News - May 2021 RSS Feed

By Barb Arland-Fye The Catholic Messenger - Seeds planted and nurtured, now growing into young vegetable plants, spread their aroma during an outdoor blessing at which Bishop Thomas Zinkula presided on the grounds of First Presbyterian Church in Mount Pleasant. The plants, contained in one of 50 garden kits for immigrant families to grow their own produce, sat on a chair as if waiting for the bishop to sprinkle them with holy water on Pentecost.

By Lindsay Steele The Catholic Messenger Many Catholics are familiar with CRS Rice Bowl, a Lenten fundraiser for Catholic Relief Services (CRS), but fewer may be aware of the scope of its humanitarian work. CRS, founded in 1943, is the overseas relief and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. CRS is more than a yearly Rice Bowl collection and more than “a big organization doing things thousands of miles away,” said Deacon Joe Welter, who was assigned at his 2017 ordination to support diocesan CRS efforts.

By Lindsay Steele The Catholic Messenger - Housing has an impact on “pretty much every aspect of our lives,” diocesan Social Action volunteer Amy Kersten said during last week’s virtual Lunch and Learn that focused on housing stability during the pandemic. “If you have a challenging day out there in the world, you love to come home.” The COVID-19 pandemic has caused housing insecurity for both renters and homeowners, she noted. “It’s especially challenging to hear that, right now, so many people are on the brink of losing their homes.”