Dear Parish Social Minister,

Early bird registration for CCUSA’s upcoming Annual Gathering in Albuquerque ends this upcoming Monday, August 11. Act now to save $100, and be sure to sign up for a three-hour institute on PSM entitled “Building Up Parish Ministry: Overcoming the Poverty of Imagination” (scroll down to “6B”).

Registration is also now open for CCUSA’s annual Applied Institute for Disaster Excellence (AIDE) from December 2-6 in Jacksonville, Florida. There will be a dedicated track for parish-based disaster operations, and a full review of CCUSA’s new PSM disasters toolkit, developed with the support of local agencies and the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation.  

Here are other items of note:

1) Catholic Charities of Baltimore has published a Parish Social Ministry Guidebook with excellent information. It may be accessed here.

2) Bread for the World has released a tool kit of free resources, to assist those communities observing Bread for the World Sunday on a date of their choice.

3) The USCCB has issued a new Prayer Service in Solidarity with Dreamers and Migrants to encourage prayer for immigrants and for policies and communities that welcome them.

4) The Catholic Labor Network is offering short programs on Catholic Social Teaching and social justice, followed by an encounter with workers and worker organizations in your community. Interested? Contact Clayton Sinyai at [email protected].

5) If you are responsible for PSM at a Catholic Charities agency, please complete the PSM Data Survey 2019 at this link. This survey’s data will be unpacked at the three-hour PSM institute at the Annual Gathering.

6) The Catholic Climate Covenant is offering pre-registration for its annual Feast of Saint Francis program entitled “We Are All Connected: Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor.” It encourages parishes to explore integral ecology, environmental and climate justice, and the rights of indigenous communities.

7) All of CCUSA’s parish social ministry resources – foundational documents, webinars and newsletters, and CCUSA’s PSM Leadership Team contact info – are freely and publicly available online.

8) If you have an inspiring or informative story about the work of Catholic Charities, please submit it to the CCUSA Storybank. These stories are used to promote the work of Catholic Charities through the media. Contributing agencies will be credited for approved stories. Email David Werning with questions. 

Do you know of others who would appreciate receiving these emails? Please share with them this link.

Peace,

Scott Hurd

Vice President, Leadership Development and Catholic Identity