Fall brings beautiful weather and foliage, but it also brings something else for many of us: extra nights out.
We are now in the busiest time of year for events, galas, and fundraisers. These gatherings support the Church’s work of serving God and neighbor. You may have a few on your calendar, too, especially in October and November. Your support helps make these good works possible.
One event especially close to my heart is the annual Patricia Sullivan Benefit Dinner for Potomac Community Resources (PCR), held in mid-October. I was at Our Lady of Mercy when families from the parish founded PCR in 1994. They saw the need for more opportunities and support for teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
I am so proud of how much PCR has grown and all that it does. It is an award-winning nonprofit organization serving hundreds of individuals and families throughout the region. PCR welcomes people of all faiths and backgrounds.
I've also been involved with The Shepherd Foundation since its beginning. Like PCR, it started with conversations in someone's living room about how we could help families who need financial assistance for their children’s Catholic education. Today, the foundation provides about half a million dollars a year in tuition assistance.
In its 30 years, the Shepherd Foundation has raised more than $15 million and helped more than 10,000 students afford a Catholic education. You don't have to be Catholic to be eligible for assistance; you just have to attend a Catholic school in the archdiocese.
We're proud that so many of these students have gone on to college and are doing well. I'm grateful, along with so many others, for all the Shepherd Foundation has accomplished. Our annual Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated Nov. 21 at St. Bartholomew Church at 5 p.m.
Another important event this fall supports the Catholic Mobilizing Network, which works to end the death penalty. The failed execution of Christa Pike was a painful reminder of the tragedy of capital punishment. A week later, talk of livestreaming an execution by firing squad made me want to speak out against the death penalty more than ever. The livestreaming plans are apparently canceled, but the execution is not.
Earlier this month, I attended the Ignatian Volunteer Corps dinner. The IVC offers people age 50 and older opportunities to volunteer with charities, parishes, and the archdiocese, serving those in need. Volunteers also join groups that help them deepen their faith.
Another dinner supports SOAR – Support Our Aging Religious. For 40 years, SOAR has supported religious sisters and brothers as they age. It provides funding for elevators, stairlifts, electric wheelchairs, and other improvements that make convents and religious communities more accessible.
The Saint Luke Institute's annual gala also took place in mid-October. For 50 years, the institute has cared for the mental health and spiritual well-being of thousands of Catholic clergy and religious sisters and brothers. Those struggling with depression, alcohol-related problems, stress in ministry, and other challenges can find help through counseling, spiritual direction, assessment, and treatment. The institute does tremendous work.
And lastly, a fundraiser near and dear to me is the Catholic Charities DC Virtual Food Drive. As former president and CEO of Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Washington, I witnessed firsthand how a warm meal from St. Maria’s Meal lifts the spirits of a person experiencing homelessness, or a family collecting food at our food distribution as they try to provide a nutritious meal for their children. The fundraiser runs through Giving Tuesday, and your gift will be matched, doubling your impact.
A few extra nights out are worth it when they help support the great work these organizations do. They are on the front lines of the service we're called to offer as a Church, bringing the Gospel to life in practical, meaningful ways for those who need our help.
Thank you to everyone who supports these efforts, whether through personal contributions or by attending these events. Just think about how meaningful it is to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, provide a child with a Catholic education, promote a culture of life, care for our aging religious, or help religious men and women find healing. I'm sure you can think of other worthy efforts, too.
These are the works of service through which we share God's love with others. I'm grateful to be part of them, and I hope you'll keep supporting the organizations that do so much good for so many.
(Msgr. John Enzler serves as the mission advocate of Catholic Charities of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and is a chaplain at his alma mater, St. John’s College High School in Washington. He writes the Faith in Action column for the archdiocese’s Catholic Standard and Spanish-language El Pregonero newspapers and websites.)
