About Us

Catholic Charities was established by Bishop Alvaro Corrada del Rio in September of 2005 and continues today under the guidance and leadership of Most Reverend Joseph E Strickland, Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler.

Catholic Charities-Diocese of Tyler exists to offer support to all persons residing within the 33 counties of the Diocese of Tyler. Outreach includes:

Our History

With funding from UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) and CCUSA (Catholic Charities USA), Catholic Charities provided long-term direct assistance and case management to thousands of hurricane survivors from January, 2006 to April, 2008.  Many of those assisted were able to resettle in East Texas, relocate to another area, or return to their original locations. In 2008, with a grant from CCUSA, Catholic Charities provided assistance to three pantries depleted by victims of hurricane Ike.

With funding from the Louis and Peaches Owen Family Foundation, Catholic Charities has served the poor and hungry of East Texas.  In 2007, the Holy Family Soup Kitchen was established in Lindale and now serves weekly meals to approximately 75 individuals.  To date, Catholic Charities has provided financial assistance to 20 community and parish pantries throughout East Texas, enabling them to provide almost one million meals to the families they serve.

With funding from the Scanlan Foundation and the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, Catholic Charities provided training in immigration law to staff.  As a result, the agency and staff received recognition and accreditation to practice immigration law from the BIA (Board of Immigration Appeals) in July, 2008.  Catholic Charities now offers an array of low-cost, reliable legal services to qualified immigrants desiring to obtain legal status and/or reunite family members.

And with federal funding from the Office on Violence Against Women, Catholic Charities – Diocese of Tyler partnered with Catholic Charities of Dallas and Fort Worth and collaborated with local crisis centers to provide assistance to East Texas immigrant victims of domestic violence and abuse from September, 2006 to August, 2008.  This assistance made it possible for the victims and their families to achieve freedom and economic independence from their abusers.

Catholic means universal and it is a reminder that the work of Catholic Charities encompasses every aspect of the human family.  This focus is beyond overwhelming but it seems helpful to place all that the Catholic Charities organization does in this context.  It is a reminder of what is often said which sets the tone so clearly. “We help others because WE are Catholic not because THEY are Catholic.”  This approach is truly fundamental for our efforts because we are looking to the needs of every human person regardless of their background or affiliation with the Catholic faith.  Another aspect of this Universal focus is that it reminds us that every aspect of being is under the purview of Catholic Charities.  Our work is universal in the sense that it seeks to address all needs of the people of God whether they are physical, emotional or spiritual.  The monumental nature of those suffering can wash over us.  Even if it really isn’t possible to provide true universal help, this focus enables us to stay attuned to the numerous needs that we can assist with, in some small way.
 
Charity is the caring love of mankind, caritas.  This focus reminds us that the work of Catholic Charities is the sharing of the love of God for His children.  It broadens our work beyond the more narrow focus that we tend to adopt with the word “charity”.  We are not limited to handing out charitable gifts.  Instead we are called to “love in action” which is a much more broad way of addressing the needs of the human family.  It is a reminder that the love of God flows back and forth in human relationships and sometimes the lines begin to blur between giver and receiver when we are truly operating out of love.  All who get involved with Catholic Charities often experience this aspect of “trading places” where the giver ultimately becomes the receiver in a very significant way.
 
Catholic Charities simply translates to Universal Love but this organization is really more. It is Universal Love in Action.  A living out of the Great Commandment of God, to Love Him with all our heart, mind and soul and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  This is Catholic Charities…..embracing the daunting task of living God’s Universal Love and putting it into action.