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ST THOMAS DIOCESE HOLDS CATHOLIC CHARITIES WEEK
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November 18, 2024On November 14, 2024, Most Rev. Jerome Feudjio, Bishop of St Thomas in the Virgin Islands, declared the week of November 17 – 23, 2024 as Catholic Charities Week. In a letter to the faithful of the diocese dated that same day, he expressed the hope that the week would offer “a wonderful opportunity to come together in support of the Catholic Charities mission to serve those in need within our community”.
The Bishop called on everyone to reflect on the hardships faced by so many in the community who are without food or safe shelter and to donate during the week in support of the activities of the Church organ.
The letter was read in all Churches and Chapels of the Diocese during Masses and celebrations of the following weekend. Christians immediately got hold of the envelops that had been made available, in order to prepare their donations.The Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities in the Virgin Islands is part of a nationally affiliated and faith-based nonprofit organization that assists and advocates for the underserved in the territory, focusing on the homeless. They offer various services, including soup kitchens, summer camps, emergency shelters, food delivery service, rental assistance, unitality assistance, outreach for mental health needs, program for the elderly, disaster assistance, and transitional housing.
As the charitable ministry and face of our Church, Catholic Charities has been serving the less fortunate and underserved in diocesan communities for over 65 years. The agency serves five hundred meals daily throughout the territory (St. John: 95 meals; St. Croix: 80 meals; St. Thomas: 325 meals) and provides an average of forty beds of shelter per night. Those whom they serve also include senior citizens who receive daily meals.How to Collaborate
Persons who want to participate actively during this week could make donations to the Catholic Charities. Checks can be addressed to the Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands. Donations can also be made on their website at the address www.catholiccharitiesvi.org.
Christians and people of goodwill could also reach out to the office of Catholic Charities to find out ways in which they can be helpful, by making themselves available or providing logistical assistance. They are reachable on the telephone number 1-340-777-8518, or the email address [email protected].
The Bishop thanked all those who have been collaborating with the agency and encouraged all persons moved to do good for humanity to join the move during Catholic Charities Week.What next?
The Catholic Charities Week would set the pace for this year’s food drive. It is an initiative of the agency to collect as much foodstuff as possible, in order to continue taking care of the underprivileged in all islands of the Diocese, irrespective of their faith affiliations.
The Executive Director of Catholic Charities, Mrs Andrea Shillingford, revealed in an interview on Friday, November 15, 2024, that food items collected during the Food Drive campaign could last till about March or April of next year, depending on the collaboration of the people. (Watch Interview).
She also added that the agency had recently received the long-awaited funding from the government to execute some of their activities that had been pending the funding. It would go a long way to aid the agency in realizing its mission of providing essential services to the less fortunate and underserved in the Virgin Islands.
