CSAN Blog

Sr Mary CSB with Caritas Bakhita House

  

Volunteering was always something I knew I would do following retirement. Having worked with CAFOD for over 15 years, I was drawn to working with disadvantaged, marginalised and vulnerable groups.

The first place I looked was my local Windsor Christian Action in 2006 – operated by Churches Together in Windsor. There was an opportunity to work with homeless people, serving hot dinners once a week to begin with, and later helping with various ‘odd jobs’ where necessary.

In 2011, I joined RENATE (Religious in Europe Networking Against Trafficking and Exploitation).  I knew that Caritas Westminster had opened Caritas Bakhita House – a safe house for survivors of trafficking – in 2015, so I contacted them to offer my services. I met with Karen and Anna for an initial chat, offering to help in whatever way was best for their guests – perhaps teaching English, Computing or simply accompanying the women to their appointments.

Volunteering at Caritas Bakhita House has made a huge difference to my life. Working there, I interact with women from different countries, cultures, customs and faith traditions. This is both humbling and inspiring. Humbling, because their stories of abuse, trauma and overcoming difficulties are what I can only begin to imagine, and have made me realise just how much my own experience growing up in rural Ireland was one of privilege, safety and love. And inspiring, because I am frequently in awe of the resilient women who overcome incredible suffering through the care and love shown to them at Bakhita House, and go on to live life the full.

The stories that I hear from women who have escaped abuse and exploitation – often from childhood – are always heartbreaking.  One can but listen, offer hope, comfort and walk alongside them with a compassionate heart. Not being able to ‘solve’ the problem or take away another’s pain is not just a challenge, but a sadness for me. However, I believe in the power of prayer and the response it evokes from a loving, compassionate God. To quote Alfred Tennyson, ‘More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of,’ and I find reassurance when I pray for those who struggle to find hope, peace or fulfilment in their lives.

Faith is so much a part of my daily life, especially as a religious. It shapes why and how I do volunteer work. My inspiration comes from the example of Jesus and his radical message of inclusion, particularly inclusion of those whom society rejects or fails to support. The principles of Catholic Social Teaching also inform my life, from the dignity of every human person to solidarity and the common good. We have a beautiful world, a world of goodness created by God, and it is incumbent on us to promote and share its beauty and goodness. That reinforces my faith, and it is also nourished by my volunteering work.

Sr Mary Patricia volunteers with Caritas Bakhita House which is an initiative of Caritas Westminster. Find out more here.

Erika with Caritas Salford

  

How long have you volunteered with Caritas and why did you decide to get involved?

I started with Caritas in May 2023. I decided to get involved in Caritas, because I knew a little about Caritas International’s humanitarian work in my country El Salvador and in Spain as well. Now that I have been here as a volunteer for a while, I have learned more about the commitment and work that Caritas Salford does in Greater Manchester and Lancashire. That gives me more encouragement to continue contributing my time.

What’s the best thing about volunteering?

The best thing about volunteering is gaining work experience and developing new skills. At the same time, it makes a difference in the community by helping those in need.

What’s the best thing about your particular volunteering role?

At the food pantry, I enjoy talking to the other volunteers and people who come to the centre for help and giving them a warm smile. In the garden, I like to plant and watch the plants grow. It is wonderful!

Caritas is a charity. What is it like volunteering with a charitable organisation?

Volunteering at a charity can be an incredibly rewarding job. It offers opportunities to make a tangible difference in people’s lives. In addition, it contributes to the acquisition of new skills and personal and professional growth.

How would you sum up the difference your volunteering makes in a sentence?

To dedicate my free time to supporting the organisation and helping people in need, making my volunteer work tangible, creating a positive impact on people’s lives.

What would you say to other people think of starting to volunteer?

As a personal experience, I can say volunteering is a perfect way to develop and acquire skills. It has helped me connect with people in a rewarding way. If you are new to the UK like me, volunteering can also be a great way to improve your English skills. I encourage you to do it and leave your fears aside, because it is worth it!

Teresa with Marriage Care

  

Since 1946 Marriage Care has been tending to the needs of couples, both those preparing for marriage and those who have reached a tricky point in their relationship and are struggling with the hardship relationship poverty brings to family life.

All our work is carried out by dedicated volunteers such as Teresa Weeks who has been counselling three couples a week, forty five weeks of the year, for over twenty-five years. As a deeply committed Catholic who has undertaken the thirty-day Ignatian spiritual exercises, Teresa’s spirituality and counsellor training has helped her to discern what couples may need to hear, and to grow in the knowledge and love of God.

Teresa became a counsellor when she’d been married for about 25 years. As so often happens as people enter middle age and children grow up, she and her husband had got stuck as a couple. But they knew it was really important that they try to make their marriage work and not just let it go. They went for counselling and found the counselling so helpful that Teresa decided to volunteer. There was a rigorous selection process, involving counsellors and psychologists, so Teresa was pleased when she was accepted. She had worried that the problems she experienced in her own marriage might make her unsuitable. She was pleased to find that the opposite was true as her own relationship journey helped her to understand better what others might be going through.

Volunteering for Marriage Care has become part of her life. She has supervision once a month and access to regular training to ensure professional standards are maintained in keeping with Marriage Care’s commitment to the ethical framework; a requirement of its membership of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists. For her, the volunteering is a marvellous part of her life and has fulfilled that desire to understand better how relationships work, how each of us develops as a human being made in God’s image and likeness and also to understand herself better.

The benefit to society of maintaining healthy, loving, and enduring relationships is huge because it reduces people’s stress and anxiety and it promotes peace and flourishing, especially for children. Nearly 50% of all 16-year-olds are not with both parents, which has a profound effect on them, so it’s not surprising that in 2022, 15-year-olds in the UK reported having the lowest life satisfaction in Europe compared with others in their age group. Children need a secure base and a good model of what a healthy relationship is.

Many couples on the verge of divorce say they would take a way back if they could find it, but they feel they’ve reached the end of the road. With help it is often possible to find a new way and get back to a loving relationship. Given a safe space where they can explore their issues and de-escalate the tension, they can start to listen and undo the negative patterns that they’ve got into.

Marriage Care’s counselling service is open to any individual or couple who needs support with relationships issues – Catholic or not, married or not. And the norm for couples attending our Marriage Preparation courses, which are designed for those marrying in the Catholic Church, is for one person to be Catholic, or from a Catholic background and the other not and as a result the courses offer an evangelisation process that builds bridges to faith through welcome and acceptance. Teresa believes that God is in all things and especially in the creation of loving relationships, therefore if we are working and supporting people in developing their relationships to be more loving that is of God.

As our work is undertaken by volunteers, we provide the lowest cost relationship counselling service, and we never turn anyone away if they can’t afford to pay.

Marriage Care needs more funds to recruit, train and support volunteer counsellors and supervisors so that couples get the help they need to find a way forward from their difficulties. As for Teresa, she says she will volunteer as long as she possibly can.

World Day of the Poor 2024 – Prayer Resource

  

Sunday 17 November 2024 is the eighth World Day of the Poor, with the theme from the Book of Sirach, “The prayer of the poor rises up to God” (Sir 21:5). Pope Francis, in his message for the day, reminds us that this year is dedicated to prayer in anticipation of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025. Christian hope, the theme of the Jubilee Year, is grounded in the certainty that our prayer reaches God’s presence; “not just any prayer but the prayer of the poor.”

The novena is offered as a way to help us to prayerfully encounter in scripture God’s constant care for those who are in various forms of poverty and to prompt in us a desire for more just relations in the community. The readings are not from the readings of the day (apart from Sunday 10 November). This is a separate devotional exercise. It can be prayed individually or in school or parish groups. 

You will find more details of the diocesan Caritas agencies and independent charities that are members of Caritas Social Action Network on our website at www.csan.org.uk. These charities are engaged in different ways in tackling the causes of poverty, promoting justice and restoring dignity. You will find much inspiration from them as you continue to “do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

WDOTP Novena 2024-2Download

Jubilee 2025: Outline Plan (September 2024)

  

24 January: Launch of Jubilee for Schools

At CSAN, we’ve been working with colleagues from the CES and CAFOD on Jubilee for Schools, which will launch on Friday 24 January 2025. Website in early stages: https://cafod.org.uk/jubilee-schools

24-26 January: Jubilee of World Day of Communications

We will host an online webinar for the comms officers of CSAN members to share plans for the year and help to facilitate an understanding of Jubilee, with particular reference to the dimension of social justice. We will work with the CBCEW comms team to coordinate with their plans.

8-9 March: Jubilee of World of Volunteering

An ideal opportunity to spotlight and celebrate the many thousands of volunteers in the CSAN membership, across the parishes and charitable organisations of England and Wales.

12-14 March: CSAN Leaders’ residential at St Katharine’s, London

An opportunity to gather and celebrate Jubilee, reflect on its legacy, enjoy social friendship, networking, inspiring speakers and helpful workshops. Liturgy led by Jo Boyce and CJM.

28-30 April: Jubilee of People with Disabilities

An opportunity to highlight the work of CSAN members such as the Catholic Disability Fellowship and bring new energy to resources in this area.

1-4 May: Jubilee of Workers

A proposal for a Commission on the Dignity of Work is in very early stages. This would be an ideal opportunity to launch such a commission and focus on a Living Wage campaign.

20 September: Jubilee of Justice

Mass in Liverpool led by Archbishop Malcolm McMahon confirmed for Saturday 20 September, the day of the Jubilee for Justice. A wonderful opportunity to celebrate the work for justice in England and Wales

5 October: Jubilee of Migrants

Building on our recent work in partnership with CBCEW on migration issues, we will plan for a special Jubilee World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

16 November: Jubilee of the Poor

In recent years, we have produced resources for World Day of the Poor, based on the theme for the year in the message from Pope Francis. We will develop those resources for this Jubilee.

3-5 December: Conference at St Mary’s University Twickenham, in association with St Mary’s and the Network for Researchers in Catholic Education to mark the 60th anniversary of Gaudium et Spes.

14 December: Jubilee of Prisoners

Working with CSAN members involved in the criminal justice system and our Criminal Justice Alliance, we will promote a Call to Action in parishes to highlight the needs of families caught up in the criminal justice system and the reintegration of people who leave prison.

Animating Parish Senior Groups conference

  

Caritas Westminster hosted a day at Westminster Cathedral Hall on Thursday 20 April in partnership with other CSAN Members, St Vincent de Paul Society and the Irish Chaplaincy as well as Caritas Plymouth. The purpose of the event was to strengthen those accompanying senior members of our parish communities to continue the vital work they are engaging in, and to consider how their services could support greater numbers of those feeling distant from parish life. The impetus for such an event was in part responding to the synodal process which highlighted the need to include older people, as well as affirming dignity in seniority, and the need to generate ideas and (re-)introduce new programmes to parishes.

The day was bookended by prayer, with inputs from +McAleenan (Chairman of the Caritas Westminster Board) and +Mason (Bishop of the Forces). Bishop McAleenan reminded us of the association in the Scriptures of older people and wisdom, and the instances of God using older people to bring about his purposes (Genesis 5:5; Genesis 5:24; Genesis 22; 2 Kings 2:11; Luke 2:25-38). He suggested that old age was conceptualised too stereotypically and challenged listeners to attend to the nuances of this life stage. Rather than assuming old age is characterised by human and social inadequacy, Bishop McAleenan reminded us that the experiences and the lives of older people are as many and as diverse as the number of people themselves. The enemy of appreciation of those in later life stems from a mentality of efficiency which masks the social nature of humanity and as a result, risks harming our relationships with one another.

Bishop Mason concluded by affirming the Church’s distinct mission, which unlike an NGO, relies on the power of God to orient our best efforts to serve our fellow brothers and sisters and not reduce social action to mere ‘do-goodery’. Rather, by engaging in good works, we are responding to the God who loves us and fulfilling our baptismal calling to bring to Christ to others.

The conference’s keynote speaker was Debbie Thrower, Founder and Pioneer of Anna Chaplaincy. Anna Chaplaincy is an accompaniment service that specialises in caring for the emotional and spiritual needs of older citizens. In particular, Debbie stressed the urgency of the attending to the pastoral needs of those in later life in our parishes and local communities where society tends to overlook and explained how Anna Chaplaincy does this. She suggested that many older people are experiencing an identity crisis, resultant from a great reluctance to face our own senescence.

Meriel Woodward, Assistant Director of Caritas Westminster, said:

Collaborating with CSAN and other partners has been a very enriching experience. From feedback received, participants really enjoyed the event; most plan to take the learning back to their parish to either inform their current volunteering, or to help shape new activities or projects. There was an overwhelming desire for more opportunities to network and share ideas.  We are really keen to ensure older people are involved in the life of their parishes, and will be circulating a full program of events for the remainder of 2023 shortly.

As Debbie Thrower reminded her audience, attending to the elderly is a blessing, a privilege, and a responsibility.

New homeless project opened in Birmingham

  

After 17 months of fundraising and renovations, and over £500,000 of investment, Tabor Living celebrated the transition of its services from a smaller site at St Anne’s, in Digbeth, where it has been based for five years to a new facility at St Catherine of Siena, Bristol Street in the centre of Birmingham. 9 new emergency bedrooms have been created as well as 10 ‘next-steps’ rooms to support those who are experiencing homelessness, this is doubling their existing provision.

Tabor Living is a collaborative project between a number of partners including Fr Hudson’s Care and the Archdiocese of Birmingham, who are both members of the CSAN network. Tabor Living are pleased to increase their accommodation and support offer to those experiencing homelessness in the city, they will also continue to operate their 3-bedroom move-on house, Tabor Cottage, nearby.

The launch on Wednesday 19 April saw Andy Street, West Midlands Mayor, officially open the new project alongside Archbishop Bernard Longley and the Tabor Living Project Manager, Sharon Fear. On Sunday 23 April, organisers also extended their celebrations with a Mass of Thanksgiving led by Archbishop Bernard Longley and offered supporters the opportunity to have a tour of the new building.

Sharon Fear explained why the initiative was timely: “One of the reasons we’ve looked at expanding and becoming bigger is because we’ve noticed that there are fewer options for people who are working, but who still need that support for the next move on – that’s where we can help.” She explained that the people they work with “tend to get overlooked because they’re functioning in some ways, but still need support and help”.  Many of the guests at Tabor Living are migrants with restricted eligibility to public funds, who have to ensure they sustain themselves through employment.

Tabor Living has helped over 100 people since its initial launch in 2015, at a time when it was believed at least 200 people per night were sleeping without a roof over their head, within the city It has been reported that this number had peaked at 400 in the summer of 2021, according to Birmingham City Council records, following the cessation of the furlough scheme and the increased cost of living[1].

With a success rate estimated at 75%, Tabor Living expects this to increase with the launch of the new facilities. Archbishop Bernard reflected that they “are on the threshold of Tabor House in its new manifestation here. This is going to be a place of welcome for so many people.” Sharon Fear reflected that, “Tabor has always been about giving people their dignity back and working with them on what they want to achieve. We’re about so much more than just a bed – our volunteers and mentors work with our guests on an individual strength-based basis to support them to achieve their goals and move into more independent living.”

To find out more about the project, please visit https://www.taborliving.co.uk/

[1] https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/number-homeless-people-rises-birmingham-22912171

CSAN Leaders’ Alliance Inaugurated

  

For leadership there is only one road: service. There is no other way. If you have many qualities — the ability to communicate, etc. — but you are not a servant, your leadership will fail, it is useless, it has not power to gather [people] together. 

Address of Pope Francis to Rectors and Students of the Pontifical Colleges and Residences of Rome, 2014

In April, the directors of CSAN charities met together at CCLA offices. This was the first time CSAN members had gathered officially since the rebranding of the ‘Directors’ Forum’ into the ‘Leaders’ Alliance’. The Alliance facilitates leadership gatherings within the CSAN Network, allowing members to meet and collaborate on innovative solutions that can help them realise their goals.

Avril Baigent, representing the School of Synodality, delivered a keynote talk entitled ‘Synodality and the Social Mission of the Church’. The talk highlighted the application of the synodal process in Scripture, using New Testament accounts and the tradition of the early Church to act as a guide in the current deliberations of how the Church communicates the truth of the Gospel in the contemporary world. Avril also facilitated the space to have ‘spiritual conversations’ which prioritised listening over speaking, as an exercise to orient leaders towards leadership ultimately best exemplified in Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:1-1). Our conversations are most fruitful when we approach others with humility (recognising that we do not have all the answers), in freedom (to be open to what God might be teaching us), and with joy (the commitment to seeing God in all things and the resultant peace that follows from this).

The second keynote talk, ‘The Grace of Failing’ was delivered by Andy Keen-Downs, CEO of PACT. Guiding us through 3 examples from his career, Andy reflected on how occasions professional failure can allow us to grow. Speaking in the context of charity leadership, he suggested it is those we are called to serve that will remind us of our role and purpose and encouraged listeners to be intentional about building a team that helps fulfil the charity’s vision. Andy also shared details of a recent PACT project exploring the impact of parents’ incarceration on children and young adults. Responses from focus groups had been dramatized as a way to acknowledge and communicate young people’s experiences to wider audiences.

CSAN also expresses heartfelt thanks to Carol Hill, Director of Catholic Care (Diocese of Leeds), our outgoing Chair who has served in this position for many years, and also to CCLA for hosting CSAN for this event.

Caritas Internationalis General Assembly

  

On Wednesday 10 May, I joined colleagues from CAFOD and Caritas Member Organisations from all over the world for the opening of the Caritas Internationalis General Assembly in the Synod Hall of the Pope Paul VI Audience Hall in the Vatican.

The 22nd General Assembly was opened by Cardinal Tagle, the outgoing President, who reminded us that Caritas Internationalis is a family with a common mission, namely to serve and accompany the poor, in whom we encounter our Lord Jesus Christ.

Cardinal Tagle reflected movingly on his eight years as President of Caritas Internationalis as another formation in being a missionary disciple. We need structures, of course, he told us, but more than that we need a ‘soul’, and the soul of Caritas is the love of God poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. This is what gives us strength to keep loving as a family when it gets difficult.

The previous six months for the Caritas family had indeed been difficult. In November 2022, the Holy See took the painful decision, following an investigation, to remove the leadership team at Caritas Internationalis. This was a great shock to everyone at the time, but it was stressed right from the beginning that there was no suggestion of financial impropriety or sexual misconduct. The report from the investigation focused on the culture of the leadership. A key role for the Assembly was to elect new leadership, which happened in subsequent days.

The following day, we had an audience with the Holy Father, Pope Francis. Almost 500 delegates from the Assembly filed into the magnificent setting of the Clementine Hall. We did not have to wait for long. Pope Francis was early and was greeted with warm applause. In his hands he held the script of his speech but he told us we could read that at any time and handed it to Cardinal Czerny beside him. He then spoke from the heart about Caritas and then spent the rest of the time greeting each person in the room individually. This illustrated the pastoral approach of Pope Francis: a culture of encounter and closeness, reality before ideas. The text of the Holy Father is, of course, very rich and inspiring and is well worth close study. You can find it here: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2023/may/documents/20230511-caritas-internationalis.html

In the course of the next few days, we enjoyed many inspiring inputs from colleagues all over the world who witness to the love of God in their work with the suffering and vulnerable. We heard from colleagues in Ukraine, working with a population traumatised by war and displacement; colleagues from Sudan working in a volatile situation of conflict and food insecurity; colleagues in Nicaragua working in a context of societal violence and open hostility to the Church. In every case, the love of Christ urged then on (2 Corinthians 5:14).

We had had the ‘statutory’ duties of electing a new leadership team and we were delighted to hear that Archbishop Tarcisio Kikuchi, the Archbishop of Tokyo, was elected as the new President and Alistair Sutton, the Chief Executive of SCIAF, was elected as the new Secretary General. We also approved a new Strategic Framework which will give shape and direction to the work of the confederation moving forward. The vision is clear and compelling: “a just world, transformed to reflect God’s kingdom, where all people in our common home experience the love, compassion and fullness of life.”

This is the Gospel-inspired vision at the heart of Caritas Internationalis in all its expressions at international, national and local level. It is the vision at the heart of all Christians who work for a better world. For more information about Caritas Internationalis, especially the Together We programme to mobilise local communities of care, please visit: https://www.caritas.org/togetherwe/

Raymond Friel
CEO, Caritas Social Action Network