Have you ever wondered how you would answer some of Jesus’ questions? One lawyer tested Jesus by asking, “Who is my neighbor?” Our Lord responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37). Today, Jesus’ answer might go something like this…

The Story of the Invisible Child
“She stared intently at the ground waiting patiently amidst the chronically homeless, mentally ill, alcoholic, and drug addicted men, hunger pangs growling in her stomach like a pack of angry dogs. The food line inched forward, bringing her closer to the promise of a real hot meal – her first in several days. She longed to have a ‘normal’ life, going to pre-school like other four-year-olds. Instead, her unkempt hair concealed her emaciated, filthy, body clad with oversized clothes found discarded in a dumpster. Her body longed for the luxury of a warm bath to wash away the shame of poverty and the leering stares of the street people who surrounded her. She waited patiently for help while her mother worried about their pending eviction from a one-room rental in a slum-dwelling in Miami. As her infant brother cried, a volunteer beckoned them to come inside.”

Sadly, this is the true story of a family that recently visited Catholic Charities’ New Life Family Center mass feeding line. Twice each week, our volunteers serve hot meals to dozens of chronically homeless people. We see families so desperate that they risk their physical safety to find food. It is gut-wrenching to witness the trauma children experience when exposed to the ugly underbelly of society’s filthy secrets. No child should have to endure that. Yet there are hundreds more trying to summon the courage to seek help.

Many children fall through the cracks of social services — invisible because of their status as undocumented immigrants, ineligible for safety nets like food stamps, unemployment benefits, and Medicaid. As difficult as things are here, they are even worse in their countries of origin. At least in the U.S., charitable institutions such as Catholic Charities provide nourishing meals. In their homelands, there are no jobs or safety nets. Remaining there means almost certain starvation.

Catholic Charities keeps an eye out for children, plucking them from our food lines, assessing their needs, and developing plans to keep them safe.

As our nation grapples with endless economic difficulties and a shortage of resources, Jesus asks us, “Who is your neighbor?” and challenges us to love those who are rejected by society. He invites us to imagine what it is like to be without work, desperate to feed our children. Is there anything we wouldn’t do?

We have 500 families in need of your help this holiday season. Among them are Haitian earthquake survivors, professionals who have lost everything because of chronic unemployment, permanently disabled people, and families desperate to provide for their children.

You can be a Good Samaritan and save children like this sweet four-year-old.

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“In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thes 5:18)

Sunday was supposedly my day off, and there I was in Atlanta… out of my city, my summer, my bed, my home, my family and my peace. My expectations were low because this was a work trip. My intuition whispered this would be four long, boring days.

From the plane I could only see tiny cars, nearly invisible, imperceptibly rolling through thread of roads, which drew artificial white rivers over an area predominantly green. These roads did not seem to end in the vastness of the landscape, through water, towns, cities, and industrial centers. I wondered how man, unnoticeable physically from thousands of feet above, has been able to build such a paved web, sometimes linear as well as geometric, and sometimes contorted as curves of a natural stream, but always emphasizing the presence of human activity on each piece of a majestic land. My mind conjured up images of bugs, comparing their size with the exaggerated proportions of their colonies.

The enormous hotel enveloped me making me feel more unnoticed than the invisible people I never managed to see from the plane. The opening ceremony began – a sea of people. The Hyatt Regency seemed like our anthill. The sides of the ballroom were decorated with great colored backdrops, which were designed rustically for the pain of HIV-affected families and friends, remembering with names, dates and phrases many victims who have disappeared during the last 30 years. Sitting side by side were American natives, blacks, whites, Hispanics, Asians, foreigners and others. There were men, women, seniors, youth, and even some children, revealing a family motivation. Their appearance and gestures displayed a variety of characters, personalities, sexual orientation, cultural and social heritage. Despite the diversity a cordial collectivism, acceptance and mutually respectful atmosphere was breathable. These smiling faces were all participants in the “National Conference on HIV Prevention”. They were there for different reasons, but with a common goal.

Some were activists from different social minorities, residents of different regions, cities and towns, others were people directly affected in some way by the disease, some were infected or had a sick relative or friend, others attended in memory of a loved one snatched away sadly by the virus. There were representatives of community organizations, educational institutions, private and government agencies, and officers of the locals, states and federals authorities. Some were politicians while others were doctors, scientists or healthcare workers. Many were social workers, like me. Every last one of us is committed to fighting HIV and AIDS. Alone each could do a little bit, but together we do a lot and we are making a difference.

The collective enthusiasm was contagious, and as in a chain reaction all perceived it, and transmitted it. We were part of something big, a powerful force determined to stop the spread of this epidemic in our country, and to contribute in parallel with the rest of humanity. The speakers were dynamic, versatile, fun and enjoyed sharing their experiences with others. The presentations were motivational, interactive, and challenging us to face the current issues. There was a palpable hope and a desire to continue, remembering the sacrifice of the first ones, the death of many, the welfare of the last ones, and the commitment of all.

