reachingout New Endorsements of Cross Catholic Outreach Highlight Unique Catholic Focus of Charity s Work Cross Catholic Outreach s official Catholic status and collaborative relationship with the Pontifical Council Cor Unum have long distinguished it from other charities seeking support from Catholic donors. This Catholic identity, shaped by the seven bishops and archbishops on Cross Catholic Outreach s board of directors, is also evident in the work the ministry does. Unlike charities that create their own centers and systems for the distribution of aid, Cross Archbishop Myers Bishop Taylor Catholic Outreach empowers the Catholic parishes and ministries already in place overseas. Archbishop John J. Myers recently commended Cross Catholic Outreach for having taken this approach in the British West Indies. The Archdiocese of Newark has a special relationship with the Missio Sui Iuris in the Turks and Caicos Islands. I am deeply grateful for the contributions of your organization to all that we hope to accomplish in our mission, he said, adding,...it is my hope more and more people will discover and support Cross Catholic Outreach s vital missionary commitment. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of Little Rock shared a similar sentiment, writing: It is my hope that many will come to know your organization s work and its outreach to the poorest of the poor and that they will consider inviting one of the Cross Catholic Outreach Priests to visit their parish for a weekend. The Outreach Priests mentioned by Bishop Taylor are missionary speakers who visit U.S. parishes to share the story of Cross and its programs for the poor. As a result, many have learned about the dramatic work Catholic priests and nuns are doing overseas. Bishop David D. Kagan of Bismarck also encouraged Cross to spread the word in Catholic parishes in the U.S., Your manifest good works in the name of Christ Jesus and His Church provides all of us with that invaluable example of Christlike love and mercy for the poor, he said. I look forward to offering you opportunities to inform our Catholic faithful of what Cross does and how they may assist your works of mercy with their prayers and generosity. Endorsing Cross Catholic Outreach gave story continued on page six Cross Catholic Outreach Displays Solidarity With Year of Faith Goals and Objectives The upcoming Year of Faith is an opportunity for Catholics to experience a conversion to turn back to Jesus and enter into a deeper relationship with him. The door of faith is opened at one s baptism, and we are now called to renew the missionary spirit to spread the Gospel, which all of us received at the time of our baptism into the Church. The New Evangelization calls each of us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel message and go forth to proclaim the Gospel. The focus of the New Evangelization calls all Catholics to be evangelized and then go forth to evangelize others. Cross Catholic Outreach is promoting the Year of Faith and the New Evangelization in our integral development toward missionaries in the field. Our projects and charity are directly linked to the spiritual dimension of each person and we are emphasizing the social teachings of the Catholic Church and her linking of those with charity and faith as Pope Benedict stressed in his first Encyclical: Deus Caritas Est. The New Evangelization invites each Catholic to renew their relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church. Cross Catholic Outreach joins with the Church worldwide in proclaiming this Year of Faith and the New Evangelization. page five
speakingup Endorsing Bishops Commend Cross For Its Catholic Focus, Mission story continued on page six Bishop Kagan Bishop Ronald P. Herzog of Alexandria an opportunity to explain his unique, personal link to the charity. In August of 2005 Hurricane Katrina devastated much of South Louisiana. There was an influx of evacuees sheltered in our parish halls here in Central Louisiana, he wrote. Cross Catholic Outreach hastened to our aid with monetary support to assist. I wish to thank and commend you and your confreres who have dedicated their lives to feed, shelter and care for the poorest of the poor. May God continue to bless you. Similarly, Bishop Joseph A. Galante of Camden included a blessing in his endorsement of Cross Catholic Outreach. He wrote: In my prayer, I ask Our Lord to continue to bless the work of Cross Catholic Outreach and all those who work so hard Bishop Morlino Bishop Herzog with you to carry out your mission. May God continue to bless you and guide you. For two other bishops, Cross Catholic Outreach s support of the greater Catholic mission were also mentioned. This was motivating to the ministry s president, James Cavnar, who believes this unity of purpose enhances Cross Catholic Outreach. We were thrilled when the Year of Faith was announced, and we have been looking for ways to lift up its messages and activities, Cavnar said. There is so much we Catholics can accomplish when we work together on this and other important spiritual goals. Speaking to this point, Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison endorsed Cross Catholic Outreach by saying: I was especially impressed by your emphasis upon providing integrated care to the poor and needy. Working in this way, I would think, should increase the possibility of long-term success in an area, and respect both the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity. Bishop Joseph J. Tyson of Yakima offered a similar perspective in his endorsement, saying: It is my hope the [U.S.] clergy will familiarize themselves with Cross... and share Cross message with their parishioners. Knowledge of Cross exceptional work to aid the poor can help parishioners achieve a deeper awareness of the need in the developing world and to develop a true missionary spirit and spirit of the New Evangelization. Bishop Galante Bishop Tyson is published by Cross Catholic Outreach. No portion of its content may be reproduced without the expressed consent of Cross Catholic Outreach. Contact us at: 561-392-9212 President... James Cavnar Editor...Msgr. Ted Bertagni Comm. Director... Robyn Lees page six
