Archdiocese of St. Louis

Reports on CARA, Pew Research Part of June Bishops' Meeting

WASHINGTON, D.C. (USCCB)—Reports on research on the Catholic Church from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) and the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life will be presented at the June meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Orlando, Florida.

Mark M. Gray, director of CARA Catholic Polls (CCP), will report on Sacraments Today: Belief and Practice Among U.S. Catholics.

The CARA survey, taken last February, polled self-identified adult Catholics in the United States on participation in the sacramental life of the Church, as well as beliefs about the sacraments. Results indicate important differences in belief and practice related to generation, gender, ethnicity, education, and frequency of Mass attendance.

CARA is a national non-profit, Georgetown University-affiliated research center that conducts social scientific studies about Catholicism and the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1964. Gray has been with CARA since 2002 and holds a doctorate in political science.

Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, will report on Pew's recently released U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. The study found that Catholics account for nearly one-quarter of U.S. adults and that the proportion of the population that identifies itself as Catholic has remained relatively stable in recent decades. Pew reports, however, that this apparent stability obscures major changes that are taking place within U.S. Catholicism. The Catholic Church continues to attract a good number of converts, but the Landscape Survey finds that former Catholics outnumber converts to Catholicism four-to-one.

Annual Catholic Appeal Chairman: 'Do It for Him'

By Joseph Kenny, St. Louis Review Staff Writer

It's not too late to make a pledge to the Annual Catholic Appeal. To learn more, click here.

There is still time to take part in the Annual Catholic Appeal even though the solicitation period after Masses has ended.

Speakers have visited parishes to provide testimony on how the Appeal helps so many people. Programs serving youth, people in parishes, and those in need as well as efforts to assist parishes, schools, and clergy are funded by the appeal.

Con Franey, chairman of this year's ACA, visited two St. Charles County parishes to talk about the good he has seen accomplished by agencies and programs funded by the Appeal. Franey noted that contributing to the Appeal is a way to live out one's faith.

"The idea isn't that you go to church and listen to these nice stories from the Bible. The idea is that you go, and you act upon them," he said.

He told parishioners about the chaplaincy program at Lambert Airport that receives $14,000 from the Appeal to bring Masses and a Catholic presence to travelers, especially military personnel on the move.

He also discussed the work of Child Center-Marygrove, home to a 9-year-old boy who has no parents to care for him. It is one of several Catholic Charities agencies sharing $1.1 million from the Appeal.

Franey also cited a man who spent 12 years in a U.N. refugee camp in Kenya before coming to St. Louis and being assisted by the Immigrant and Refugee Support program, which is funded with $28,000 from the Appeal.

The man "is on his feet and now is supporting other people through the Appeal," Franey said.

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Share the Gift of Friendship: Become a Pen Pal

With just a few minutes of your spare time you can uplift the spirits of a child in need.

Child Center-Marygrove, a member agency of Catholic Charities of St. Louis, provides care for children, teens, and young adults in need of a safe and nurturing environment. The people placed at Child Center-Marygrove have often been through multiple failed placements in other residential facilities or foster homes, and several come from abusive and violent family situations. More than anything else, these children are in need of love.

Child Center-Marygrove's caregivers design individualized treatment programs and counseling to help each child reach personal short-term and long-term goals. The try to create a family-like setting for the children to thrive in, communicating the benefits of a caring familial unit.

You can help.

As a Secret Pen Pal, you can help one of these kids feel connected to someone who cares. Secret Pen Pals are matched with residents based on gender and age preferences. Then they are given a fact sheet about a particular resident. This sheet includes information such as the resident's birthday, favorite foods, hobbies, and other interests. This way, you can create a personal message for your pen pal.

Secret Pen Pals are encouraged to send correspondence for major events and holidays to help brighten these occasions for the children. Many do not have families to spend the holidays with, so your words and cards can make an important difference.

Consider making a child at Child Center-Marygrove part of your life as a Secret Pen Pal. Please contact Kim Sansone at 314.830.6277 for more information.

Pope Expresses His Closeness to Chinese Earthquake Victims

VATICAN CITY, MAY 14, 2008 (VIS)—Following his catechesis in this morning's general audience, Benedict XVI launched an appeal for "the people of Sichuan and adjoining provinces in China, so harshly affected by the earthquake which has provoked serious loss of human life, left large numbers missing, and caused incalculable damages.

"I invite you to join me in fervent prayer for those who have lost their lives. I remain spiritually close to the people suffering from such a devastating calamity; and we implore God to grant them relief in their suffering". The Pope concluded his appeal by asking the Lord "to give support to all those involved in meeting the immediate needs" of the victims.

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