That was how I found out I was wrong, and that my talent as a prophet was lower than the floor. I was part of a big event, a great cause, a big effort, a great organization, and I felt proud. It would be four unforgettable days, full of learning, news and ideas. I felt personally satisfied to work on this humanitarian crusade. Then I felt like a giant ant, with powerful jaws and hope, imagining what might happen in the streets when each of our ants leave the meeting to settle their communities with that obvious energy, to involve their peers, fighting the illness and recovering every inch of space that initially the disease robbed us through many years of lack of knowledge, ignorance, discrimination, prejudice, and indifference; and more recently during a decade of intolerance, ambitions, differences, shortages and poverty.

I returned home with my name hanging on the red strip around my neck. I wear it while I am working, walking in the community, knocking on a door, doing an interview, assisting a client, counseling, and conducting a rapid HIV test. It reminds me of my hope to return in two years to hear better statistics, good news on the prevention and control of this epidemic, and gratitude for being an active member of this persistent and dedicated group.

Join us in this effort. You will be motivated to dream about a better future. Together we can defeat HIV and AIDS. The task is vital. We can begin by reminding ourselves and others that it is better to prevent the disease than later say sorry. Choosing to avoid what places us in danger requires individual responsibility, self-esteem, and a decision to respect others. Keep updated your own HIV-Status by taking an annual HIV test to set a good example for those around you.

Raul Gonzalez is an HIV outreach coordinator for St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Services. Raul was born is Havana, Cuba and attended the University of Havana, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology in 1986. He worked for 8 years at the Institute of Fundamental Research in Tropical Agriculture until 1994. It was at that time that Raul decided to escape to the United States, and as a “rafter”, joined others on a boat to freedom through the Florida Straits. Apprehended by the US Coast Guard, he was sent to Guantanamo Bay and remained there for 1 year. In 1995, he was allowed legal entry into the US and since 1997 has worked in the social services field, as well as microbiologist for different employers. Currently he is applying both skills working for Catholic Charities, conducting parallel Rapid HIV Tests and Counseling for St. Luke’s patients and outreach in the community . Raul is married and has one young daughter.

Raul can be contacted at rgonzalez@ccadm.org.

Preventing Child Abuse

“There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, their welfare is protected, their lives are free from fear and want and they can grow up in peace.”
Kofi Annan, Former Secretary General of the United Nations

April is Child Abuse Protection Month. It is impossible to accurately predict who will be an abuser. Experience shows that most abuse occurs in a family setting and is inflicted by someone who is trusted by a victim and his/her family. The effects of abuse can last a lifetime leading to feelings of anger, shame, hurt and betrayal. The good news is that child abuse can be prevented by increasing awareness and building safety barriers around children to keep them from harm.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Inc. is committed to strengthening families and protecting children. We care for more than 2,300 children through our six Child Development Centers, our Unaccompanied Refugee Minor foster care program, our Unaccompanied Minor Program for children who entered the U.S. alone and were detained, and in our New Life Family Shelter.

We strengthen families and protect children by:

1) Carefully screening and training caregivers, volunteers, and all who come into contact with children,
2) Empowering families to nurture and protect their children, and
3) Teaching children how to speak up safely if they are subjected to abuse.

Catholic Charities’ staff:

1) Receives initial training on identifying child abuse, neglect, and abandonment within the first 30 days of hire,
2) Participates in on-going training from supervisors,
3) Reports any suspected abuse or neglect of a child, elderly or venerable person per our Policies and Procedures,
4) Trains foster parents to recognize and report child abuse as part of the required Model Approach to Partnership Parenting (MAPP) workshops, and
5) Provide parenting tips to help build healthy families.

Today’s busy parents and caregivers often feel like they lack time with their children because the demands of work, home, and other responsibilities are overwhelming. Yet, even small acts of kindness, and caring—a hug, a smile, or loving words—make a big difference to children.

Learn more about preventing child abuse so you can help the next generation. Visit the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Child Welfare Information Gateway at http://www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/preventionmonth/guide2011/index.cfm

About the Writer: Rachel Ramjattan is the Social Media Specialist for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Inc. She has been working in parish social ministry for 10 years. She can be contacted at socialmedia@ccadm.org

Our world today is increasingly globalized. It is a world where goods and merchandise made in one continent are bought and sold in another, half a world away; where information and money can cross borders in an instant; and where people also increasingly move across borders — often in dramatic ways.

The Church teaches us not to fear the migrant — and the Church warns us not to mistreat the migrant. In a way, just as we call Jesus the King of Kings, we can refer to him as the Migrant of Migrants. In becoming a man like us, he “migrated” from heaven. He became a citizen of our world so that we in turn might become citizens of the world to come. And those who will enter into his heavenly homeland will do so because, as he himself will tell us: “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.”

