Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Atlanta brings compassion and hope to the lives of countless thousands of people in North Georgia every year. This agency is our local branch of an organization that has been identified with the charitable mission of the Catholic Church in the United States for more than 100 years.

All over our nation people know and respect Catholic Charities. Public and private corporations and businesses nationwide partner with local Catholic Charities organizations because they both appreciate and admire the social services that Catholic Charities provides to people in every neighborhood, without regard to age, gender, race, religion or culture.

Catholic Charities is the hands and voice of Christ throughout this vast country.

Last Saturday, Catholic Charities Atlanta joined others to sponsor a day of reflection for the Atlanta Catholic Business Association, held at St. Peter Chanel Church. This gathering brought together over 250 business professionals who wanted to reflect on their Catholic faith and their expert career skills. Many of them, like so many others, have settled into the Archdiocese of Atlanta from other locations where they probably already knew of the work of Catholic Charities in other dioceses. They bring with them, as a result, a respect for the work of the Church accomplished through this vitally successful expression of the Church’s mission.

Joe Krygiel, our Catholic Charities’ chief executive officer, was present and welcomes any opportunity for our local professionals or businesses to become more familiar with the work of Catholic Charities Atlanta and to partner with this exceptional agency of service. Many Catholics use Catholic Charities as a vehicle for them to give life and energy to the practice of our faith. I know that Joe would be happy to tell you more about the opportunities that Catholic Charities Atlanta provides for such partnering of skills and the needs of so many people in our area.

The professionals who gathered at St. Peter Chanel also supported one another as they came together, sharing a common pride in being Catholic and seeking more ways to live their faith in our modern day society. There were doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, consultants and business people of all types seeking to find ways to turn their love of God into a love for their neighbors—especially those neighbors who are poor and needy. It was a delightful scene to see so many of them spending an otherwise gorgeous Saturday weather-wise in thought and in prayer over how to make their faith come alive in the workplace and in the marketplace. Many of them are already very active in their parishes, with archdiocesan programs of all types and with other Catholic organizations that support the spiritual and the social ministry life of the Church. And yet they wanted to find even more ways to witness to their love for Christ.

I was happy to spend part of that day with them. I was even more edified to hear of their deep love for the Church, for our clergy and religious, and their kind support for the work of their Archbishop. As I drove home later that afternoon, I praised God for the laity of this local Church and for the strength of faith that sustains them and that bodes so well for our future.