Leigh Ann Roman write in the Memphis Diocesan paper… “More than 200 Ladies of Charity gathered in Memphis last week to prepare to meet the growing challenge of serving the poor in America, where 35 million people live in poverty.”
Known for their direct service to the poor, the Ladies are needed now more than ever, said Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany, N.Y., Episcopal Liaison to the Ladies of Charity U.S.A.
“The gap between the haves and the have-nots is greater presently than at any other time in our nation’s history,” Hubbard said. Thirty-five million Americans live below the federal poverty line 1.5 million of them falling into that category in the last year alone, he says.
The Fourth National Assembly of the Ladies of Charity USA met Sept. 8-12 at the Memphis Downtown Radisson, covering the theme of “Following Vincent with Humility, Simplicity and Charity.” Founded by St. Vincent de Paul, the first association of the Ladies of Charity was canonically erected in 1617 in France. The first American association was formed in 1857.
Because of the growing population in poverty, the Ladies of Charity are beginning to emphasize social justice and advocacy, Bishop Hubbard said. “They want to address the systemic causes of poverty. They are looking at things like health care benefits, the minimum wage, and affordable housing.”
The emphasis on social justice may raise the profile of the Ladies of Charity, a group which numbers about 16,000 in the United States but has an aging membership, Bishop Hubbard said.
“This may open the door to another whole group who identify with the causes but who may not have time to give direct service,” he said. “They may have time to write a letter or email their elected officials. And that is a very effective way to be about the work of the Ladies of Charity.”
Nationally, the Ladies of Charity provide about one million volunteer hours each year, said Margaret Kelly of Memphis, the Assembly Chairman and a national board member.
In Memphis, the Ladies of Charity visit the sick, serve meals at the St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen, participate in reading enrichment at different schools and assist at the Church Health Center and Ave Maria Nursing Home.
During the convention, the group elected officers and participated in a variety of workshops on topics including nursing home patients’ rights, special children and reading enrichment, and how to approach your legislator. The Ladies also attended daily Mass and enjoyed Memphis attractions including the National Civil Rights Museum and the Brooks Museum.
Presentations during the week by Vincentian Spiritual Advisor Father Richard Gielow, C.M., focused on the themes of humility, simplicity and charity, taking the Ladies back to their spiritual roots.
During the presentation on charity Saturday, Father Gielow offered this definition of love from St. Thomas Aquinas: “To work hard to bring out the best in the other.”
Father Gielow acknowledged that that kind of love is difficult, but he added, “as Ladies of Charity, your credibility rests on how you love others.”
He reminded the members that the poor whom they serve are part of their family. “If you go there as if they are family, it is a lot easier to love. Love is when you accept them as equal to you.”
Father Gielow, too, expressed concern about the widening gap between the wealthy and the needy. “If we don’t have these (charity) organizations, there is no hope for those people,” he says.
“The poor need to know that they are not less important. That is what the Ladies of Charity can do. They do great work in this country. The best thing they do is promote the dignity of each person.”
And they are passing that message on to a younger generation in the Junior Ladies of Charity. Laurin Dixon, president of the Junior Ladies of Charity- Memphis Association, gave a presentation during the assembly. Her group includes 35 members of junior high and high school age.
Dixon, a sophomore at St. Agnes Academy, has been involved in the group for three years and finds time for it in spite of her job and participation in school clubs, at Holy Rosary Church in the youth group and altar serving, as well as piano lessons.
Dixon enjoys being a Junior Lady of Charity because “you get to learn more about your community and how to serve others and to be a better person.”
Newly elected national president Mary Beth O’Brien of Albany, N.Y., sees hope in the growth of the Junior Ladies of Charity, as does Father Gielow.
“That’s the future,” Father Gielow said.
