Ju ly/August 2015

U . S . O p e r a t i o n s D i v i s i o n

Volume 13 I ssue 4

Please click on the story you wish to read below

God’s Power Touches Young Hearts

2016 CRS Lenten Speakers

WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THIS ISSUE

New Resources for Catechetical Sunday, connecting the Sacraments to Global Solidarity, Lesson Plans and more

Angel Calvin

You Did It For Me Stevie Coppola

You Matter to CRS

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH PROGRAMS IN THE U.S.

CRS Rice Bowl Newsletter Jennifer Maez

CRS Fair Trade Erin Mackey

2016 CRS Lenten Speakers Mary Peirce

NEWS FROM THE CRS SOUTHEAST REGION

God’s Power Touches Young Hearts Michael Trujillo

Diocese of Asheville— Catholic Leaders and CRS RD Discuss International Humanitarian Relief Efforts for Refugees

Michael Trujillo

250 Hispanic Leaders Preparing for V National Encuentro

Michael Trujillo

NEWS FROM THE CRS NORTHEAST MID-ATLANTIC REGION

Welcoming Pope Francis to the U.S. Mary Beth Iduh

Last month, Stephanie Bosse, CRS Program Coordinator for the Diocese of Orlando, spoke to students at St. Francis of Assisi’s Vacation Bible School. She talked about CRS’ commitment to fair trade and our partnership with companies to ensure livable wages and better lives for those we serve overseas. Yahaira Olmeda, Children Faith Formation Coordinator at St. Francis of Assisi, and her students were inspired and decided to collect funds to help their brothers and sisters in other countries.

Adonis Santiago, 5, came in one day with a bag full of coins to put in the collection jar. Because other kids in the crew did not have anything to put in the jar that day, Yahaira’s sister, a Vacation Bible School Teacher, asked the little boy if he would be willing to have the other kids put some of his money into the jar. The boy agreed and started handing coins to the other kids. Yahaira’s sister was expecting Adonis to give maybe a coin or two to each kid. Instead, the little boy stuck his hand in the bag and started handing out coins by the fistful.

Later Yahaira’s sister made a comment to Adonis’ mom, Maria Escalante, of how awesome her son’s actions had been. Well, it turns out that Maria then shared with Yahaira’s sister that the money her son had donated was the money that Adonis and his sister had been saving up to go to Disney. When Adonis had gotten home the day before he had told his sister what he wanted to do, and when his sister asked “are you sure you want to give our Disney money?” He replied with a “yes, because other people need it.”

“God’s power to touch even the youngest of hearts is so amazing,” said Yahaira. “I am so proud of our kids. They were able to collect $395.15 to help our brothers and sisters in need. To get a glimpse of our kids’ generous hearts is such a blessing.”

PARTNERSHIP, TRAINING AND ENGAGEMENT NEWS

CRS Global High School Program helps Students Engage in CRS’ Work

Kristen Witte

CRS Clergy Outreach offers Presentations for Clergy on the upcoming Jubilee Year of Mercy

Fr. David Garcia

New! 2014 CRS Annual Report Jackie Gardner

Looking ahead…. the 2016 CRS Lenten Speaker Tour will include overseas speakers from several of the featured countries (Madagascar, Rwanda, Honduras, Colombia and Laos). As you may know, CRS speakers are powerful; they inspire audiences and deliver an experience of global solidarity like few other resources can do. As you plan your activities for next year, please consult with your CRS regional representative about hosting a CRS speaker.

Faith inspires us to inspire others

NEW!! 2014 CRS Annual Report The CRS 2014 Annual Report is now available. You can access the report online at: http://www.crs.org/financial-reports/. If you are interested in received a hard copy of the Annual Report, please send your complete mailing address to: resources@crs.org or call the U.S. Operations Call Center at 1-866-608-5978.

CRS UNIVERSITY NEWS

CRS University offers 10 Regional Training Opportunities in Fall 2015 for the CRS Student Ambassador Program

Danielle Roberts

Adonis Santiago and his

mother Maria Escalante

C R S S o u t h e a s t R e g i o n a l O f f i c e N e w s

On Monday, June 15, local Catholic leaders from St. Eugene, St. Barnabas and Sacred Heart Catholic Church near Asheville, NC and Cullen Larson SE Regional Director for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) met with Wayne King, Deputy Chief of Staff/District Director for Congressman Mark Meadows. Cullen Larson was recently in Iraq assisting in the humanitarian relief efforts for those fleeing violence in Iraq and Syria. He gave Mr. King a firsthand report on his experiences, telling stories on how Christians, Muslims, Yazidis and others, through CRS, are working together to help those most in need. Cullen and leaders asked Mr. King to share his report with the congressman and requested that Congress continue to support international humanitarian aid, which is under threat of further budget cuts. A few of the local leaders participated thanks to an earlier workshop on promoting Catholic Social Teaching in the public square. (See article here)

Cullen participated in a similar meeting the following day with Senator Thom Tillis’ Office in Charlotte accompanied by Joe Purello, CRS Diocesan Director and parish leaders from the Charlotte area. Participants in both meetings felt very positive about the conversations they had and want to plan how to continue to build relationships with Rep. Meadows and Senator Tillis.

