Catholic Education

Transforming the lives of our young people

When Robbin Sudduth’s sister died unexpectedly, suffering an asthma attack in her sleep, she left behind a 4-year-old son whom Robbin adopted.

Faced by the daunting charge to raise the boy in her beloved sister’s honor; Robbin’s first decision proved to be her wisest: enrolling him in a Catholic school.

Kameron is now a smart, sensitive fourth grader at Ascension Catholic School in Minneapolis. He loves math, excels at basketball, and looks out for younger students. “He’s coming out of his shell,” Robbin says.

She and her husband, Leondo, mange money carefully – coupons, bag lunches, “whatever it takes,” Robbin says – but Kameron could not attend Ascension without the scholarship awarded by the Catholic Services Appeal.

Tragedy upended their lives, and Ascension helped them heal as a family. Robbin sees how the school educates Kameron as a whole person. “It steers him in the direction of a full life.”

Opening the doors to a child like Kameron is a privilege and a duty, Principal Dorwatha Woods says. “We are living out the mission of the Catholic Church.”

 

Clergy Services

Serving as Jesus modeled

James Peterson is counting down to May of 2013, when he hopes to be ordained a priest.

As a boy, the altar server admired his parents, who lived out their faith in simple daily ways. He is now receiving a first-rate education at The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity, which hit a 30-year high this year with 100 seminarians. James has been stretched by new ministries, sustained by daily Mass, and fortified by the robust brotherhood among his fellow seminarians. “The promise we made is to really make the most of our formation here,” he says.

Prayerful and financial support of the seminary affirms his vocation. James once called a donor who has been supporting seminarian formation for 30 years. “I can barely hear you,” she said over the phone.  “I’m nearly deaf, I’m blind, I live all by myself, and yet I realize God has been good to me every day of my life and I want to thank Him for it.”

Her generosity compelled the seminarian to give more of himself. These encounters are glimpses of the bigger picture, James says: many parts, one body of Christ.

 

Catholic Charities

Providing dignity to the aging

The consequences of a persistent recession – lay-offs, foreclosures, medical insurance cuts – can be a crueler indignity for senior citizens. They’ve worked a lifetime for security and now, entering their golden years, seem to be starting at the beginning.

That’s why Catholic Charities’ Aging Services department is so vital, assisting nearly 1,000 low-income seniors throughout the Archdiocese. The staff meet with seniors in their homes, assessing their health and offering much-needed resources; they tend to caregivers, who are susceptible to burn-out; and they help a vulnerable homeless population: the seniors on the streets.

“We take every person, non-judgmentally, where they are in the moment,” says Manager Patricia McArdle.

Patricia’s team recently aided a woman who had raised a family and worked as a secretary for decades. When her husband got cancer, medical expenses quickly depleted their bank account and she found herself with no equity in her home and unable to work. Catholic Charities coached her on which services she could utilize.

Catholic Charities keeps seniors connected to their communities, bringing parish bulletins and hot tea, filling their refrigerators and their hearts. By donating to the Catholic Services Appeal, you sustain this important ministry.