The Catholic Initiative for Poor Families and Communities is a new collaboration focusing on parishes to assist them in expanding their capacity for outreach and advocacy, and helping them respond to the 2016 Washington State Bishops’ Pastoral Letter on Poverty, “Who is My Neighbor?”
The Initiative is a collaborative partnership committed to expanding Catholic engagement in charity and justice efforts in parishes across Western Washington. CCS/CHS’ partners in this collaboration are: the Archdiocese of Seattle and its leadership, the Washington State Catholic Conference (WSCC), local parish pastors, deacons, and lay leaders, and Catholic organizations, including the St. Vincent de Paul Society (Seattle/King County) and the Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center (IPJC).
The Initiative is focusing on three areas to assist parish communities:
- Development of a new Ministry Corps to provide greater support for parish & deanery social outreach.
- Expanding collaborative planning processes with parishes.
- Development of enhanced and sustainable financial resources through expanded archdiocesan support.
CCS/CHS has deployed the first Ministry Corps members, the Regional Network Builders, in three regions across Western Washington. These Regional Network Builders are highly skilled Catholic CCS/CHS program managers whose sole focus is directed to Catholic parishes in their regions. The Network Builders will support parish eagerness to live out their baptismal call to deepened faith through expanded service and engagement with poor families in their local areas.
Network Builders will build relationships with local Catholic parishes, build networks of pastors and parish leaders committed to expanding parish service, and accompany and provide concrete assistance to parishes as they discern, develop, and launch new and expanded parish based outreach programs for the most vulnerable of our neighbors.
For more information about this initiative, contact Patty Repikoff, Pastoral Advocate for Mission, at 206-328-5708 or via email at PattyR@ccsww.org.