Like many Americans, I’ve often found myself expressing frustration at our country’s two-party system. Sometimes, it feels hard to vote according to Church teaching, when our system of government provides us with only two options. For this reason, I’d personally opt to support the Church any day, over a political party.
When you support your local parish and its various programs, you are empowering the Church to help the community that is physically—and often emotionally—closest to you. When you give to a national Catholic organization, like Catholic Relief Services, you are providing help to people in need far beyond your community, and you know that your support is filtered through an organization with Catholic values. And when you give to the annual Diocesan Appeal, you’re supporting people in need across our diocese through Catholic Charities Diocese of Youngstown, which, in many ways, does the work in our region that our government cannot.
Our local Catholic Charities agencies and Catholic Charities Diocese of Youngstown provide an incredible range of services, addressing food insecurity, mental health, legal services, support for families and so much more. They also advocate for Catholic values at all levels of our government. And right now, our local Catholic Charities are making a huge move, consolidating their administrative operations under one roof. Don’t worry—people will continue to be able to access their services in the way they always have, but it will just make things easier for the administrators. Learn more about their history, this move and the incredible impact Catholic Charities has had on our region on page 22.
Other content in this magazine includes a feature story on angels, archangels and the hierarchy of heaven (page 14), a summary of how Catholic mission continues to drive policy and activities at Walsh University (page 32), and even a word search for kids to enjoy before their return to school (page 31).
God bless you and yours, as this summer comes to a close.
Until next time,
Katie Wagner
