if changed, can work towards alleviating poverty, and help others to be all they can be and to reach their God-given potential. We work to engage parishes and assist them to actively engage in changing public policy and laws to better serve those in need.

We work with legislators to help them work towards solving the crucial issues in our society, to see those in need not as problems to be solved, but as those created in God’s image--our brothers and sisters who need public policies that respect the dignity of the human person and work towards an end to poverty.

Pope Benedict XVI in Deus Caritas Est calls us to see that “love for widows, orphans, prisoners, and the sick and the needy of every kind, is as essential to [the Church] as the ministry of the sacraments and the preaching of the Gospel.” He states, “Charity must animate the entire lives of lay faithful and therefore also their political activity, lived as ‘social charity.’”

All of us have a role in making a difference for those in need because it flows from our faith and baptismal call, and as our bishops state in Faithful Citizenship, “In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.”

We invite you to join us in our efforts to serve God and our sisters and brothers and to be the face of Christ. Here are some ways you can get involved:

• Email us and ask to be put on our list for legislative advocacy.
• Be a part of a social concerns or social justice group at your parish or help start one. We will help you.
• Consider attending or getting a JustFaith group going at your parish. Call us for more information.
• Invite us to talk to your parish about opportunities to get involved with legislative advocacy.

Patrick Dougherty
Senior Director of Advocacy
pdougherty@ccstl.org
314.367.5500 x 1148