So we can draw a parallel to Jesus’ coming among us as man and a newcomer’s arrival in a strange land. In this way, perhaps, we can contemplate the face of Jesus in the visage of the immigrant.

Xenophobic politics that focus on the “illegal immigrant” as a problem obscures the human face of immigration. Dramatic, “get-tough” arrests of poor low-wage workers will not solve our immigration crisis. The real problem is not the immigrant but the broken system that cynically tolerates a growing underclass of vulnerable people, outside the protection of the law.

Like the immigrant who arrives to our land, the Eternal Son of God, through his Incarnation, pitched his tent in our midst. And like Jesus who was born in a stable because there was no room for him in the inn, today, even while they toil at jobs that Americans cannot or will not do, immigrants hear again what Mary and Joseph heard in Bethlehem two millennia ago: there is no room in the inn for you.

This is why the Church will continue to speak out on behalf of migrants everywhere. We speak out in defense of those, especially the young, who are trafficked across borders to be exploited in the sex trade.

We will continue to advocate for a just and equitable reform of a broken immigration system that continues to separate families for unacceptable periods of time and that provides no path to citizenship for millions who work in jobs that otherwise would have gone unfilled.

We will defend the rights of refugees and asylum seekers for a safe haven from persecution and violence. And, because every child of God should feel at home in his Father’s House, as a Catholic community we will continue to assure that — in our pastoral care and outreach to the newcomers among us — we will speak their Mother’s tongue.

If Catholics are to be a light to the nations, we must model what a reconciled world looks to us. We have to show that diversity enriches the Church and does not divide her — for our communion in Christ is greater than anything that could ever divide us.

In a world of broken promises and fragile hopes, may our Church, in her wonderful diversity of cultures and languages, be always a beacon of hope, a light to the world. By modeling what a reconciled world could look like, we can — with the help of God’s grace — show those whom globalization has made neighbors how to live as brothers and sisters.

About the Writer: Most Rev. Thomas Wenski is the Archbishop of Miami. In addition to English, Archbishop Wenski speaks Haitian Creole and Spanish fluently and preaches and celebrates Mass regularly in both languages. He learned Spanish while still a seminarian and worked with various Spanish speaking groups including Cubans, Puerto Ricans and Mexicans during his seminary training and early years as a priest. He also has a limited knowledge of Polish, the language of his immigrant father and Polish American mother.

In September, Catholic Charities Behavioral Health Services Programs at St. Luke’s Center join hundreds of other treatment programs and thousands of persons in recovery throughout the United States in observing National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. This year’s theme, “Join the voices for recovery… NOW MORE THAN EVER” (www.recoverymonth.gov) encourages all persons in recovery, those afflicted with the disease of addiction, and treatment professionals themselves to become aware of the benefits and freedom that comes with a life of recovery versus a life that is choked, sometimes to death, by chronic substance use and dependency. In our own Miami-Dade County however, there is still much to be done. In a white paper published in 2008, James N. Hall writes, “Miami-Dade County has the highest proportion of cocaine-related consequences as compared to other drugs among the nation’s major metropolitan statistical areas. (Source: The Miami Coalition for a Safe, Healthy, and Drug-Free Community, June 2009)

The White House has reinforced this recovery-awareness initiative by announcing that preventive and substance abuse services are included in the Affordable Care Act. “High quality, preventive care helps Americans stay healthy, avoid or delay the onset of disease, lead productive lives and help reduce costs. Through provisions of the Act, new insurance plans are required to provide preventive care without cost-sharing, while it removes financial barriers for many Americans to preventive services, help prevent disease and reduce costs.” (Source: www.addictionpro.com 8/20/2010) St. Luke’s applauds any measures enacted that reduce barriers to health care and which increase access to substance abuse prevention activities and treatment.

On the RecoveryMonth2010 website readers are reminded that “although positive trends in substance abuse are emerging, there are still areas of concern, and efforts to fight substance use disorders must continue. This includes addressing the increase in prescription pain reliever misuse among those aged 18 to 25 (to 4.6% in 2007) and the current use of illicit drugs among adults aged 55 to 549, which more than doubled (to 4.1%) since 2007. With the variety of substances that are being used, misused and readily available today, including prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) remedies, raising awareness about available treatment and recovery tools can break down the barriers to treatment and influence the millions struggling with addiction.”

St. Luke’s provides residential and outpatient treatment and counseling for addicted persons or persons who have abused drugs and/or alcohol. For an initial screening, information or questions, interested individuals can call 305-795-0077 x 124, 106 or 126 Monday through Friday during regular business hours.

About the Writer: Mark L. Szurek, Ph.D., M.T.S., is the director for Behavioral Health Services at St. Luke’s Center for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami. Dr. Szurek has been a health care administrator for over 35 years, with over 20 years of that experience in the field of substance abuse treatment and recovery. He can be contacted at St. Luke’s Center, 7707 NW 2nd Ave., Miami, FL 33150 or 305-795-0077.