Faith. Works. Wonders.: An Insider's Guide to Catholic Charities

by Fred Kammer SJ

Overview

Written in preparation for the 2010 centennial of the national organization Catholic Charities USA, Faith. Works. Wonders. introduces the mission, scope, and impact of Catholic Charities agencies in communities across the nation. This book also describes the work, motivation, and spirituality of the three hundred thousand staff, board members, and volunteers in local Charities agencies; this network composes the largest voluntary social service network in the country. In addition, the author draws on the broad experience of Catholic Charities and his long association with Charities to explain the sometimes-surprising positions of the organization and its leaders in our continuing national discussions on social welfare, faith-inspired organizations, and the appropriate roles of the private and public sectors in promoting the common good and caring for the least fortunate. Within the framework of the registered slogan of Catholic Charities of the archdiocese of Washington DC, the nine chapters in turn lay out Faith-the mission, identity, and power of Catholic Charities rooted in the Scriptures, experience, history, and Catholic thought. Works-the focus of agencies and people on service to people in need, advocacy and empowerment for justice and compassion, and "convening" religious and civic partners to create a better society. Wonders-the who, what, and why of volunteers; the quest for quality and innovation; the stance of determined pluralism in the Church community and public square; and the miracle of virtue and spirituality born in the service of others. Appendices provide 1) an outline of the history of Catholic Charities in the USA dating back to 1727 in the author's hometown of New Orleans, and 2) the principles developed by Catholic Charities and other voluntary-sector leaders for the protection of the sector in this country.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781498274623
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	09/16/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	220
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Fred Kammer, SJ, is Director of the Jesuit Social Research Institute at Loyola University New Orleans and former president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA from 1992 to 2001. An attorney, a Jesuit priest, and an advocate for the poor and powerless, Father Kammer writes personally and passionately to encourage and strengthen those committed to make this a more just and compassionate world. He is author of Doing Faithjustice: An Introduction to Catholic Social Thought (2004) and Salted with Fire: Spirituality for the Faithjustice Journey (2008).

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Part 1 Faith

1 Mission: What We Do and Why 1

2 Catholic Identity: Who We Are and How 31

Part 2 Works

3 Service: "Providing Help. Creating Hope. Transforming Lives." 53

4 Advocacy: Changing Society with and for the Poor 68

5 Convening: Building Communities That Care 85

Part 3 Wonders.

6 Volunteers: The Lifeblood of the Network 105

7 Pluralism: From Jefferson to Obama 120

8 Quality and Innovation: Doing Good as Well as Possible 145

9 Spirituality: Seeing the Divine in Their Midst 161

Appendix A An Historical Outline: Important Dates in the History of Catholic Charities and Catholic Charities USA 187

Appendix B The Profitization of Social Services: Where Do We Set Limits on a Market-driven Social Service System? 193

Index 201