May/June 2015

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

Volume 13 I s sue 3

Please click on the story you wish to read below

CRS Emergency Updates 

On May 23, 2015 Archbishop Oscar Romero will be bea fied in San Salvador, El Salvador. Archbishop Romero was shot and killed while celebra ng Mass. At the beginning of this year, he was declared a martyr for his faith by Pope Francis. CRS has made resources available to commemorate Archbishop Romero’s life and martyrdom to help communi es of faith reflect on what his witness means for our lives today. Please visit our website for the newest resource—A 90 minute youth ministry session designed to help young people reflect on the legacy of Archbishop Romero in the 21st century, a prayer service, handout with a reflec on and discussion ques ons, and a gallery of photos paired with Archbishop Romero quotes. The resources are available in English and Spanish.

2016  CRS  L  S  

WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THIS ISSUE 

F F P

CRS E U – N

Bruce White Genevieve Laskey

Y D M

N P , L P A R

Stevie Coppola Angel Calvin

C B A R

C. Melendez‐Lopez

You Matter to CRS

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

CRS R B N Jennifer Maez

CRS F T Erin Mackey

2016 CRS Lenten Speakers Mary Peirce

NEWS FROM THE CRS SOUTHEAST REGION 

T H WT F

Michael Trujillo

NEWS FROM THE CRS NORTHEAST MID‐ATLANTIC REGION 

The Path of the UnaccompaniedMinor

Peggy Jean Craig

CRS Responds to Earthquakes in Nepal 

The Church around the world is responding to the devasta ng earthquakes that struck Nepal on April 25 and May 12, 2015. Catholic Relief Services, the official interna onal humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States, is providing emergency relief to those affected by the crisis on behalf of Catholics in the United States. Our teams are distribu ng emergency relief supplies to people in a remote mountainous area heavily affected by the earthquake. We have commi ed $10 million dollars to emergency response and will provide at least 75,000 people with shelter materials, blankets, and water treatment and hygiene kits. To help your community to support earthquake relief efforts, visit the CRS Resource Center, where you can find prayers, bulle n inserts, videos and other resources. Please keep the Nepalese people, and all those affected by the earthquake, in your prayers.

CELEBRATING THE BEATIFICATION OF  ARCHBISHOP OSCAR ROMERO 

PARTNERSHIP, TRAINING AND ENGAGEMENT 

Introducing the Advocacy aspect ofGlobal Discipleship to Parish Leaders

Kathleen O’Toole

CRS Clergy Outreach offersPresentations for Clergy on the upcoming Jubilee Year of Mercy

Fr. David Garcia

NEWS FROM THE CRS WEST REGION 

I CRS WR D D

Jim DeHarpporte

(Photo by Jennifer Hardy/CRS)

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 ac vi es for next year, please consult with your CRS regional representa ve about hos ng a CRS speaker.

ADVOCACY  

New Advocacy Toolkit Candice Harris

Faith inspires us to inspire others

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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

Thomas Hollywood, CRS’ Zonal Representative for South America based in Quito, Ecuador, toured Florida in April 2015 where he collaborated on activities with diocesan partners, and U. S. Operations and Charitable Giving staff there. While in Florida, Thomas met with Congressional representatives, donors and diocesan and parish leaders in the Archdiocese of Miami and the Dioceses of Orlando and Palm Beach. Among his many activities, Thomas Spoke on the Being Christ to Others show at Radio Buena Nueva in the Diocese of Orlando Met with directors of the Father’s Table Foundation, a major CRS donor in the Diocese of

Orlando Discussed issues relevant to South America with the offices of Senator Marco Rubio

(Orlando Office); and Representatives Carlos Curbelo and Mario Diaz-Balart (Miami Offices)

Presented to participants in a faith formation class at Holy Name of Jesus Parish in the Diocese of Palm Beach

Addressed staff and visitors at the Pastoral Center in the Diocese of Palm Beach Met with donors and parish leaders in the Archdiocese of Miami. People with whom Thomas met were receptive to his messages about the relevance of South American issues to people in the U.S., especially the unfolding situation in Colombia viz-a-viz the peace accord and climate change and the environment in the Amazon basin. Everyone he met expressed interest in additional information and updates on CRS activities in the area that includes Brazil, Ecuador, Columbia, Peru, and Bolivia.

