You Matter to CRS...will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35) - Deacon John alzavara Lenten Speaker Inspires Espiritu Santo Parishioners and

March/Apr i l 2015

U . S . O p e r a t i o n s D i v i s i o n

Volume 13 I ssue 2

Please click on the story you wish to read below CRS Emergency Updates

The Catholic Relief Services Collection will occur the weekend of March 14-15, though your (arch)diocese may schedule it at a different time. Additional information is available on the USCCB website at http://www.usccb.org/catholic-giving/opportunities-for-giving/catholic-relief-services-collection/collection/ or click here. We truly appreciate your support of the Catholic Relief Services Collection.

catholic Relief Services Collection

WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THIS ISSUE

Farmer to Farmer Program

CRS Emergency Updates– Ukraine and Syria

Bruce White Genevieve Laskey

You Did it for Me

New Resources

Stevie Coppola Angel Calvin

2015 CRS Collection

Remembering Archbishop Romero

Jacklyn Ireland C. Melendez-Lopez

You Matter to CRS

WHAT’S HAPPENINGING WITH PROGRAMS IN THE U.S.

CRS Rice Bowl Newsletter Jennifer Maez

Shop for a Cause with CRS and Ten Thousand Villages on April 17th

Angel Calvin

NEWS FROM THE CRS SOUTHEAST REGION

Lenten Speaker Inspires Espiritu Santo Parishioners and Student Ambassadors

Michael Trujillo

Global Fellows Reflect on Trip to Zimbabwe

Deacons Brian Edwards and John Calzavara

NEWS FROM THE CRS NORTHEAST MID-ATLANTIC REGION

Pennsylvania Catholic Conference interviews CRS Rwanda Fellow

Mari Barboza

Highlights from the Northeast-Midatlantic region

Mari Barboza

UKRAINE In eastern Ukraine, CRS and Caritas Ukraine are expanding emergency efforts where some 1.5 million people have been uprooted over the past several months in the midst of conflict. It is incredibly dangerous for people living in towns under siege by the pro-separatist rebels and Ukrainian forces fighting to keep the regions under government control. People who just over a year ago lived middle-class European lives, are now hiding in basements, standing in line for hand-outs, living in run-down cottages in the woods, and finding refuge far from home. Join us in prayer and visit our website for more information, including stories and a photo gallery.

SYRIA This month, the civil war in Syria enters its fifth year and continues to affect the lives of millions of people. To date, more than 200,000 people have been killed, and nearly 12 million displaced from their homes, both inside and outside of Syria. CRS, together with our Catholic Church partners across the region in Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt, has assisted more than 700,000 refugees with shelter, food, medical care, as well as education and trauma counseling for children. Seventy-five percent of refugees are women and children, and children are paying the heaviest price: many have suffered severe trauma and the vast majority have been out of school for years. With the freezing winter temperatures, the needs are greater than ever. Join us in prayer and visit our website to learn more and find out how you can help.

On March 24, 2015, we remember the 35th anniversary of the death of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was shot and killed while celebrating Mass. He was formally declared a martyr for his faith by Pope Francis earlier this year. CRS is providing resources to commemorate Archbishop Romero’s life and martyrdom that can help communities of faith reflect on what his witness means for our lives today. Please visit our website for a prayer service, handout with a reflection about Archbishop Romero and discussion questions, and a gallery of photos paired with Archbishop Romero

quotes. The resources are available in English and Spanish.

Remembering Archbishop Oscar Romero

PARTNERSHIP TRAINING AND ENGAGEMENT

Why do so many go hungry if there is Enough food for all

Ted Miles

CRS University Launches a new website

Danielle Roberts

2015 Annual CRS DD Meeting Highlights

Kathleen O’Toole

NEWS FROM THE CRS WEST REGION

LA Congress—CRS Workshops Jim DeHarpporte

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C R S S O U T H E A S T R E G I O N A L O F F I C E N E W S

During one of the 2015 Lenten Speaker Tours, Thomas Awiapo of CRS Ghana shared his CRS Rice Bowl story throughout the Southeast. Here are some of those highlights.

