Throughout this fall, Catholic Charities has been reflecting on the following quote from celebrated priest, theologian, and prolific writer Fr. Henri Nouwen: “Community is first of all a quality of the heart. It grows from the spiritual knowledge that we are alive not for ourselves but for one another.”

Fr. Nouwen’s sentiments aptly reflect the culture and mission that give life to Catholic Charities work in the Archdiocese of Chicago. We have a whole-hearted commitment to serving others that is rooted in a spiritual call to love one another. We also embrace the idea that “community” implies reciprocal relationships. A community is not made up of those who give and those who receive, but instead is formed by two-way exchanges where both parties are giving and receiving.

The importance of community takes on special significance in Catholic Charities work with immigrants and refugees, who are entering a strange land where they often don’t yet speak the language or understand the culture. With an urgent need for safety and/or a better life for themselves and their families, these courageous newcomers have fled poverty, hunger, violence, religious and political oppression, and often face dangerous conditions on their journey to the U.S. They desperately want stability, freedom, and a chance to contribute to American life.

Catholic Charities has been “welcoming the stranger” since we were founded more than 100 years ago. In the years immediately following World War I, we were helping European immigrants find jobs, assimilate into neighborhoods, and meet needs for food, clothing, and shelter. We provided all the help we could with the support of local communities and parishes, and then watched the newcomers thrive—contributing to our economy with their knowledge, skills, and hard work; and enriching our communities with their traditions, music, and food. The newcomers received welcome and then gave back tenfold, becoming a true part of the community.

Over the years, Catholic Charities programs for newcomers have become much more formalized. Our Refugee Resettlement Program works directly with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and has resettled more than 10,000 refugees since 1975; our Immigration Program was accredited by the Department of Justice in 1979 to help families process the legal paperwork needed to obtain legal permanent residence, citizenship, employment authorization, and reunite with spouses, children and other family members; and most recently we have become a part of a larger coordinated Catholic response to assist asylum seekers fleeing perilous conditions in Venezuela.

Make a donation to support the coordinated Catholic response for asylum seekers coming to Chicago

Although our efforts to assist immigrants have necessarily taken a more formalized approach, we still rely on local neighborhoods, parishes, partner organizations, and the goodwill of individuals to welcome newcomers into the community. Most importantly, this relationship between newcomers and the community is still reciprocal: Newcomers from all over the world are becoming a part of and contributing to American life—strengthening our economy with their knowledge, skills, and hard work; and enriching our communities with their traditions, music, foods, and so much more.

We are grateful to be a part of Catholic Charities and our tremendous community that deeply cares for one another. It is an honor to help our new neighbors begin lives in America that are worthy of their essential human dignity and that enrich the fabric of our nation.