Concerns of poor are at heart of Catholic Charities USA gathering

Published: 2004-09-29

DENVER (CNS) -- The poor were a clear focus of concern at the Catholic Charities USA annual gathering Sept. 23-26 in Denver. "We are mandated by our faith in God to have what we Catholics call a preferential option for the poor, to put a human face -- God's face, the face of Jesus Christ -- on the face of the poor," theologian Diana Hayes said in her keynote address. Preaching on the Gospel parable of the rich man and Lazarus at the gathering's main Mass, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver summarized the message of the Scripture reading bluntly: "Basically it tells us that if we ignore the poor, we're going to go to hell." About 600 leaders of the diocesan agencies and other Catholic social service organizations from across the country attended this year's gathering, the theme of which was "Reaching New Heights of Faith, Hope, and Charity."

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