U.S. Catholic Bishops Call for Continued Funding of Food Stamp Program

The chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development has urged the U.S. House of Representatives not to accept a proposed $40 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, California, called the program "one of the most effective and important federal programs to combat hunger in the nation" in his September 11 letter.

"SNAP helps relieve pressure on overwhelmed parishes, charities, food banks, pantries and other emergency food providers across the country that could not begin to meet the need for food assistance if SNAP eligibility or benefits were reduced," Bishop Blaire wrote. "The faith community and the private sector are vital in the fight to combat hunger. But government has an indispensable role in safeguarding and promoting the common good of all. This includes ensuring that poor and hungry people have access to adequate and nutritious food."

Vote on Food Stamp Funding Imminent

Panera CEO Talks About Food Stamp Issue

St. Francis - Lover of All God's Creation

As the time approaches for the 2013 MCC Annual Assembly with its focus particularly on St. Francis of Assisi, we are reminded of the many touching stories about this saint and his love of creation and of animals. One of the most famous accounts is about how St. Francis tamed a wolf that had been terrorizing the villagers of Gubbio.  

In another story St. Francis preached to birds and they spread their wings and gazed at Francis while rejoicing. Click wolf story to read these brief accounts. Check out these stunning photos accompanied by Gregorian Chant and here is video collection from the BBC Nature Series "This is Planet Earth."

Archbishop Carlson on St. Francis

Tornados, floods, hurricanes ..... disasters can happen quickly and leave behind a path of destruction.   While disasters can happen anywhere, at any time, there are things that can be done before the destruction to ensure that you and your family will have greater resilience after the damage. In this workshop Susamma Seeley, Director of Disaster Response for Catholic Charities of Missouri, will discuss how by planning ahead of a disaster you can save lives and practice good stewardship. This workshop is ideal for anyone involved in parish and community outreach!

Annual Assembly Workshop Feature: 

Is the General Assembly Broken?

"Rebuild My Church" 

Display at Annual Assembly

According to Church legend it was at the run-down San Damiano country chapel in Italy that St. Francis of Assisi was called by the figure of Christ on the cross to "Rebuild my church." At first St. Francis took the command literally and began to restore old churches, but then he realized that Christ was calling him to restore the Church as a whole.

The mission of St. Francis to "rebuild" the church will be depicted at the Annual Assembly in a display created by Franciscan Friar Edward Mundwiller from St. Louis. Friar Mundwiller, a regular attendee of the Annual Assembly, has created a church that highlights the many challenges (past and present) that confront the Catholic Church. This movable display will allow Annual Assembly participants to "come into the church" and reflect how they can live out the teachings of Christ.

Be sure to take a few moments at the Annual Assembly to check out this display on the 3rd Floor of the Capitol!

Youth Track Program at the Annual Assembly a Favorite with Students

Cynics tell us that prayers are of no avail against political power and violence. But at a peace vigil on September 7 the Holy Father spoke of how peace is possible: "Yes, it is possible for everyone." We give thanks that diplomatic steps are underway to destroy the chemical weapons in Syria and we pray for lasting peace and justice in that region of our world.

During the prayer vigil Pope Francis reminded us of how violence can be unleashed: "When man thinks only of himself, of his own interest and places himself in the centre, when he permits himself to be captivated by the idols of dominion and power, when he puts himself in God's place, then all relationships are broken and everything is ruined; then the door opens to violence, indifference and conflict."

Click here to read the words of Pope Francis.  

One analyst has called it the "selective recovery," referring to the fact that while incomes are improving for many after the Great Recession of 2007-2009, the poor remain poor and there are more people heading into poverty. New data from the U.S. Census Bureau underscores this trend. See  Reuters article for a summary of the new Census report. Missouri is very much a part of this national picture. For more on a Missouri perspective, see this Kansas City Star  article from their business section, and some maps provided by the St. Louis Post Dispatch.  

Within the Department of Mental Health (DMH) are services for deaf and hard of hearing residents of Missouri. Deaf Services  is a long running program that serves 3,500 deaf or hard of hearing individuals yearly.    

Deaf Services offers the majority of its newer and expanded services through both behavioral health and developmental disability areas of DMH. There are two inpatient units to help treat needs, one in Kansas City at Truman Medical Center for acute care cases and the other in St. Louis at St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center for long-term or intermediate levels of care.

Elijah Buchholz, director of Deaf Services, said that there is a great need for programs geared toward deaf or hard of hearing consumers who also need substance abuse or psychiatric services. 

There are also two newly formed socialized outpatient centers. One at Truman Medical Center and another in St. Louis with BJC HealthCare. Those programs provide substance abuse care, counseling, case management, and other similar services. The programs employ deaf employees who speak to clients using their language and who understand the deaf culture. For those in need of the outpatient services in other areas of the state, Buchholz said there is a tele-health program that will assist them with counseling services.

There are also newly released standards for working with the deaf in mental health settings. All DMH providers have received this information and are held accountable to follow them.      

Deaf Services also offers various types of trainings to the public and other mental health services. Training includes Working with Interpreters, Understanding the Deaf Culture, and more.  

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