• • CCUSA Presents the Washington Weekly
• • Faith and the Common Good
• • Trivia
• • Connections

Overview: The CCUSA Social Policy team welcomed more than 70 leaders to the Catholic Charities Diocesan Directors Spring Gathering, which was held Mar. 20-22. Diocesan directors shared best practices with each other, heard presentations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and participated in meetings with Congressional committees, members of Congress, and Congressional Staff .

Before heading to the halls of Congress for their meetings, Catholic Charities leaders posed for a group picture at St. Peter's Church on Capitol Hill. Founded in 1820, St. Peter's is the second oldest Catholic parish in the City of Washington. (Photo/David Werning)

Economy: In the week ending March 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 191,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week’s unrevised level of 192,000. The 4-week moving average was 196,250, a decrease of 250 from the previous week’s unrevised average of 196,500.

Refugee resettlement: Bill Canny, executive director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Department of Migration and Refugee Services, testified at the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety about the need to bolster the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. In his testimony, Canny noted that the USCCB, working with many Catholic Charities agencies, has served about 17% of people being resettled. Part of his recommendations included the enactment of the Afghan Adjustment Act, which CCUSA has also recommended.

Youth mentoring: CCUSA, with over 400 national, state, and local organizations that advocate for youth and provide mentoring and youth development services, endorsed a letter to the House and Senate Appropriations committees, Subcommittees on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies. The letter urges Congress to increase funding for the Youth Mentoring Program, which is managed by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in the Department of Justice. The funds will support youth-serving organizations such as Catholic Charities agencies throughout the country as they provide critical services for young people.

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Tomorrow, Mar. 25, the Church takes a brief pause from the austerity of the Lenten season to celebrate a wonderful, awe-inspiring moment in salvation history, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.

In this church window depicting the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel appears before Mary to proclaim that she is to be the mother of Jesus. The window is from St. Mary's Church in Willmar, Minn. (CNS photo/Crosiers)

 Like the public statement of marriage vows, religious promises, or any serious commitment between persons that takes a few seconds to say but a lifetime to live, this brief moment of the Annunciation follows years of preparation and anticipation, and it precedes years of fulfillment and hope. But the moment had to happen; the decision had to be made.

 God brought the world to the point when he knew it was ready to receive Jesus, and now what Jesus has accomplished through his incarnation is guided by the Holy Spirit. The Annunciation and all the fruits that flowed from it happened because God was willing to become one of us and one of us – the Blessed Virgin Mary – was willing to cooperate with God.

If we have ever said “yes” to the Lord in our lives, then we can draw strength from that moment, for such moments open us to receive God’s grace and to share it with the world, producing fruit a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold (cf., Mt 13:1-8, 23).

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Q. In terms of the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, what does “Annunciation” refer to?

Please send your answers to [email protected]. 

Last week's question and answer:

Q. What is the title and the first sentence of the best-known writing by St. Patrick?

A. In a wonderful tribute to St. Patrick, a namesake of his – Patrick Reynolds-Berry, chief operations officer at Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio – was first with the right answer: St. Patrick’s Confessio. “My name is Patrick.” Patrick wished everyone a Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

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