Catholic Charities official logo

Catholic Charities is a worldwide network of charities whose aim is to "reduce poverty, support families, and empower communities."^[1] It is one of the largest charities in the United States.^[2] Catholic Charities traces its origin to an orphanage founded in 1727 in New Orleans, Louisiana by the French Ursulines Sisters.

Catholic Charities, USA (CCUSA), with headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, was founded in 1910 as the National Conference of Catholic Charities. More than 1,700 agencies, institutions and organizations make up the Catholic Charities network - including individual organizations of the dioceses, such as the Archdiocese of Chicago. Nearly 90 cents of every dollar donated to Catholic Charities agencies goes directly to programs and services.^[3] In 2008, Catholic Charities agencies served over 8 million individuals.

Together, with the local, diocesan associated Catholic Charities, it is the second largest social service provider in the United States, only surpassed by the Federal Government. Often, this means that the CCUSA network is able to provide assistance which other agencies are unable to provide or in circumstances where other assistance is insufficient to provide the necessary aid.

Arcadia, FL, August 29, 2004 -- A Catholic Relief Charities volunteer cooks burgers for residents affected by Hurricane Charley

[edit] Services controversy

In 2006, Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley and leaders of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston formally announced the agency would terminate its adoption work rather than comply with long standing state law prohibiting discrimination against gays. The Archdiocese had petitioned then governor Mitt Romney earlier that year for an exemption to the law (which he had no power to grant) and also considered a court challenge before ultimately abandoning the idea. ^[4]

A similar situation arose in Washington DC in November 2009 around a proposed same-sex marriage law with Catholic Charities saying they would withdraw from their social services contracts with the city if it was implemented.^[5]

[edit] References

1. ^ Catholic Charities mission statement
2. ^ "The 200 Largest US Charities". Forbes. 2007-11-21. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2005/14/Revenue_1.html. Retrieved 2008-02-16. 
3. ^ About Catholic Charities
4. ^ "Catholic Charities stuns state, ends adoptions" (in English) (html). Boston Globe. 2006-03-11. pp. 2. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/03/11/catholic_charities_stuns_state_ends_adoptions. Retrieved 2006-08-25. 
5. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/12/AR2009111210789.html?hpid=topnews

[edit] See also

• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami

[edit] External links

• Catholic Charities - official website

http://www.clevelandcatholiccharities.org - Cleveland Catholic Charities

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