Cullen also gave presentations in Asheville and

Charlotte to almost 100 people on the work CRS is

doing in Iraq and what he saw on the ground. You can

find more information about his visit to the Diocese of

Charlotte at: http://catholicnewsherald.com/42-news/

rokstories/8059-crs-cullen-larson-discusses-plight-of-refugees-in-middle-east

Diocese of Asheville— Catholic Leaders and CRS Regional Director Discuss International Humanitarian

Relief Efforts for Refugees

N E W S F R O M C R S ’ U . S . R E G I O N S

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Southeast Regional Relationship Managers are actively participating in events convened by the USCCB leading up to the V National Encuentro – a process of discernment on how the Church responds to the Hispanic presence and a way to strengthen the Hispanic response as a Church. In June, the Southeast Pastoral Institute convened leaders from the Province of Miami to prepare the way for Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S., the World Meeting of Families and the V National Encuentro of Hispanic Ministry. Over 250 Hispanic leaders from throughout the state of Florida attended the event in Orlando that was opened with a Mass celebrated by Bishop John Noonan. Similar gatherings have taken place in the southeast in Atlanta, Louisville, Memphis, Mobile, New Orleans and Savannah. The Province of Atlanta will gather in Charlotte in August 2015.

Contact Us

CRS Regional Offices

Email: resources@crs.org

U.S. Operations Call Center—1-866-608-5978

2 5 0 H i s p a n i c L e a d e r s P r e p a r i n g f o r V N a ti o n a l E n c u e n t r o

Stand in Solidarity with Syrian and Iraqi Refugees

Urge Congress to do more to help refugees! Learn how now!

Welcoming Pope Francis to the USA! Several dioceses in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic are busy preparing for the Papal Visit to Philly, DC and New York this September! Check out how:

The Archdiocese of Washington is channeling the energy of the papal visit to maximize the evangelizing capacity of parishes at http://www.adw.org/packedpews/,

The Archdiocese of New York is praying with Pope Francis and sharing how they are putting their faith into action at http://popefrancisnyc.org/ and

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is getting ready for the World Meeting of Families Congress at http://www.worldmeeting2015.org/.

CRS invites all families throughout the U.S. to prepare for Pope Francis’ visit and the World Meeting of Families (WMOF) through taking part in activities in their parish that show how all people around the world are part of One Human Family (available in English & Spanish): http://resources.crs.org/one-human-family/. Also, information on how families attending the WMOF can get involved as global disciples through a Helping Hands service event can be found at: http://www.worldmeeting2015.org/get-involved/helping-hands/.

C R S N o r t h e a s t - M i d - A t l a n ti c O ffi c e N e w s

N e w s f r o m C R S ’ U . S . R e g i o n s

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CRS University offers 10 Regional Training Opportunities in Fall 2015 for the CRS Student Ambassador Program

Do you work with any staff or students from colleges and universities around the country? Are you one yourself? Did you know that CRS University facilitates a national CRS Student Ambassador Program, which trained representatives from 75 schools during the 2014-2015 academic year to engage their campuses in tangible acts of solidarity with our brothers and sisters overseas?

OVERVIEW OF FALL 2015 CRS STUDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAM REGIONAL TRAININGS Each Fall, CRS University offers regional trainings for students and accompanying staff to equip them to start, deepen and grow their CRS Student Ambassador chapter on campus. This August through October CRS will offer 10 regional training opportunities across the country. A core group of students plus a staff advisor from each university are invited to attend. Click on “Save the Date” to view all training dates and locations.

CRS staff, veteran Ambassadors and Advisors will facilitate the training. It will include opportunities for building community; sharing passion for global solidarity; and learning about the story, mission and work of CRS. The training will also kick off a year-long CRS University advocacy campaign focused on climate change, in response to Pope Francis' recent encyclical.

LOGISTICS OF FALL 2015 CRS STUDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAM REGIONAL TRAININGS Training sessions are free of cost and vary in length. The registration form provides additional logistical details. CRS staff will also follow up with more details as your date for training approaches. For overnight trainings, lodging is included at no cost to participants. Meals that fall during training times are also included. Transportation needs to be arranged by campuses/participants, and most often, CRS asks participants to pay for their own transportation, with some exceptions (*West Coast training will have a cost share due to the large number of participants flying). Please ask if you have questions about transportation costs.

REGISTRATION FOR FALL 2015 CRS STUDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAM REGIONAL TRAININGS To register for one of our CRS Student Ambassador Regional Trainings, complete this form. Contact danielle.roberts@crs.org with questions or visit this page for more information .

