Commentary
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Truth. It’s More Important Than Ever.
The NY Times published a short piece covering a protest against banning some news outlets from a briefing by the White House Press Secretary last Friday. In my opinion, the protest was well warranted and worth covering. Others will be more eloquent and lengthy in their affirmations of the importance of a free press. I support them and think we need to deal with the real threat that exists at this moment. Having said that, the article covering the protest disturbed me because it revealed, probably inadvertently, one of our country’s current major problems – not limited to the press and media. The article began: On Sunday morning, the time…
- Commentary, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees
2017 Inaugurations
You Mean There’s More than One?! I, along with a few other Catholic Charities staff, went to D.C. last week for the inauguration not of the President that takes place January 20th but of the new 115th Congress on January 3rd. The media made so little of this swearing in of 52 new members in the legislative branch of government, you almost could have ignored it. I went because I was invited to two of these swearing in ceremonies – one for a Republican from the Hudson Valley, John Faso, and one for a Democrat from Washington Heights, Adriano Espaillat. I delivered one of the invocations at Congressman Espaillat’s swearing in event. My view on invocations and political events is simple: Engage often, endorse rarely, and pray always. When it comes to politicians and elected officials, they and we – their constituents- can…
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Catholic Charities in PR “Election Day + 2”
Catholic Charities is well known for extensive high quality services that touch almost every human need. Another part of mission is probably less known: partnering to build a just and compassionate society through economic and community development. Today we focused on this lesser known part of our mission. We partnered to raise our awareness and show solidarity to one of the most troubled barrios of San Juan, La Perla. Its reputation for drugs, poverty, violence and lack of opportunity is infamous. A Franciscan priest, decades ago, began to organize to address these issues. Catholic Charities took the lead in organizing a moving walking tour of this historic barrio with approximately…
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Election Day 2016 +1
Catholic Charities in Puerto Rico This year on “Election Day + 1, as our nation focused on the results of this brutal election, Catholic Charities brought our Feeding Our Neighbors program to help one of the most economically hard hit parts of our country, Puerto Rico. Catholic Charities staff and volunteers from the SOMOS annual conference in Puerto Rico provided thousands of meals to families served by The New York Foundling’s Cardinal O’Connor Head Start program in the area of Santurce among others. Under the leadership of NYS Assemblyman Marco Crespo and Assemblywoman Maritza Davila, the annual SOMOS conference now includes a volunteer service project in a community in Puerto…
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Michelle Obama’s Passionately Civil Speech
In addition to the content pay attention to the vocabulary, civility and elegance with which this passionate rebuke of Donald Trump’s words is delivered. We would be much better as a nation if all reproaches, reprimands and disagreements were expressed in this manner. Listen carefully.