Cross Catholic Outreach s Bi-Annual Newsletter Fall/Winter 2012 Cross Catholic Outreach s Support of Salesian Nuns In Mexico Brings New Hope to Children in a Desperate Situation Cross Catholic Outreach has expanded its ministry to the Catholic Church in the Province of Chiapas, Mexico by working with the Salesian Sisters, who operate two schools in Tuxtla Gutierrez. The project is a perfect example of Cross Catholic Outreach s overall mission because it empowers an existing Catholic ministry for the benefit of poor. This Catholic mission is having a tremendous impact in Mexico. Our goal is to help them achieve even more, explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach. It s an approach that makes the most of the Catholic ministries already at work overseas. The Province of Chiapas, Mexico is in extreme need. There are few services available to the poor. Most of the area lacks infrastructure, there is limited access to even basic healthcare, schools in the rural area are scarce, and high levels of unemployment are common. Even by global standards, the poor in Chiapas would be placed at the lowest rungs of the social ladder due to their illiteracy and lack of job training. This extreme level of poverty is reflected in their living conditions. Most of the indigenous people live in houses fashioned from wood slats and mud. They sleep on dirt floors. As many as eight to ten people share one small room. Many families also face hardships locating sufficient food and safe water. They typically collect water from a nearby stream or some contaminated source, making the simple acts of cooking, cleaning and drinking a risk for illness. Many will never enjoy the convenience of electricity; they live a much more primitive existence. In this world of poverty, generation after generation suffers. Children s minds waste away for lack of stimulation and opportunity. School is out of the question for children who need to work alongside their parents in order to buy a daily meal. Young girls, especially those from indigenous communities, barely stand a chance of survival, let alone success, in this environment. Girls are kept home from school more often than boys, and their poor families will sometimes arrange a forced marriage at an early age so there s one less mouth to feed. For many girls in Chiapas, there was no escape until the Salesian Sisters came to the area. The Salesian Homes for Girls represent both a sanctuary and a source of new hope for these children. When the girls come to the Salesian Sisters seeking refuge, many are experiencing abuse at home or hardships from living on the streets. At the Home, they experience the joy of having their physical and spiritual needs met for the first time in their lives. They gain greater access to nutritious foods, safe water, clean clothing and health care. Under the protective wing of the sisters, painful memories of the perilous lives they once lived begin to fade away. story continued on page two page one
story continued from page one Cross Catholic Outreach Brings New Hope to Mexico s Poor Young Girls Rescued From Poverty and Given New Hope Through Salesian Outreach In addition to providing this wonderful new environment, the sisters place a high emphasis on providing the girls with a solid education. They ensure that every girl attends classes and does well at the public schools she attends. To achieve this goal, the sisters offer individualized tutoring to help the girls excel in their classes. When the children at the Home graduate from high school, many have an opportunity to attend an institution of higher learning or to participate in vocational training. For most of the girls, especially those from indigenous communities, this help is essential to further their education. With just their families resources, they would never have this opportunity or the potential for a better life that comes with it. Perhaps the most important component of life at the Salesian Homes for Girls is the spiritual formation it provides. While the girls education is provided through public schools, their Catholic training is directed by the Sisters. The Sisters help the girls strengthen their faith and grow up as moral woman ready to follow Christ s teachings. This aspect of the Holy Father s New Evangelization is a key element to the ministries that Cross supports. The teachings of Salesian Sisters, Priests, and Brothers founder St. John Bosco are also taught, particularly the spiritual values of faith, prayer, love, hope, and works of mercy, Cross Catholic Outreach is thrilled to be a part of this mission. The Salesian Sisters in Chiapas are truly witnessing the mission of the Salesian Order by educating young people, especially the poor, Jim Cavnar said. With so many girls at risk in Chiapas, the sisters simply couldn t turn away from their urgent need, and neither could Cross Catholic. For example, we are committed to providing nutritious food for more than 85 young women at the Salesian Homes for Girls in Tuxtla Gutierrez. These meals will help the girls recover from the malnutrition they suffered before arriving at the home. The nutrition supplied will also help them stay healthy and focused in school. Ultimately, Cavnar is confident their future will be bright. Thanks to the sisters, these girls are now likely to escape the poverty that has impacted their families for generations, he said. Those who have donated to Cross Catholic Outreach and supported our Outreach Priest program have made that possible. Like the sisters, they are the heroes in this story. With continued support, we hope to do even more in Mexico in the years ahead. missionupdate page two
