Hello, Catholic readers in the US!
This is just a reminder that the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CHD) is coming up in November. Whilst this might be a bit early for you to think about it, please be aware of where this year’s funds will be going. Ask yourself: is it time to starve the beast?
For background on the CHD, as covered on Churchmouse Campanologist, click here and here.
Thanks to the USCCB list of 2009-2010 grantees — 26 pages – you now have the information below to pass along to your friends, families and fellow parishoners.
Who will be receiving funds from this year’s collection?
Read the document in full to see who will be receiving funds from your area. Here are a few snippets (emphasis mine for words or phrases that should set alarm bells ringing). Remember that CHD does not give to Catholic organisations!
Area A – New York City - Movement for Justice en El Barrio: a social justice organisation which is funding its own full-time … community organiser
Area A – Allentown, PA – Congregations United for Neighborhood Action (CUNA): a member of the PICO National Network and trains ‘ordinary people’ to become ‘leaders’ for their communities. Sounds like more community organising!
Area A – Philadelphia, PA – JUNTOS: Helping Mexican and Latino immigrants ‘build power for justice’ and ‘strengthen the ability to organise workers’ (day labourers).
Area A – Providence, RI – Fuerza Laboral: ‘immigrants and low-income workers who organise to end exploitation in the workplace’.
Area A – Providence, RI – The Rhode Island HUD Tenant Project, Inc.: They ‘organise the unorganised tenants’ into tenant associations that ‘take action‘
Area B – Chicago, IL – Southwest Organizing Project: The name says it all.
Area B – Chicago, IL - Parents Organized to Win, Educate and Renew: This ‘organizing center’ builds ’leadership and power‘ of low-income parents.
Area B - Joliet, IL - DuPage United: This ’network of institutions’ helps citizens to ‘take collective action‘ for ‘human dignity, social justice and the greater good‘.
Area B – Gary, IN – Central District Organizing Project: What’s in a name? They ‘bring together residents, religious and community organizations‘ into ‘a powerful coalition‘.
Area B – Baltimore, MD – United Workers Organization: This is an ‘organization of low wage workers who are organizing for better wages and working conditions’.
Area C – Washington, DC – Partnership for Renewal in Southern and Central Maryland: This is ‘a congregation-based organization’ affiliated with the Gamaliel Foundation.
Area C – Miami, FL – Broward Organized Leaders Doing Justice: Helps support ‘organizing and training’ to ‘bring about systemic change‘.
Area C – Palm Beach County, FL – PEACE: A ‘community-based organization dedicated to building member organizations to effectively fight injustices‘ in low-income areas.
Area C - Baton Rouge, LA - Faith United for Empowerment and Leadership, Inc.: A PICO affiliate.
Area C – Baton Rouge, LA – Greater Baton Rouge IAF Sponsoring Committee: Part of Alinsky’s Industrial Areas Foundation!
Area D – Tucson, AZ – Pima County Interfaith Council: Affiliated with Alinsky’s Industrial Areas Foundation.
Area D – Des Moines, IA – A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy: A multi-faith ‘community organization‘ to help the ‘faith community live out its prophetic imperative for justice’.
Area D – Omaha, NE – Omaha Together One Community: A mix of church congregations, neighbourhood organizations and ‘a working affiliation with labor organizations‘.
Area D – Santa Fe, NM – Albuquerque Interfaith, Inc.: ‘A broad-based, multi-ethnic, power organization‘ affiliated with Alinsky’s Industrial Areas Foundation.
Area D – Fargo, ND – New Sudanese Community Organization: ‘A new community organizing group’ for ‘a powerful and unified voice’.
Area E – Fresno, CA – Faith in Community: A PICO affiliate.
Area E – Los Angeles, CA – Southern California Education Fund: Part of Alinsky’s Industrial Areas Foundation.
Area E – Los Angeles, CA – People Organized for Westside Renewal: It ‘employs a community organizing strategy focused on relationship building and direct action‘.
Area E – Sacramento, CA – North Valley Sponsoring Committee: Part of the PICO Network.
Area E – Orange, CA – Orange County Congregation Community Organization: This is the OCCCO discussed in one of my earlier posts.
The choice is yours. Don’t forget that the descriptions of the organisations and their purpose is designed to work on your heartstrings and emotions. But, you can’t be completely sure what the reality is. So, give if you feel the need and do so at your own risk.
It’s disingenuous that the USCCB makes this statement, particularly with regard to ACORN, which many people knew about months before the bishops stopped the funding:
… the Bishops work very hard to promote [the CCHD mission] and protect it by careful review and monitoring of CCHD grants to make sure they comply with CCHD’s guidelines and Catholic teaching.
Alinsky (if he could see this) be proud to see the extent of infiltration in the Church! Why make his successors proud? Stop funding the CHD!
Tomorrow: More recipients of the CHD’s 2009 funding
4 comments
October 16, 2009 at 9:58 am
Gabriella
Hi, Churchmouse, this is really dreadful!
How to circulate this to all Catholic blogs?
Could you link to them?
This info should actually be pinned on all US church notice-boards …
Maybe send your link to all e-mail addresses of parish churches you can find?
I know, sometimes one feels one’s just fighting against a wall!
October 16, 2009 at 10:32 am
churchmouse
Hi, Gabriella
Thanks so much for your comment.
I agree, it is alarming. 
The whole document is a horrorshow — every group, except for possibly a couple (like, two or three), carries these words and/or affiliations.
As much as I would like to, I cannot belong to your Catholic blog lists because I am not in obedience to my local (Arch)Bishop or to the Catholic Church.
I also doubt that sending this to the churches individually will help. The person picking up the email is unlikely to understand the gravity of what is happening, what community organisers are, who Saul Alinsky was and so forth. And, of course, parishes have a target for CHD. I’d be willing to bet on that one. The bishops issue a statement, like they did with ACORN (see tomorrow’s post) that say all donations are to organisations in line with Catholic teachings.
I notice that people on trad blogs, such as Fr Z’s, don’t care, either. And I didn’t see any comment from Fr Z on the last link you sent, so I wonder how much commitment some of the trads really have to rooting out this mess. Most are concerned with a personal, feel-good devotion and that’s it. I even tried on your blog last week, but was told to be quiet — only two people came to my defence. But, let’s not go there. If they started attacking the socio-political element of American Catholicism, though, they’d be able to reclaim the Church.
I might email some of the Catholic blogs on my list. But, I even sent a shorter message to a Bellarmine campaign (see tomorrow’s entry), and they wouldn’t publish it. So, onto Plan B, which, I’m afraid I don’t have at the moment. Happy to brainstorm further with you as to what it might be, though.
Not a happy situation. And 40 years of this is way too long to allow it to continue.
October 16, 2009 at 10:50 am
Gabriella
You’ve got a point, Churchmouse
True, every time I’ve tried to link your interesting info around some blogs – no reaction at all!
A personal feel-good devotion abounds.
But I won’t stop spreading the info
Ciao.
October 16, 2009 at 10:58 am
churchmouse
Cool, Gabriella — feel free to spread far and wide!
Thank you so much for your continued support!!
Ciao, bella! God bless you!