Thomas  Ho l l ywood  on  a  Whir lw ind  Tour  of  F lo r ida !  

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

The all new Advocacy Toolkit explains what advocacy is, explores its many connec ons to our faith, and gives you the tools you need to become a more effec ve advocate for social jus ce and the common good. Our handouts are perfect for parish groups, young adults, and all the people in your faith community! Download one handout or the en re toolkit, and come back any me for updated informa on and addi onal resources.

C R S  A  N  

Important  Announcement  for  CRS  West  Diocesan  Directors  

CRS West will be holding its first Diocesan Director Conference call on Wednesday, June 3rd, at 10:00 AM PST.

C R S   W e s t   O f f i c e   N e w s  

Contact Us

CRS Regional Offices

Email: resources@crs.org

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

Archdiocese of Portland will host the 29th annual Social Ac on Summer Ins tute (SASI) on July 19‐23, 2015 at University of Portland. The 5‐day na onal conference is organized by the Roundtable Associa on of Catholic Diocesan Social Ac on Directors in partnership with the USCCB, CCHD, JPHD, CCUSA, CRS and JustFaith Ministries.

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On April 9th, Villanova University’s School of Law and the CRS Partnership hosted a conference entitled “The Path of the Unaccompanied Minor: Examining Legal and Community Responses to the Humanitarian Crisis” for students, lawyers and community members on the crisis of children fleeing their homes in Central America due to violence. CRS Honduras Country Representative Juan Sheenan kicked of the conference as the keynote speaker discussing the main push factors for migration. Over 150 students, faculty, lawyers, and community members attended the conference. And, many of the lawyers decided to take on pro bono cases as a way to respond to the crisis. Read more about the conference in this article from America Magazine. Recently, Villanova University and Cabrini College celebrated 10 years of partnership with CRS. Both schools commemorated this moment and recommitted to the partnership through the resigning of their Memorandums of Understanding with CRS. Executive Vice-President for US-Operations, Joan Rosenhauer represented CRS; and Villanova President, Rev. Peter Donohue, O.S.A. and Cabrini President, Donald Taylor, Ph.D. represented Villanova and Cabrini respectively in the signings. As part of Cabrini’s celebration of 10 years of partnership, guests had to participate in a unaccompanied minors simulation, #RefugeesSeekingSafety, that freshman Cabrini students designed and enhanced with reflection and advocacy through a grant given by ACCU and CRS. Watch a CRS Relationship Manager go through the simulation.

In addition to their conference on unaccompanied minors and their 10 year Partnership Celebration, Villanova University CRS Student Ambassadors held a Campus Climate March to raise awareness, reflect and pray, and advocate on the issue of climate change. Ted Miles, CRS Relationship Manager for Youth and Education and CRS Representative for the Catholic Climate Covenant, opened the march with reflections about the theological connections between care for creation, faith, and action. “Every act of creation is an act of incarnation,” Miles remarked. The march went from school to school, hearing from professors in each of the disciplines about climate change’s connection to their area of study. The march concluded in the middle of campus with a letter writing campaign, and a message that we are called to act, to respond in justice and share our concerns and demands with our elected officials. Villanova and Cabrini are not the only schools advocating for change. At the end of April, CRS Student Ambassadors from Boston College visited Rep. Joe Kennedy’s office and Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s office to discuss comprehensive immigration reform and the Syrian refugee crisis. The students also delivered over 50 letters from Boston College students discussing the need for more attention and aid for Syrians fleeing violence. Read this op-ed by Boston College CRS Student Ambassador, Nathan McGuire about the plight of Syrian refugees.

