Helping -- and being -- 'Jesus in disguise'

Victims of persecution, war and natural disasters. People suffering from harsh living conditions. The poor, the powerless and the voiceless.

Those are among the people Catholic Relief Services (CRS) calls "Jesus in disguise," and Catholics will get the opportunity to reach out to them this weekend, March 17-18, through CRS' annual collection.

CRS is the overseas aid agency funded by American Catholics.

Following Jesus

"In the story of the Last Judgment, Jesus reminds us to care for those in need," wrote Bishop Howard J. Hubbard in a pulpit letter read to Catholics at Masses last weekend. "If we ignore those who are hungry, thirsty, ill, without clothes, strangers or in prison, we turn away from Christ.

"When we act with compassion, generosity, and commitment to justice for the 'least among us,' we act as His true disciples. The Catholic Relief Service collection helps us to achieve this."

Catholics in the Albany Diocese and across the country are encouraged to contribute to the work of the relief organization, which provides humanitarian assistance to areas suffering from natural disasters and armed conflict, and which contributes to development projects in 99 countries.

Helping out

Recently, CRS has been on the front lines in such areas as:

* physical assistance of tents, food and housing to 130,000 in the Kashmir region of Asia with recovering from a fall 2005 earthquake, with three million people still affected;

* resettlement of refugees from war-torn countries;

* legal services for immigrants through the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC); and

* advocacy in Congress for Haiti, which resulted in an extra $40 million in foreign aid being sent to the country.

In the past few years, CRS has also provided assistance to people in need in Afghanistan, Liberia, Colombia, Israel, Palestine and Sudan.

More to do

The collection also supports peace initiatives, efforts to increase international solidarity, projects aiming to remove the root causes of poverty and hunger, ventures that aim at the reunification of refugee families across borders, and advocacy on behalf of public policies that protect poor and vulnerable citizens.

Last year, more than $11 million distributed to CRS projects across the world.

"Our Gospel call as Catholics is to reach out and care for each other," Bishop Hubbard said. "The theme, 'Jesus in disguise,' reminds us that Christ is present in those who suffer -- and in those who respond compassionately to their needs. For all your support of the collection, I am most grateful."

(3/15/07) [[In-content Ad]]