Our Mission

To provide services to those in need;
To advocate compassion and justice in the structures of society; and
To call all people of good will to do the same.

At Catholic Charities, we encourage our community, stakeholders, staff, volunteers, partners, and others to work together to create lasting change, support our mission and join us in our advocacy efforts to benefit those without a voice and in need.

Each year, Catholic Charities participates in the Texas Catholic Conference with other parishes, Catholic Charities agencies, and interested community members statewide by traveling to Austin and communicating with legislators regarding issues concerning those we serve, such as poverty. We act as a voice for those who have none, we advocate on behalf of those among us who need Catholic Charities the most.

All of the advocacy work Catholic Charities participates in is rooted in our mission, core values and in the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. [link to CST page in Core Values section] We welcome you to join us in our advocacy efforts and providing a voice for those who need it the most.

For more information about the advocacy efforts of Catholic Charities and how you can get involved click here.

Catholic Social Teaching

While Catholic Charities serves people because of our faith not theirs, our mission is rooted in the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Below is a summary of the 7 key themes from Catholic Social Teaching:

Human Life and Dignity

Belief in the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all Catholic social teaching. All human life is sacred, and the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

Community Participation and the Common Good

Our tradition proclaims the human person is not only sacred, but also social. Human dignity can only be realized and protected in the context of relationships with the wider society. How we organize our society in economics, politics, law and policy directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. We believe people have a right and duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

Rights and Responsibilities

Human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are responsibilities – to one another, to our families and to the larger society.

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

A basic moral test of society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. The poor have the moral claim on the conscience of the nation. The option for the poor is a perspective that examines personal decisions, policies of private and public institutions, and economic relationships in terms of their effects on the poor – those who lack the minimum necessities of nutrition, housing, education and health care. Those who are marginalized and whose rights are denied have privileged claims if society is to provide justice for all.

In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and the vulnerable first.

Dignity and Rights of Workers

The economy must serve people, not the other way around. All workers have a right to productive work, to decent and fair wages and to safe working conditions. They also have a fundamental right to organize and join unions. People have a right to economic initiative and private property, but these rights have limits. No one is allowed to amass excessive wealth when others lack the basic necessities of life.

Solidarity

Catholic Social Teaching proclaims that we are our brothers' and sisters' keepers, wherever they live. We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic and ideological differences. Solidarity means that "loving our neighbor" has global dimensions in an interdependent world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that “if you want peace, work for justice.”

Stewardship of Creation

Catholic tradition insists that we show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. The goods of the earth are gifts from God, intended for the benefit of all. We humans are not the ultimate owners of these goods, but rather, the temporary stewards. We are entrusted with the responsibility of caring for these gifts and preserving them for future generations.