Bishop calls on Catholics to back anti-poverty effort

In a letter read at all Masses in the Albany Diocese last weekend, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard encouraged Catholics to continue their generous support for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD).

"In spite of the prosperity that many Americans enjoy," he noted, "poverty in the United States is on the rise. Nearly 35 million Americans live below the government-established poverty line. One in eight Americans is going hungry, worrying about making the rent payment, foregoing medical care and struggling to break free from poverty."

The Bishop said that Catholics can help to "reverse this trend by rekindling the spirit of community with those in need and by joining in solidarity to break the cycle of poverty."

That is possible, he continued, by working "with other Americans in order to address the root causes of poverty."

Helping the poor

One way of doing so, the Bishop said, is through CCHD, which "since it was established by the bishops in 1969, has worked in our name to help people break the cycle of poverty, not for just a day, but for a lifetime.

"CCHD is committed to helping people change the conditions that keep them living in a state of poverty through increasing educational opportunities and creating jobs."

In the Albany Diocese, he pointed out, "CCHD has awarded more than $2.3 million to 44 projects that have made a difference. Specifically, funds help the Diocesan Public Policy Education Network to promote awareness and education about Catholic social teaching, and contemporary issues of societal and policy importance.

"Through training, participation in legislative forums and a retreat-like experience known as the Journey to Justice, parishioners can learn more about the teachings of the Church and becoming even stronger communities of justice and mercy."

Grants

Other programs in the Diocese have received grants from the CCHD, including:

* United Tenants of Albany, which works for the development of low- and moderate-income housing;

* the Capital District Community Loan Fund, which lends money to minority- and women-owned businesses; and

* ARISE, an ecumenical effort to assist the needy and shape policy in the Capital Region.

Bishop Hubbard told Catholics that "we can bring a lasting end to poverty in our nation if we work together. By carefully administering your generous contributions, CCHD has proven to be a practical and effective expression of the Church's social mission. I hope you will respond to the best of your ability when this year's CCHD collection takes place" on Nov. 20-21.

(For more information about CCHD, call Catholic Charities at 453-6650.)

(11/18/04)