Our mission at Catholic Charities is to serve Jesus Christ by serving those with the greatest needs: our brothers and sisters who may be hungry, homeless and suffering. But it’s probably those with a need to give who have a greater hunger than those with a need to receive. Think about it. Don’t we all have a need to give? When someone receives a sandwich, or a place to sleep, they’re really giving the giver an opportunity to connect with Jesus Christ.
The corporal works of mercy are to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned and bury the dead. Isn’t that what we’re all asked to do by Jesus Christ at one point or another in our lives? The spiritual works of mercy are to instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, admonish sinners, bear wrongs patiently, forgive offenses, comfort the afflicted, and to pray for the living and the dead.
Catholic Charities is about sharing the love and mercy of Jesus Christ in order to serve givers and receivers, from conception to natural death. We have a wide variety of ministries that serve 50,000 people a year throughout the Archdiocese of Denver. We have five child-care centers, with The Mariposa Early Childhood Education Center to open in 2015. We have five shelters, with a sixth one, the Holy Rosary Center for Women, opening soon. Regina Caeli Clinical Services offers counseling and mental health services. Lighthouse Women’s Center cares for pregnant woman—and is located across the street from an abortion clinic.
I invite you to join us at Catholic Charities. Pray for us. Volunteer at serve.ccdenver.org. And as you’re making year-end charitable donations, consider making an unrestricted tax-deductible gift to Catholic Charities. Our mailing address is 4045 Pecos St., Denver, CO 80211. Or, go to our website at www.ccdenver.org and click the red box that reads, “Donate to Change Lives,” and give to “Our Greatest Need.” You may also give restricted gifts to Catholic Charities that may provide greater tax benefits through the Child Care Tax Credit and Enterprise Zone Tax Credit. See the adjoining table for more information.
I wish you and your families a blessed Advent and a merry Christmas.