C R S   N o r t h e a s t ‐ M i d ‐ A t l a n 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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Boston College CRS Student Ambassadors lobbying for immigration reform and more humanitarian aid for the Syrian refugee crisis at Rep. Joe Kennedy’s office. Photo Credit: Dan Ponsetto, Boston College

Learn about CRS’ relatively new Farmer to Farmer Program in East Africa. This five-year U.S. Government funded initiative program is a great opportunity for Catholics across America to put their faith into action and work directly with CRS in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda! Please visit our Website for more information and use our online application: http://farmertofarmer.crs.org/ Check out a reprint of Reuben DeMaster’s article American Farmer Applies Insights, Experience

to Challenges in Africa that appeared in Catholic Rural Life . It is a reflection of one man’s experience after participating in the Farmer to Farmer program.

CRS Farmer to Farmer Program

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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 EM E N T   U N I T   N EW S  

You contribute to the care of God’s creation through your purchasing habits. Now, through CRS Fair Trade partners Serrv and Equal Exchange, you can purchase eco-friendly products. From recycled crafts to organic coffee, your purchase makes an impact on the environment. Visit CRS’ new Climate website for more resources and up-to-date information about climate stories from the field.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF CRS RICE BOWL! 

Check out the CRS Rice Bowl Newsletter for May/June 2015 for information on the new “Transmittal Form Process” for 2015 and how you can thank your communities who participated in Rice Bowl .

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  

Introducing the Advocacy aspect of Global Discipleship to Parish Leaders 

“New Capacity Building Animator” Nick Haskell recently lead a session on advocacy in the diocese of Charlo e. The session was a great way of introducing the advocacy aspect of global discipleship to parish leaders. CRS’ Kathleen O’Toole and Ma Burkhart spoke about the importance of advoca ng on behalf of the poor all over the world.

Below is the beginning of the Catholic News Herald ar cle, Being truly Catholic means serving others, ac ng in the public square, speakers emphasize, which elaborates on the session.

"The central message is simple: our faith is profoundly social. We cannot be called truly 'Catholic' unless we hear and heed the Church's call to serve those in need and work for jus ce and peace."  

This statement from the U.S. bishops' publica on "Communi es of Salt and Light" was at the heart of Catholic Chari es Diocese of Charlo e's presenta on "Called to Par cipate, Called to Advocacy: The Church in the Public Square," held April 18 at St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville. The workshop gathered diocesan leaders in social jus ce with parishioners from western North Carolina to reinforce the concept of the parish as the place where the Church lives, and to help parishes become bridge‐builders both locally and globally. Click here to read the en re ar cle.

CRS Clergy Outreach is preparing presenta ons for clergy on the upcoming Jubilee Year of Mercy. These presenta ons 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 prac cal 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 presenta ons in dioceses that request this service. CRS Clergy is part of CRS‐U.S. Opera ons' outreach for con nuing and ini al forma on of priests, deacons and seminarians. Father David Garcia, of the Archdiocese of San Antonio is Senior Advisor. He can be reached for further informa on 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 .

New   C R S  R e s o u r c e s  

 Check  out  the  new  and   improved  CRS  Resource  Center!   The CRS Resource Center (resources.crs.org) offers an array of ministry tools for prayer, forma on, and ac on with a global perspec ve. With resources suitable for all ages, our Resource Center allows you to search for the materials you need to form disciples to live out Christ’s call to care for the poor and vulnerable everywhere.

You Did it for Me! 

Pentecost Reflec on and Ac vity for Children and Families Pentecost Sunday is May 24, 2015. This ac vity is a reflec on on the Pentecost story that invites children and families to think about how we are a part of one human family.

Resources to Celebrate the Legacy of Archbishop Romero   Archbishop Oscar Romero will be bea fied on May 23, 2015. These resources— which include a handout, a prayer service and an ac vity for youth ministry— commemorate his life and martyrdom and consider what his witness means for our lives today. Most resources available in English and Spanish.

Pray, Learn, Act and Give in Response to the Nepal Earthquake Is your community interested in becoming more involved in the Church’s response to the earthquake in Nepal? These materials provide ways communi es can pray, learn, act and give on behalf of those in need.

For additional information 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 Crea on: Prayers, Lesson Plans and Ac vi es In light of Pope Francis’ forthcoming encyclical on the environment, these materials help us reflect on how our faith invites us to care for crea on and how climate change impacts the poor around the world.

Parish Ac vity to Prepare for the World Mee ng of Families  This ac vity to be used in prepara on for the World Mee ng 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.