Catholic Charities USA to Release Centennial Books

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Sep 27, 2010, 09:48 ET

Academic essays and photography tell story of Catholic Charities work to reduce poverty in America

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Catholic Charities USA, the 100-year-old social service network working to reduce poverty in America, will release three books today at a reception at the US Library of Congress at 7 p.m. during its Centennial Gathering.

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At the private reception, Rev. Larry Snyder, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, will be joined by 200 guests including contributing writers, editors, and designers who spent over 3 years researching and gathering information for the books. Members of Catholic Charities USA's Board of Trustees, Diocesan Directors representing leadership at local agencies, and deans of the Catholic Schools of Social Work will also be in attendance.

The three Centennial books include:

Catholic Charities USA: 100 Years and the Intersection of Charity and Justice features contributions by renowned Catholic scholars and respected leaders in the Catholic Charities movement. It explores Catholic social teaching and the theological foundation for Catholic Charities. The Executive Editor is Rev. J Bryan Hehir, Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Religion at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Fr. Hehir served as president of Catholic Charities USA from 2001-2003. The book is available for purchase through Liturgical Press, http://www.litpress.org.

Think and Act Anew: How Poverty in America Affects Us All and What We Can Do About It, written by Rev. Larry Snyder, describes the near economic collapse of the American economy and its effects on people, providing the United States with an opportunity to think and act anew in dealing with the thousands-of-years-old problem of entrenched poverty. Each chapter contains a series of stories, foundational passages from scripture, identification of pertinent principles of social teaching, passages from pertinent encyclicals, and their application to today's situation and moral challenges. The book will be available on Amazon.com in October 2010.

Catholic Charities USA: A Century of Service, Advocacy, and Convening shares the history of Catholic Charities USA through photographs and essays. It honors the men and women who founded the National Conference of Catholic Charities in 1910 and who worked throughout the last ten decades to build Catholic Charities into one of the largest social service networks in the United States and a recognized moral voice for social justice.

During the reception, Fr. Snyder will also present the Centennial Medal to each of 13 Catholic Schools of Social Work: Barry University, Spalding University, Boston College, Dominican University, Fordham University, Loyola University of Chicago, St. Ambrose University, Marywood University, St. Louis University, Newman University, Our Lady of the Lake University, University of St. Thomas and St. Catherine University, and the Catholic University of America.

The Centennial Medal recognizes the valuable contributions of individuals and organizations to the reduction of poverty in the United States. Catholic Charities USA honors the 13 Catholic Schools of Social Work for their dedication to the professional field of social work and the mission of Catholic Charities.

Catholic Charities USA was founded in 1910 "to bring about a sense of solidarity" among those in charitable ministries. Since 1910, Catholic Charities USA has encouraged professional social work practice, provided opportunities for training and networking, and served as a national voice and expert on poverty issues. The Centennial is a time to reflect on past accomplishments and renew the commitment to serve those in need.

For more information about Catholic Charities USA's Centennial activities, visit http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/centennial.

Catholic Charities USA's members provide help and create hope for more than 9 million people a year regardless of religious, social, or economic backgrounds. For almost 300 years, Catholic Charities agencies have worked to reduce poverty by providing a myriad of vital services in their communities, ranging from health care and job training to food and housing. In 2010, Catholic Charities USA celebrates its centennial anniversary.

SOURCE Catholic Charities USA