Catholic Charities

Oklahoma disaster: Time for love of neighbor

Submitted on May 23, 2013

On an NBC news special covering the tornado that hit an Oklahoma City suburb May 20, a teacher at a public elementary school that took a direct hit explained how she gathered students in as safe a place as possible -- a bathroom stall -- and tried to calm their fears.

Then, she told the reporter, "I did the teacher thing we're probably not supposed to do -- I prayed, and I prayed out loud."

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Stand Up helps women veterans fill in gaps

Submitted on May 15, 2013
By Joseph Kenny | jkenny@archstl.org
U.S. Army veteran Nichell Barton had her hair styled by Paul Mitchell School student Shaneis Smith during the Stand Up for Women Veterans event.

A veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Elisha Perez is attending St. Louis Community College-Forest Park, studying general education leading eventually to a degree in occupational therapy. Her hope is to someday volunteer to help other women veterans, perhaps those with spinal cord injuries.

Since leaving after four years of service in the Navy, things haven't been easy for Perez, who has children, ages 2 and 3. She and her children were homeless until she received help from St. Patrick Center to find a place to live.

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Catholic Charities responds to April 10 storm

Submitted on April 11, 2013
By Jennifer Brinker | jbrinker@archstl.org
Lisa Johnston | lisajohnston@archstl.org Homes on Lynn Haven Lane off of Howdershell Road Hazelwood was the epicenter of storm damage in the Hazelwood area of St. Louis. An evening storm occurred on Thursday, April 11, 2013. An Ameren worker died after being electrocuted Thursday morning as he worked to repair damage from the storm.
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Judge dismisses archdiocese's lawsuit against HHS mandate

Submitted on January 31, 2013
Jennifer Brinker | jbrinker@archstl.org

A federal judge has dismissed lawsuit from the Archdiocese of St. Louis and Catholic Charities against the United States government, which challenges the constitutionality of the HHS health care mandate.

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Mo. Supreme Court justice touts work of legal aid organizations

Submitted on October 31, 2012
Joseph Kenny | jkenny@archstl.org
Marie Kenyon of Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry talked last year with Judge Michael Mullen in his courtroom in St. Louis’ Civil Court building. Such agencies are being overwhelmed in providing services to those in need.

About half of those who seek vitally important services from legal aid have to be turned away, the chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court said Oct. 18.

In a talk at a meeting of the Missouri Bar and the Judicial Conference of Missouri, Chief Justice Richard B. Teitelman said that legal services organizations seek to provide services to those in need but only can deal with approximately 80,000 problems a year.

Since the economic downturn in 2007, state courts average about 10 percent more cases associated with economic hardship, Teitelman noted.

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Hurricane Sandy a storm ‘many have feared for a long time,’ says Catholic official

Submitted on October 31, 2012
By Mark Pattison | Catholic News Service
Residents were rescued by emergency personnel from flood waters brought on by Hurricane Sandy in Little Ferry, N.J., Oct. 30.

WASHINGTON — Hurricane Sandy "is a storm that people in southern New Jersey have feared for a long time because of its direct impact on the coast," an area with that is highly developed and also has a significant rate of poverty, said an official of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Camden, N.J.

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