Catholic blogger Lisa M. HendeyF offer 5 Easy Ways to Love the Poor in Honor of His Pontificate
She writes… “As someone who’d strongly considered cashing in her frequent flyer miles to be at the Vatican for his installation, his words have challenged me personally. I think the perfect way to celebrate this moment, this man, and our Church is to look around ourselves this week and to align ourselves more fully to his mission of loving and serving the poor. I’ve been brainstorming a few ways the average Catholic family can embrace this spirit of generosity this week. Here are a few suggestions:
- Make a donation in honor of Pope Francis to Catholic Relief Services, the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States.
- Celebrate on Tuesday, the day of Pope Francis’ installation mass, by attending daily Mass and celebrating the Feast of St. Joseph at a parish in your community that serves underprivileged families. Fast during lunch or dinner and make a donation to that parish in Pope Francis’ name.
- Together with your children, clean out your family closets and make a donation of gently used clothing to the Catholic Charities organization in your hometown. Along with the clothing, take a few bags of non-perishable grocery staples.
- Find a Catholic school in your community and make a small donation to its scholarship fund for needy students.
- Look the face of poverty in your community squarely in the eye and pray about how you might be a part of finding a lasting solution to the plight of the poor. Don’t just intend to do it… actually do something. (Note: this is me, talking to myself)
FamVin offers it own suggestions in an earlier post Vincentian Almsgiving a list within the Vincentian Family
- Ladies of Charity USA
- Congregation of the Mission, Patrimony Fund
- Daughters of Charity, Province of St. Louise
- Daughters of Charity, Province of the West
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul, USA
- Central Association of the Miraculous Medal
- Association of the Miraculous Medal
- Vincentian Marian Youth (International JMV)
- Vincentian Lay Missionaries USA
- Colorado Vincentian Volunteers
- Gateway Vincentian Volunteers
- Sisters of Charity of New York
- Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati
- Sisters of Charity of Halifax
- Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill
- Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth
- Sisters of St. Martha of Antigonish
- Religieuses de Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Coeur
- Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
- Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy
- Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth
- Famvin’s VinFormation Website Fund
Tags: Almsgiving, Vincentian