Dear Neighbor,

This week, in the middle of the Lenten season of penance and renewal, we celebrate Laetare Sunday.  The “Sunday of Rejoicing” serves to remind us that a somber Lent leads to a joy-filled Easter.  Lent, 2025, within our country, and throughout the world, actions and rhetoric have brought intense challenges to advancing the common good.

We recognize that many we serve are fearful and uncertain.  In this environment, as always, Catholic Charities remains committed to advancing the dignity of the human person by providing help and creating hope for non-Catholics and Catholics alike.

Catholic Charities’ focus is doing our part to ensure that our neighbors have enough to eat, families have affordable places to live, young people succeed in school, new and long-time New Yorkers feel safe, protected and welcomed in their communities, breadwinners have access to decent jobs, and much more.

We give thanks and support to our dedicated staff serving though in need whose integrity, competence and dedication is sometimes besmirched by unacceptable and inaccurate rhetoric.  We are grateful for our generous donors and volunteers who provide resources to support our work.  We express particular thanks to our board members who lend their time and wisdom to guide our agencies and programs.

Catholic Charities does not engage in partisan politics.  Rather, we build upon our century-plus experience of providing help and creating hope for struggling individuals and families to raise awareness about policies and programs that either advance or impede the dignity and well-being of those we serve.

In the midst of strong headwinds, Catholic Charities recommits to providing help that brings hope to enlighten the lives of hundreds of thousands of our neighbors every year.

This Lent, I thank you for the sacrifices you make to enable this to happen.  This Laetare Sunday, I rejoice for you.

With gratitude,

Msgr. Kevin Sullivan
Executive Director