Catholics provide charity in action through CRS Print E-mail
By Archbishop John C. Nienstedt   
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
A favorite book of mine is “Deliver us from Evil,” which is the real-life account of Dr. Thomas A. Dooley, a Navy physician who cared for Vietnamese refugees during the Vietnam War.

Nienstedt.jpg That They May All
Be One
Archbishop John C. Nienstedt
This Catholic doctor witnessed some of the most horrifying atrocities of the Com­munist Viet Cong during the mid-1950s. His book is an inspiring narrative of how, through his duty to take care of the physical health of the sick and dying, he developed a profound compassion for these unfortunate refugees and eventually learned to see them as Christ sees them: worthy of love.

I’m sure that Dr. Dooley often meditated on Matthew 25:40: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Christ calls each one of us to serve our neighbor in need. Our charity should be an external manifestation of our interior disposition. Thus, love others as you love Christ; for in doing so, you are serving him. This is charity in action.

Serving millions

A very real way in which Cath­o­lics today can clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and comfort the sorrowing is through Catholic Relief Ser­vices.

CRS is the official international hu­manitarian agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The purpose of this particular arm of the bishops is to serve as an overseas relief and development group.

Begun in 1943 to aid the many refugees in war-torn Europe, this Catholic organization now serves millions of people every day in more than 100 countries. CRS is how the Catholic Church in the United States manifests charity in action throughout the world. For example, it was among the first responders after the earthquake in Haiti.

CRS serves in a variety of capacities, from providing emergency aid, to advocating sensible public policy, from health care and education, to facilitating micro-financing.

Recalling the old adage, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat everyday,” their work goes beyond simply giving the poor what they need; they educate and provide resources that allow the poor to be self-sustaining.

The work of CRS highlights principles central to the Catholic social doctrine of the church, namely, solidarity and dignity of the human person.

As Dr. Dooley came to realize in his service to Vietnamese refugees, serving the poor is serving Christ, precisely because each person possesses an inalienable human dignity by virtue of being created in the image of God.

Furthermore, he found that through his suffering with the people (true compassion), a bond of solidarity was being formed that gave strength to the suffering.

Likewise, our support of CRS dem­on­strates not only our concern for each and every human person, but the recognition that we are part of one human family, being drawn into a fraternal solidarity.

All of us are not able to volunteer in foreign countries, so we look to show our solidarity with the poor in other ways. In doing this, we fulfill our duty to show charity, or act as Christ in the world.

This is the obligation of every Christian, for it is part of our very identity as followers of Christ. Our support of CRS is a way for us to join in this necessary work of the church.

In his first encyclical, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, tells us:

“The Church’s deepest nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility: of proclaiming the word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia), and exercising the ministry of charity (diakonia). These duties presuppose each other and are inseparable. For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being” (25).

I applaud the work and assistance that so many individuals and parishes in this archdiocese have already given.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneap­olis maintains a partnership with the Diocese of Kitui, Kenya, and works with CRS to provide aid to the people in that diocese.

Our delegations to Kitui have worked with CRS to provide water to this very dry region through the H2O project. Recently, a large project to erect a dam was completed to alleviate a severe drought and bring water to 1,250 families. Such physical accomplishments are worthy of praise, yet I’m convinced that the greatest success lies in the building up of the Catholic faith by all who are involved in the work of CRS.

Your support of CRS is a participation in the church’s effort to bring the love of Christ to every corner of the world. In doing so, we begin to “see the big picture” of the universal human family, as it becomes clear how much our brothers and sisters desperately need our assistance.

Again, our Holy Father encourages us: “Rather than turning in on ourselves, we must continue to be beacons of hope, strength and support for others, most especially those who have no one to watch over or assist them” (Audience to Papal Foundation, May 2009).

The need for prayers and financial support is greater than ever. The world needs to see charity in action.

I strongly encourage all the faithful of the archdiocese to contribute to CRS and to remember that “whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

If you have any questions or would like to know more, please contact our Office for Mission ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or (651) 222-6556).

God Bless you!