Catholic Charities USA is the second-largest provider of social services in the United States, behind only the federal government. Its refugee services wing has been active in helping with refugee resettlement and immigration concerns in the United States since the post-World War II era.
Catholic Charities USA is a network of more than fifteen hundred agencies and organizations nationwide that provide assistance to individuals and families in need of food and housing, social support services (such as employment training and child and senior care), immigration and refugee services, and disaster relief. Local Catholic Charities agencies have provided services to immigrant groups for more than 280 years.
Although officially founded in 1910, Catholic Charities USA traces its existence back to 1727 to an
Following the Civil War, patterns of immigration shifted in the United States, and large numbers of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe began to arrive. Settling in urban areas in the northeast and midwestern states, these new arrivals, most of whom were Catholic, sought support from Catholic service agencies affiliated with their local parishes. The strain on these agencies’ resources led parishes to raise funds through affiliation with groups such as the
In an effort to meet the needs of the burgeoning Catholic immigrant populations, many parish organizations, especially those in large cities, joined ecumenical or even secular “umbrella” charitable groups. During the 1880’s and 1890’s, groups such as the Associated Charities of Boston and the New York Charity Organization Society were viewed suspiciously by clergy as being “too Protestant,” and many Catholics expressed concern that a formal affiliation with the charity arms of other denominations would both hamper the effectiveness of the Catholic parish charities and dilute the theological teachings that Catholic organizations wished to impart. Additionally, reform projects such as Helms House in Brooklyn, New York, were not embraced by church officials, as such projects stressed social reform rather than relief.
In 1910, the heretofore loosely organized Catholic agencies were consolidated as the
During the 1950’s, in the years following World War II and the Korean War, Catholic Charities USA worked with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and various dioceses to provide both immigrant and refugee services to Latin Americans, specifically Mexicans, and Haitians seeking residency or
Also, the organization provided services that included legal assistance for migrant workers in the Southwest and Florida in cases that involved workers’ rights, safety, and compensation. Catholic Charities volunteers also assisted in resettlement efforts for refugees from the
In the early twenty-first century, Catholic Charities USA expanded its advocacy efforts in a variety of areas. The organization lobbied members of Congress and state government officials for low-cost health care for children and those with low incomes, regardless of citizenship. It also advocated for providing adequate funding for programs such as Head Start and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. It lobbied for a temporary worker program, improved access to government services for immigrants, an easier path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and a more liberal admission policy for refugees.
Bane, Mary Jo, Brent Coffin, and Ronald Thiemann. Who Will Provide? The Changing Role of Religion in American Social Welfare. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 2000. Examines the shift in focus away from government assistance toward agencies such as Catholic Charities. Brown, Dorothy M., and Elizabeth McKeown. The Poor Belong to Us: Catholic Charities and American Welfare. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1997. Examination of the role of women in those Catholic agencies that provide services to immigrants. Oates, Mary. The Catholic Philanthropic Tradition in America. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1995. Scholarly exploration of Catholic charitable giving with particular attention paid to the groups that became part of Catholic Charities.
Employment
Farm and migrant workers
French immigrants
German immigrants
Haitian immigrants
History of immigration, 1620-1783
History of immigration, 1783-1891
Illegal immigration
Religion as a push-pull factor
Sanctuary movement