Thomas Awiapo shared his compelling story as a recipient of CRS Rice Bowl to the CRS student ambassadors of Xavier University of Louisiana. The ambassadors were inspired and now have many activities planned for the whole campus to be involved in prayer, learning, and giving to help the community live in solidarity with the poor of the world. In the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Auxiliary Bishop David Talley celebrated Mass and Thomas was the keynote speaker at the Inaugural CRS Rice Bowl Kickoff for Catholic Schools and Peace and Justice Ministers.

Thomas continued to share his CRS Rice Bowl story of hope as he spoke to 6,000 parishioners and school children at Espiritu Santo Parish and Espiritu Santo School in Safety Harbor, FL. As part of Catholic Schools week celebrations, Thomas spoke to over 1,300 Catholic high school and middle school students at school-wide assemblies in the Diocese of Charleston. In the Diocese of Charlotte, he spoke to over 900 middle school students and to a family faith formation hunger event at a parish in Greensboro.

I have travelled to many places in my life, and usually to see "things", like the Eiffel Tower, the Coliseum, or the Parthenon. But on a recent trip to Zimbabwe with Catholic Relief Services (CRS), I had the chance of a lifetime to experience a very different culture and to meet people with real struggles. This challenged my heart, my mind and my soul. I became so much more aware of problems in the world and the amazing work that CRS does to meet the needs of real people born in and living under very different circumstances. Seeing them eye to eye, I began to view them as truly my brothers and sisters. I am honored to be a part of the Global Fellows Program, even though I still have so much to learn. - Deacon Brian Edwards

That they may be one as we are one. (John

17:22) The world can seem like a very big place at times and human beings often find themselves isolated. Reality, faith and science teach us something different - that we are all intrinsically tied together. A recent immersion trip to Zimbabwe with the CRS Global Fellows program has affirmed in me our solidarity with all human beings. The trip was an amazing experience of how we all share joy and suffering in this incredible journey through life. We were gifted by the people of this land with a sense of hope in difficult circumstances, with a sense of joy in the midst of suffering and a great faith when things could seem hopeless. I have seen human beings responding to the needs of others in the SILC (Savings and Internal Lending Communities), Bicycle and other CRS programs. I have seen the work of the church make a real difference in the lives of the people of God. It has made a difference in my life and will continue to for the remainder of my journey. The words of Jesus continue to challenge us - this is how everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35) - Deacon John Calzavara

L e n t e n S p e a k e r I n s p i r e s E s p i r i t u S a n t o P a r i s h i o n e r s a n d S t u d e n t A m b a s s a d o r s

N E W S F R O M C R S ’ U . S . R E G I O N S

Global Fellows Deacons Brian Edwards and John Calzavara from the Diocese of Nashville reflect on their recent trip to Zimbabwe

CRS West regional office along with CRS staff from other parts of the country is participating in the 2015 LA Congress being held at the Anaheim (Calif.) Convention Center. It is sponsored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Office of Religious Education. Several workshops are being led by CRS staff at the Congress this year. Michele Broemmelsiek, CRS Overseas Operations, will recount stories of how the Catholic community in the United States has remained at the side of those we serve – in times of sickness and in times of health. Richard Jones from CRS El Salvador will address human rights, peace-building and development programs in his workshops. Ted Miles and Sergio Lopez will conduct workshops centered on the realities that many young people face around the world and how students can journey together toward greater unity, justice and love. For more detailed information on the workshops please go to CRS West Region’s upcoming events webpage located at http://uspartners.crs.org/crs-regional-offices/crs-west/upcoming-events/ .

The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC) recently interviewed Jerica Youngken, a Pennsylvania native and CRS International Development Fellow in Rwanda. The entire interview is on their website and social media channels. During the interview Jerica stated, “My faith is strengthened everyday by observing the faith of our projects’ beneficiaries. Despite enduring food security, malnutrition, barriers to healthcare and education, and numerous other hardships, they give thanks to God for the blessings they do have – family, a roof over their head, their community – and have faith that God will continue to provide. They have inspired me to constantly reflect on the blessings in my own life.” Read the rest of Jerica’s interview to find out more about her experience overseas with CRS and how her faith has inspired and shaped her work. Thanks to the PCC for their continued support of CRS!

