The community of Highland Falls in southeastern New York is still reeling after a July 9 rainstorm caused widespread devastation. Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish has served as an impromptu aid center and shelter for those hit hard by the storm.
Aid agencies including Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Services responded this year to natural disasters including wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and winter storms.
With a surge in the first few months of 2021 of minors entering the United States without a parent or guardian, figures from fiscal year 2020 already have surpassed the total of unaccompanied minors who made border entries during the previous year.
Catholic Charities branches and Catholic legal organizations have signed a letter urging U.S. immigration officials to address the concerns of Special Immigrant Juvenile status holders who remain at risk of deportation, despite eligibility for green cards.
LGBTQ Catholics are still processing the recent denial of church blessings to people in same-sex unions. Many are also watching a Supreme Court case that continues a national debate over LGBTQ rights versus claims of religious liberty.
Catholic Charities agencies across the country have met the increased demand for their services brought about by the pandemic, even as they deal with their own internal challenges — everything from canceled fundraisers to staff members who have tested positive for the virus.
Bishop Thomas Daly of Spokane, Washington, released a statement July 5 criticizing a video on racism by Rob McCann, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington.