ARCHDIOCESE LAUNCHES WEBSITE TO INFORM AND INVITE CATHOLICS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DIFFERENT MINISTRIES THAT HELP THE UNDERSERVED
November 16, 2018  |  By:   |  Press Releases  |  

—LACatholics.org is launched in commemoration of the second World Day of the Poor (Nov. 18) declared by Pope Francis to encourage Catholics to engage in works of mercy and service to those most in need —

In commemoration of the second World Day of the Poor to be celebrated on Sunday, November 18, the Office of Life, Justice and Peace of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is launching today the website LACatholics.org, where Catholics can learn what the local Church is doing and find ways to get involved in the different ministries that support the underserved.

“It is important to celebrate the works of mercy performed quietly by everyday Catholics,” said Kathleen Buckley-Domingo, senior director of the Archdiocese’s Office of Life, Justice and Peace, heading the initiative. “When we amplify these actions, we proclaim that the lay faithful, and the work done in Jesus’ name, are the heart of our Church and the true manifestation of the Christian faith.”

The Catholic community in the tri-county Archdiocese of Los Angeles (Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties), numbering close to 5 million, houses the homeless, feeds the poor, cares for foster kids, visits those in prison, provides resources to pregnant women in need, and assists the ill and dying every single day. This work often goes unnoticed or underappreciated by the culture and even by the Catholic community.

The purpose of LACatholics.org is to tell the story of the daily works of mercy of Catholics around the Archdiocese, to invite and alert Catholics of current programs and outreaches that offer opportunities to serve and celebrate their success, and to transform parishes from places to go for sacraments only into hubs of service to those in need through quick access to reliable referrals.

Celebrated for the second consecutive year, World Day of the Poor is a day established by Pope Francis to encourage Catholics to focus on material poverty in which individuals, families, and communities lack access to the basic things they need to live and thrive, including nutritious food, adequate housing, safe neighborhoods, good education, healthcare, and decent jobs with fair pay. This year’s theme is “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,” taken from Psalms 34:6.

For more information on World Day of the Poor, visit http://www.usccb.org/news/2018/18-175.cfm

                                                                                         ###