By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholic Charities agencies joined emergency response efforts in coastal communities in four Southeastern states as residents and parish staffers began returning to assess the damage Hurricane Matthew left behind. Some evacuation orders remained in effect in South Carolina, where the storm came ashore Oct. 7, dumping up to 18 inches of rain in communities near Charleston. High water blocked some roads, preventing people from returning to their… Read More
News of the death and destruction caused by Hurricane Matthew here in North Carolina is saddening. As rivers continue to rise, more damage and more need for relief efforts in the coming days is expected. Given the magnitude of this disaster and the need for a timely response, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge has asked that parishes take up a special collection for Hurricane Matthew relief efforts, to be used here in eastern North Carolina. The… Read More
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge offers the following statement: I ask for prayers from all of the faithful in the Diocese of Raleigh and from all people of goodwill for those who have been impacted by the devastating effects of Hurricane Matthew. I express deep sympathy for the families of those who have died here in North Carolina, in other parts of the US, and throughout the Caribbean. I also ask for prayers for the first… Read More
Early this morning, the Diocese of Raleigh was informed that Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, who has led the Raleigh Diocese for the past 10 years, has been appointed by Pope Francis to serve as the Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia. Today at 10:00 a.m., Bishop Burbidge will lead a press conference in the Diocese of Arlington in which he will be introduced as the Bishop of that Diocese, succeeding the current Bishop, Most… Read More
For the past year, Ms. Maty Ferrer, Director of Centro para Familias Hispanas, a program of Catholic Charities, attended the Governor’s Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs meetings as a member of the public. During that time, she had the opportunity to be an active participant and contribute to the topics that were being discussed. This allowed the council to see not only her knowledge, but also the passion Ms. Ferrer brought to representing and advocating… Read More
French Settlement – Thursday started with a buzz of activity. People were coming in to check the status of their cases or to apply to SBA for restoration loans. One case stood out. An elderly lady with her disabled son came in who had not ever applied for help. I first noticed her while she was sitting with a FEMA specialist. Her face and posture showed fatigue, despair and desperation. After a time, the FEMA… Read More
Catholic Charities is excited to announce that Mrs. Rebecca McCabe has been appointed by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Raleigh, Chair of the Catholic Charities Board of Directors. Mrs. McCabe is Senior Vice President with Aon and has over 15 years of expertise in developing business relationships which she brings to her new leadership role with Catholic Charities. Bishop Burbidge, expressed his gratitude for Mrs. McCabe taking on this responsibility. “Rebecca is very well qualified for… Read More
Deacon Bob Bridwell, from St. Stephen the First Martyr Church in Sanford, is assisting flood victims in Louisiana as a volunteer. Here he shares his experiences. Baton Rouge This morning we met with another new crop of case workers that were hired last Friday. Catholic Charities of Baton Rouge is working very hard to spin up an organization that can handle the size and severity of this disaster. The morning meetings are typically presided by… Read More
East Baton Rouge Parish. Tuesday I was assigned another DRC (disaster recovery center) and a new team. Catholic Charities is still in the process of hiring case workers and getting them trained, so there is quite a lot of assignment shifting. We went to the New Hope Center, which is typically used for addiction recovery but is now serving flood recovery. In any case the name seems appropriate. This is one of the busiest DRCs… Read More
This article was featured in the September 2016 edition of NC Catholics. National Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 – October 15. Approximately 35% of the families served by Catholic Charities are Hispanic. Many of these families are assisted at one of two locations, Centro La Comunidad in Burlington and Centro para Familias Hispanas in Raleigh, which focus on serving the Hispanic population. The Catholic Charities regional office in Durham recently helped one of these… Read More
