Community awareness opens doors for global relief programs
By Erick Rommel
Head Staff Writer
Christina Leslie
Correspondent
One of the biggest obstacles for any charitable organization is to inform its community about what it does and how they can help. Catholic Relief Services of Metuchen took steps in that direction by creating CRS Day, celebrated in Sacred Heart Parish, New Brunswick, Oct. 2.
A variety of speakers spoke about initiatives designed to assist those in need and the role that the people of New Jersey play in that process.
Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski spoke about his trip to Diocese of Santa Rosa, Guatemala, earlier this year as a member of a CRS delegation. “Although these people had nothing, I and the rest of the group were welcomed into their homes and fed,” he remembered.
The Diocese of Santa Rosa only has 17 priests, but the community is very faithful with more than 700 lay ministers assisting the people in worship. Its bishop, Julio Bethancourt, attended CRS Day as part of a reciprocal visit to the Diocese of Metuchen. Bishops Bootkoski and Bethancourt concelebrated Mass to begin the day, which was also the Feast of Guardian Angels.
During his homily, Bishop Bethancourt likened the actions of CRS to those of guardian angels. “Catholic Relief Services acted in response to Jesus’ plea to his disciples to clothe, feed and care for others,” he said, adding that they exemplified Jesus’ statement, “What you do for the least of my brothers you do for me.”
Father Raul Monterroso, who accompanied Bishop Bethancourt to the United States, recalled the difference that CRS made eight years ago. “After Hurricane Mitch in 1996, many people were in need,” he recalled. “Now we have water treatment facilities and other projects to support agriculture in the small villages.”
“Jesus asked us to share what we have,” Bishop Bootkoski said, “share the goodness of what God has given us.”
Other speakers throughout the day exemplified that message.
Michael Sheridan, Fair Trade Program officer from CRS Baltimore explained his program, which encourages the sale of coffee from companies who described how growing up in Irvington surrounded by the poor led him to realize that the core of Catholic teaching was service. That awareness gave him the strength to reach his goal, despite a year and a half without pay while building his company.
As a result of his hard work and dedication to the immigrant population, New Labor recently received a grant from the CCHD. The money will give New Labor the freedom to expand programs for its 800 members, including English as a second language, computer, nutrition and occupational health classes.
Also receiving a CCHD grant was the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, represented by Kate Atkins. ACORN organizes low- and moderate income individuals to build community organizations seeking social justice through direct action, negotiation and voter participation.
After receiving recognition for their achievements, Cunningham and Atkins joined the audience and served as translators for Bishop Julio Bethancourt and Father Raul Monterroso, both visiting from the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Guatemala. Their parish partnered with Nativity of our Lord Parish, Monroe Township, as part of CRS’ Fair-Trade Coffee project. The parish received an Operation Rice Bowl grant from Catholic Relief Services Metuchen to pay small South African farmers a fair continued from page 3 wage for their crops, which are then resold to members of the parish.
Also recognized for receiving ORB grants during the past year were Sarajevo Archdiocese Caritas Meals on Wheels Program, Sarajevo, Bosnia, and five local parishes or organizations; St. Cecelia Parish, Iselin; St. James Parish, Woodbridge; St. Joseph Parish, Carteret; Delaware Valley Council of Churches, Lambertville, and the Warren Food Pantry of the Catholic Charities Social Service Center, Phillipsburg.
The CRS Metuchen team created the ORB Grants Program to support food security and global solidarity initiatives in the diocese. Twenty-five percent of the funds stay in the diocese while the remainder supports CRS development projects overseas.
Combined, all seven grants issued through the ORB Grants Program represent $10,525. Funding for the grants comes from the annual Rice Bowl collection taken up in parishes during Lent each year.
Five parishes were recognized during the dinner for collecting the most funds in 2004; St. Helena Parish, Edison; St. Bartholomew Parish, East Brunswick; Sacred Heart Parish, New Brunswick; St. James Parish, Basking Ridge, and St. Augustine Parish, Kendall Park.
Father Joseph J. Kerrigan, Sacred Heart Parish administrator, who is also diocesan director of CCHD and administrator of Catholic Relief Services Metuchen, likened CRS and its grant recipients to first responders in the fight against poverty and injustice, calling it a group looking for root causes rather than quick fixes.
The connection between Catholic
Charities and CRS and CCHD was also
recognized with the newly established“Partner in Charity” award
given to Judy Revoir, office manager at Catholic Charities
Family Service Center, Edison, for her
work with the Fair-Trade Coffee Project.
*The attached/referenced article was originally published in The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen, and is protected under U.S. and international copyright law