In particular, over 6,000 Women Religious have been playing a pivotal role in this effort.
This is not an isolated occurrence. The Catholic Church helps care for people in need throughout the world, including through Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its Catholic Charities agencies in dioceses around the globe.
Catholic Relief Services
For 75 years, CRS has been providing expertise and compassion to the very poorest of our brothers and sisters in more than 100 countries.
CRS carries out the commitment of the Catholic bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. CRS is motivated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to cherish, preserve, and uphold the sacredness and dignity of all human life, foster charity and justice, and embody Catholic social and moral teaching.
CRS promotes human development by responding to major emergencies, fighting disease and poverty, and nurturing peaceful and just societies.
As part of the universal mission of the Catholic Church, CRS works with local, national, and international Catholic institutions and structures, as well as other organizations, to assist people on the basis of need, not creed, race, or nationality.
Find out more about the work of CRS on its website, www.crs.org
Catholic Charities Madison
In the Diocese of Madison, Catholic Charities Madison reaches out to help those in need as the agency proclaims on its website (https://catholiccharitiesofmadison.org): “The presence of Catholic Charities ensures the Church provides help to those in need in the Diocese of Madison. Hope is reflected in the faces of those who would have gone hungry; people who are homeless; those who are challenged by disabilities or transitions of aging; individuals, families, and children in need of mental health counseling; and the men and women seeking help with alcohol or drug abuse. These and many others are served through the programs of Catholic Charities.”
Catholic Charities has been serving individuals and families of all faiths in the Diocese of Madison since 1946. In the past, the agency has assisted people involved in natural disasters. Currently, the agency is planning to help flood victims in southwestern Wisconsin.
I encourage people to help those coping with flooding on a personal level, but also consider giving an extra donation to Catholic Charities directly or through a collection in participating parishes. This is yet another way to live out the Corporal Works of Mercy.