"Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me."

At the very core of what it means to be a Catholic Christian is the concern for others and care for His creation.

You are invited to join in this effort by sharing your own time and God-given talents.

We are called to live out the SEVEN THEMES OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING. Our Human Concerns committees and activities exist to live out these principles.  Perhaps you, like many of us, have been life-long Catholics, but have not heard of these key seven principles. Do yourself a favor by exploring them. By clicking below, you will find a summary, and links to learning even more in depth.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching.

Human Concerns Outreach Grant Report December 2017

The Joint Human Concerns Commission of St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Joan of Arc is responsible for distributing the First Fruits, which is the 1 ½ % of weekly collection that is distributed through the Outreach Grants Committee, approved by the HCC and Father Mike.  These grants are distributed biannually to carefully researched 501© (3) non-profit organizations.   In December of 2017, three grants were distributed locally, regionally and internationally to assist needy organizations. These grants address the current HCC focus area, understanding the needs of social justice, veterans and the sick in our local and global community.   Summaries of the organizations receiving these grants are below:

Just Ministries

Just ministries is a Milwaukee based  non-profit organization dedicated to cultivating awareness of social injustice within our local and global communities and building sustainable peace.  Just Ministries is committed to promoting justice and empowering the community to become active citizens, advocating and partnering for change. They are passionate about creating a culture of healing in our broken world.

The Camo Quilt Project

The Camo Quilt Project is a non-for profit organization that sews and distributes quilts to active duty and retired veterans of all branches of the armed services.  These quilts are sewn by volunteers to package them with a handmade card and tie.  They also have branched out into creating lap quilts for veterans who are in assisted living, nursing homes, and are homebound.  This grant will allow them to continue their mission of helping active duty and veterans to know they are cared for with the warmth of a quit.

Upendo Village

The Mission of Upendo Village, located in Navasha, Kenya, is to spread the Gospel message of love to women, men and their children, who have HIV/AIDS so that they can live with dignity, self-esteem, self-sufficiency and respect. They are committed to networking with other agencies and providing healthcare so that their clients can enjoy a free and full life. Upendo Village, NFP, is a joint project of the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi and the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters in Wheaton, Illinois.