C R S U n i v e r s i t y N e w s

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P A R T N E R S H I P T R A I N I N G A N D E N G A G E M E N T U N I T N E W S

The Church Teaches That Creation Is a Gift The recent release of Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Si”, highlights the implications of climate change in today’s society. Visit the CRS Climate Change website for resources on how to Pray, Learn, Act, and

Give to respond to our call to care for each other through our care for creation.

Give Gifts that Give Twice It’s time to start thinking about your CRS Fair Trade fall sale! The CRS Fair Trade

catalog, Community Order and Consignment packets will be available by

September with all of the gifts you need for your parish or school’s holiday

fundraiser. For more information and to order materials, visit http://

www.crsfairtrade.org/crafts/

Check out the CRS Rice Bowl Newsletter for July/August 2015 for information on upcoming feature stories for CRS Rice Bowl in 2016, completing transmittal forms for 2015, the 75/25 split with your community and much more. Don’t forget all donations are due on September 1st.

CRS RICE BOWL

P R O G R A M A N D R E S O U R C E U N I T N E W S

CRS recognizes the vital role Catholic secondary schools play in the Church’s mission of evangelization and catechesis in the United States. The new CRS Global High School Program provides opportunities for secondary schools to join with CRS to educate about Catholic social teaching and advocate for solidarity with the global poor and to be celebrated for the work they are already doing to live the Gospel. The CRS Global High School Program seeks to:

FORM MISSIONARY DISCIPLES

STRENGTHEN AND CELEBRATE CATHOLIC IDENTITY

PREPARE 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL LEADERS

The CRS Global High School Program provides Catholic high schools the opportunity to choose to engage in the work of CRS on three levels: Silver, Gold and Platinum. From schools that choose the core Silver level to the extensive engagement of the Platinum level, all participating schools receive timely information on new resources and emergency response opportunities, educational opportunities, and tools to publicly celebrate the relationship. To explore the program – visit ghs.crs.org.

CRS Global High School Program helps Students Engage in CRS’ Work

CRS Clergy Outreach is preparing presentations for clergy on the upcoming Jubilee Year of Mercy. These presentations can range from one hour to several days depending on the need. They will cover the background to the theme of mercy in scripture and church teachings as well as Pope Francis’ teachings on mercy. Also covered will be practical ways to preach and do parish ministry during the year. These sessions will be available beginning this summer to help clergy prepare for the year which begins December 8th. Teams of priests and deacons are available to direct these presentations in dioceses that request this service. CRS Clergy is part of CRS-U.S. Operations' outreach for continuing and initial formation of priests, deacons and seminarians. Father David Garcia, of the Archdiocese of San Antonio is Senior Advisor. He can be reached for further information at david.garcia@crs.org.

CRS Clergy Outreach offers Presentations for Clergy on the upcoming Jubilee Year of Mercy

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You Did It for Me is an exciting joint venture between Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services. YDIFM is a series of brief stories for parish, diocesan, or organization websites and parish bulletins - any place you would like to share good news of the Church helping those in need across America and around the world. CRS Diocesan Directors should ask their archbishop or bishop if their parish bulletin editors may receive these weekly stories of our faith in action. Please return the completed sign up form to bulletinstories@crs.org .

N e w C R S R e s o u r c e s

Check out the CRS Resource Center! The CRS Resource Center (resources.crs.org) offers an array of resources suitable for all ages to form disciples to live out Christ’s call to care for the poor and vulnerable everywhere.

You Did it for Me!

Catholic Social Teaching Lesson Plans, Grades 1-8 These lesson plans on each of the Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching help young people learn about the teaching through stories of people around the world.

Resources that Connect the Sacraments to Global Solidarity (Available in English and Spanish) Supplemental resources for the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Marriage and Confirmation that help catechetical leaders invite people of various ages and stages of life to reflect on how the sacrament they are preparing to receive commissions them to follow Christ by caring for their brothers and sisters in need worldwide.

Resources for Catechetical Sunday: Safeguarding the Dignity of Every Human Person These resources are designed to equip catechetical leaders to help children and families learn about and respond to our Church’s teaching on the dignity of the human person.

For additional information on these and other resources please contact the CRS regional office for your state or the CRS U.S. Operations Call Center at 1-888-608-5978.

Care for God’s Creation: Prayers, Lesson Plans and Activities In light of Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, these materials help us reflect on how our faith invites us to care for creation and how climate change impacts the poor around the world.

Parish Activity to Prepare for the World Meeting of Families This activity to be used in preparation for the World Meeting of Families invites families to gather at the parish to share a meal and reflect together about our one human family. Available in English and Spanish.

The National Council of Catholic Women celebrates 95 years as an organization this year. Register now for the NCCW Convention 2015 to be held September 9th-12th in Orlando, FL.