Bishop Joseph McFadden, who serves as Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg and PCC President, wrote an op-ed in today’s Patriot News about concern for the poor in the state budget. Here is an excerpt:
Catholic Charities, which serves people of all faiths and of no faith, recently opened the new St. Samuel Center in the Harrisburg area.
This 90-bed facility houses three separate programs with a goal of strengthening support and care for women and families. We help our brothers and sisters not because they are Catholic, but because we are.
In fact, about 85 percent of Catholic Charities’ clients are non-Catholics.
Catholic Charities is renowned for living out the Gospel’s call to serve those with little or no income, assisting hundreds of thousands of our needy brothers and sisters in Pennsylvania each year.
We respond to the human services needs of all people throughout the 15 counties of the Diocese of Harrisburg and throughout the commonwealth.
The new St. Samuel Center is a cause for celebration, but we do not always give the poor in our community the attention they deserve.
In these tough economic times, our services are stretched to the breaking point because of the impact of a decrease in funding and an increase in need.
The human impact of the state budget debate in Harrisburg often is overlooked.
Particularly troubling is the potential loss of funding for long-supported programs that help those in dire need and provide a sound, reasonable safety net for our citizens.
If these programs are cut, where will the needy turn?
There are three programs that should receive funding because of the important work they do in assisting the neediest of our brothers and sisters.
Read Bishop McFadden’s entire op-ed here.
Send a message to legislators about these important programs here.