Other highlights from the region: CRS had a significant presence at the Mid-Atlantic Congress that took place February 12-14th in Baltimore, MD. CRS held 6 workshops in both English and Spanish and an interactive presentation on Rice Bowl offered to the over 1,200 participants. Conference participants were also able to attend a luncheon in Headquarters and reflect on their Prayer Walk experience. The Northeast Mid-Atlantic Region Lenten Tour occurred from February 25th to March 8th. Soha Menassa, from CRS Lebanon visited parishes, colleges and schools in several dioceses in the region. Soha reminded us of the plight of millions of Syrians have faced as they fled the violence in their country and she described the amazing work CRS and our partners are doing to assist them. In Celebration of the 40 Year Anniversary of the CRS Rice Bowl program, CRS and Oregon Catholic Press (OCP) and local partners joined to organize two Bringing Lent to Life Concerts in the region. These concerts feature OCP musicians ValLimar Jensen, Ken Canedo and Pedro Rubalcava who traveled to Ghana with CRS as well as CRS staff Thomas Awiapo. The first concert took place on Friday, February 20th at St. John the Evangelist parish in Columbia, Maryland. The second concert will take place on March 20th at the Sisters of Saint Joseph’s house in Albany, New York and is being co-sponsored by the Diocese of Albany. On March 18th, the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire is holding its first Catholic Day at the State House. Bill O’Keefe, CRS Vice-President and Deacon Stephen Kaneb will do a workshop titled Seeking Peace in the Middle East - How You Can Make a Difference. Participants will take a deeper look at current issues facing the Middle East, including a first-hand report from someone who traveled to Lebanon and witnessed the work of Catholic Relief Services. They will also learn the best strategies for contacting members of Congress on federal and international issues to making their voices heard.

C R S N o r t h e a s t - M i d - A t l a n ti c O ffi c e N e w s

C R S W e s t O f f i c e N e w s

N e w s f r o m C R S ’ U . S . R e g i o n s

Photo of CRS staffers Soha Menassa, Peggy Jean Craig, Mari Barboza and Dr. Antoinette Idorola, President of Lauralton Hall Academy in Milford CT after Soha’s presentation on February 26th2015. Photo courtesy of Sue Bonaventura, Lauralton Hall.

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P A R T N E R S H I P T R A I N I N G A N D E N G A G E M E N T U N I T N E W S

C R S Y o u t h a n d E d u c a t i o n

Why do so many go hungry if there is ENOUGH food for all?

Explore the answer to this question through the 2014-15 CRS FoodFast program! Designed for

Catholic youth, CRS FoodFast invites young people to spend time walking in the shoes of people who

go hungry, deepen their faith and strengthen their yearning to bring change to our world! CRS

FoodFast offers a variety of NEW resources and components this year that were developed in

collaboration with the Center for Ministry Development.

Visit http://foodfast.org or email [email protected] for more information. Our partner, the Center for

Ministry Development, promotes the development of ministry and catechesis with youth and families

through leadership formation, service learning, and resources rooted in Catholic tradition and

Scripture. For more information, go to cmdnet.org.

Learn about CRS’ relatively new Farmer to Farmer Program in East Africa. This five-year U.S.

Government funded initiative program is a great opportunity for Catholics across America to put

their faith into action and work directly with CRS in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda! Please

visit our Website for more information and use our online application: http://

farmertofarmer.crs.org/

Check out a reprint of Reuben DeMaster’s article American Farmer Applies Insights, Experience to Challenges in Africa that

appeared in Catholic Rural Life . It is a reflection of one man’s experience after participating in the Farmer to Farmer

program

CRS Farmer to Farmer Program

Calling All Philadelphia Area Friends!

Shop for a Cause with Catholic Relief Services and Ten Thousand Villages on Friday, April 17!

Catholic Relief Services and Ten Thousand Villages are holding a community shopping event on Friday, April 17 at seven Philadelphia area stores. Ten Thousand Villages is an official fair trade retailer of uniquely, hand-crafted items made by disadvantaged artisans in 38 countries across the globe. Buy beautiful fair trade art, jewelry, clothing, and home décor and stock up on unique gifts for Mother’s Day, Confirmation, First Communion, and Graduation. Fifteen percent of proceeds from your purchase will go to the CRS Fair Trade Fund to benefit artisans and farmers overseas. For more information and store hours visit crsfairtrade.org/ten-thousand-villages or contact [email protected]

LENT HAS BEGUN ! Check out the CRS Rice Bowl Newsletter for March/April 2015 and learn what activities have been going on around the country .

