Begun during the Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015, Catholic Charities’ Disciples of Mercy Awards recognize outstanding individuals and ministries who exemplify mercy by reaching out to those who are poor and vulnerable. They will be presented alongside the guest honoree, Sister Norma Pimentel, M.J., executive director of Catholic Charities...
Written by Mary McCusker When Samira Wade sat in Salem County Prison in July 2017, she received an unexpected visitor — Kisanna Owens, prison re-entry coordinator at Catholic Charities. “I was getting close to my release date. I was told that [Owens] was there to help me transition to life...
Written by Mary McCusker In a warm display of Christian unity, the Mount Calvary Seventh Day Adventist church in Salem City recognized Cristina Chillem, director of Catholic Charities’ Salem Health and Wellness Program, for her efforts to improve the nutrition of Salem county residents. At the podium during Mount Calvary’s...
Written by Mary McCusker On any given day in Catholic Charities’ offices across South Jersey, the agency encounters men, women and children of all faiths, as well as non-believers. Questions such “I’m not a Catholic, but will you help me?” are not uncommon from people who are struggling with poverty...
Written by Mary McCusker “I think we live in a society that is gripped by fear,” Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, told the audience of 400 gathered at Catholic Charities’ annual Justice for All dinner last October in Atlantic City. “Fear of the other, fear of the unknown. Put faces...
Written by Mary McCusker In 2000, the United Nations officially designated June 20 of each year to be celebrated as World Refugee Day. The date marks the 50th anniversary of the implementation of the 1951 Refugee Convention — a United Nations multilateral treaty that defines who is a refugee, and...
Written by Mary McCusker Hector Sanchez and his wife, Glorimar Acevedo Santos, arrived at Catholic Charities’ Atlantic City office in October with a suitcase, blistered feet, no home and barely a cent to their name. “They were in survival mode,” said Edbelinda Nambo, Catholic Charities’ Employment Specialist in Atlantic County....
Written by Mary McCusker In September 2013, Pope Francis compared the church to a “field hospital” near to war zones, where the wounded are first provided with emergency, life-saving care before long-term recovery efforts can begin. This analogy resonated well during a recent gathering at Christ our Light Parish in...
Written by Mary McCusker The dream of owning a home may seem, for some, to be only that — a dream. Particularly for first-time home buyers, the process can be intimidating. Mortgage and loan terminology is confusing, mountains of paperwork imposing, and the potential financial risks anxiety-producing. Buying and owning...
Written by Mary McCusker “It’s one thing to read about migrants and refugees. But having a chance to meet immigrants, seeing their faces and hearing their voices … it’s different than seeing it in a headline,” reflected one parishioner as he sipped his coffee at the Catholic Community of the...