reachingout Cross Recognized For Supporting Holy Father s Mandates On New Evangelization and Charity Cross Catholic Outreach has a unique role in the promotion of the faith in developing nations. We maintain a close collaboration with the Holy Father s Pontifical Council Cor Unum which is charged with promoting the faith and good works of the Pope around the globe, explained Bishop Sam Jacobs, Chairman of the Board of Cross Catholic Outreach. This has allowed us to work together on a variety of major projects, including several relief efforts to help victims of earthquakes, floods, famines and other natural disasters. Vatican representatives from Cor Unum have called the collaboration unprecedented and unique. Cross Catholic Outreach describes it as inspiring and effective. In recent months, we have become even more excited about the opportunities, Cavnar said. New objectives are underway and new avenues of collaboration are opening up for us. Cardinal Robert Sarah, the President of Cor Unum, recently described Cross Catholic Outreach as a model for all Catholic charitable organizations because it so effectively accomplishes the Holy Father s mandates on new evangelization and charity. All of Cross Catholic Outreach s projects seek to promote the Faith through charitable activities in existing dioceses and religious communities. The collaboration is one that has many benefits among them, it strengthens the greater Catholic Church community. Cross Catholic Outreach is also unique in terms of leadership. It is directed by a Board of Directors comprised of 7 Bishops and Archbishops, and Cardinal O Brien serves as its Patron. As a result, Cross Catholic Outreach is listed in the National Catholic Directory as an approved ministry in the Palm Beach Diocese. Our role in the Catholic Community continues to expand. For example, we recently assisted the Conference of Catholic Bishops Latin American outreach by helping fund projects for them. Through efforts like these, we hope to witness the gospel and advance the directives of the Holy Father both here in the United States and abroad, Bishop Jacobs explained. During the past year, Cross Catholic Outreach took on one if its most ambitious projects for Cor Unum, helping to fund a Jim Cavnar & Cardinal Robert Sarah major medical center in Kenya at the request of the Holy Father. Next year, another significant effort is planned. In collaboration with Cor Unum, Cross Catholic Outreach expects to build a church and a neighborhood of homes for the poor in the Diocese of St. Rose of Lima in Guatemala. We are very blessed to be promoters of the Catholic Faith through these projects as well as the many other programs we support throughout the world, Cavnar said. Our goal is to empower the Church, not duplicate its efforts. All of our works of charity and evangelization are tied to that basic premise. We strive to be a part of the Catholic Church s efforts to spread the Good News, working side by side to promote the Catholic faith. Work has steadily progressed on this new medical clinic for the poor in Kenya. The project is one of dozens of special collaborative efforts undertaken by Cor Unum and Cross Catholic Outreach since 2003. The buildings being constructed will be staffed to offer urgently needed medical care to a community struggling under the burden of severe poverty. page three
newprograms World Food Day Student Participants of St. Rose St. Mary s Parishes and School of Clintonville & Bear Creek, WI, The Diocese of Green Bay Cross Catholic s World Food Day Event Unites Catholic Youth Nationwide As part of its mission to promote the Church s call for New Evangelization and the Year of Faith, Cross Catholic Outreach is working with Catholic Schools throughout the United States, helping students understand the problem of World Hunger. One of its successful projects highlighted by the Parish and Community Development staff at Cross highlighted World Food Day, which was established in 1979 and has since become a significant way of attracting attention to hunger issues and the needy people in the world who struggle with malnutrition. As part of its outreach, Cross contacted all of the Catholic Schools both grade schools and High Schools and asked them to participate in this initiative. Nearly 100 schools agreed and took creative approaches to supporting the cause leading up to World Food Day s commemoration on October 16th. The outreach was a great success, with about 26,000 students pledging to participate, explained Pam Lear, Director of Cross Catholic Outreach s Parish and Community Development Department. Of course, they took a spiritual perspective on the event, turning it into a special day of prayer and provision for the hungry around the globe. It was wonderful to see so many young Catholics focusing on this urgent need. They demonstrated their compassion for children who suffer for lack of the basic necessities of life. The facts are undeniable malnutrition may be a serious issue within America, but it is a tragic way of life in many of the developing countries in the world. According to recent statistics, a child dies from hunger-related causes every seven seconds. One billion people go hungry every day. World Hunger Day is about increasing awareness of this fact and helping alleviate hunger everywhere it is found, said Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach. By educating Catholic youth about the issues facing the poor and encouraging them to respond through the practice of their Faith, we hope to help them become more active in the corporal works of mercy. On World Food Day, Cross is calling Catholic youth to unite and become the hands and feet of Christ. In many of the participating schools, a general assembly was held to offer prayer and provision for the hungry. Most read Matthew 25:35 and explained how they would reinforce the message of Jesus in a meaningful way. Our program suggested the children light 10 candles to represent ten facts about world hunger and pledge to help end the terrible impact of malnutrition on other children in the world, Pam Lear explained. Each student was then asked to donate a minimum of one dollar to help alleviate hunger. Even the smallest gifts matter, they learned. For example, each dollar page four Gerald Wood, Student contributed can provide four life-saving meals or allows Cross Catholic Outreach to ship 25 donated meals. The students also receive a bracelet to commemorate their role in this year s World Food Day. The youth of our Parishes are the future. It is important that they see themselves as part of the Universal Church and that they understand how each of our individual gifts fits into the greater Catholic mission we share, Cavnar said. Our goal is to promote this day every year and involve all Catholic youth, whether through Catholic Schools or in religious education classes. It is part of the movement for the New Evangelization of the Church and Cross is very pleased to be a part of this effort. For more information about programs like the World Food Day outreach, contact Pam Lear, Director of Church and Community Development, (954) 657-9000, ext.172