CRS RICE BOWL

P R O G R A M A N D R E S O U R C E U N I T N E W S

Y o u r V o i c e M a k e s a D i ff e r e n c e ! Check out the latest Catholics Confront Global Poverty Action Alert .

More than eighty people participated in the annual CRS Diocesan Directors’ meeting at the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering on February 7th. CRS Diocesan Directors and other partners present were inspired by Executive Vice President Joan Rosenhauer’s presentation of CRS’ work overseas. Joan also introduced new opportunities for engaging Catholics in the U.S. Jeff Korgen, a consultant for CRS, presented findings from his review of CRS’ Diocesan Capacity Building Initiative, which included best practices for engaging leaders and creating structures to sustain global solidarity in dioceses, please click here to link to the report. In addition, diocesan leaders shared strategies and best practices around: increasing district advocacy visits around Catholics Confront Global Poverty; building and broadening diocesan solidarity leadership; identifying and training leaders for parish engagement with CRS; opportunities and challenges in Hispanic leadership engagement; and Rice Bowl in the Parish: Pray, Learn, Act, Give.

The dates for the 2016 CSMG have been announced: Saturday January 23rd to Tuesday January, 26th.

Catholic Social Ministry Gathering - 2015 Annual CRS Diocesan Directors Meeting Highlights

Joan Rosenhauer, CRS Executive Vice

President of U.S. Operations

Exciting news! The new CRS University website (http://university.crs.org/) has launched. It will showcase the wonderful work being done by CRS university partners around the country and much more. Below are some of the features we’re most excited about : - Blog written by CRS Staff and Student Ambassadors, highlighting the “Latest on Campus” and updates on CRS work around the world. Check out some great photos, quotes and testimony from the CSMG Young Leader Initiative in February! http://university.crs.org/blog/young-leaders-initiative-2015-student-musings-and-photo-gallery . - Student Page, where you can watch the video about the CRS Student Ambassador Program, sign up to receive email updates, and check out tools and resources for your campus.

- Calendar of Events happening around the country.

- Interactive Map labeled with all CRS Student Ambassador Chapters around the country.

- Connections to CRS Social Media Engagement on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

CRS UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES A NEW WEBSITE

P A R T N E R S H I P T R A I N I N G A N D E N G A G E M E N T U N I T N E W S ( C O N T . )

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You Did It for Me is an exciting joint venture between Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services. YDIFM is a series of brief stories for parish, diocesan, or organization websites and parish bulletins - any place you would like to share good news of the Church helping those in need across America and around the world. CRS Diocesan Directors should ask their archbishop or bishop if their parish bulletin editors may receive these weekly stories of our faith in action. Please return the completed sign up form to [email protected] .

N e w C R S R e s o u r c e s

Check out the new and improved CRS Resource Center ! The CRS Resource Center (resources.crs.org) offers an array of ministry tools for prayer, formation, and action with a global perspective. With resources suitable for all ages, our Resource Center allows you to search for the materials you need to form disciples to live out Christ’s call to care for the poor and vulnerable everywhere.

Yes, snail mail is still one of

most effective ways to

communicate with your

Members of Congress and

influence their policy decisions!

Click here for some tips to help

you draft an effective and

powerful letter.

You Did it for Me!

CONFIRMED FOR SERVICE IN THE WORLD A session that helps explain the connection between Confirmation and service, encouraging confirmandi to understand service as a part of their Christian vocation—not just a requirement that they need to fulfill in order to be confirmed. Available in English and Spanish. We also have a CRS Food Fast Confirmation retreat in English and Spanish.

EMERGENCY PRAYER CARDS Prayer cards for those who are experiencing emergencies around the world. Children can cut out each card and read the prayers together with their class or family. Available in English and Spanish

WATER IS LIFE An interactive family catechesis session that helps explain the Catholic social teaching principle of the Dignity of the Human Person through the example of access to clean water .

For additional information please contact the CRS regional office for your state or the CRS U.S. Operations Call Center at 1-888-608-5978.

Contact Us

CRS Regional Offices

Email: [email protected]

U.S. Operations Call Center—1-866-608-5978

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