The Catholic Charities USA network - in which Catholic Charities of Los Angeles is a part - has been ranked 2nd among the nation’s nonprofits, according to The NonProfit Times, which publishes the oldest annual ranking of charities in the country. The Catholic Charities’ network moved up one slot from its third place ranking last year. To be included in the “NPT 100,” nonprofits must raise at least 10% of their total revenue from public sources, such as individual donors and foundations.

Catholic Charities’ agencies throughout the country offer vital services in their communities, ranging from daycare and counseling to food and housing. In 2004, the Catholic Charities USA network provided help and created hope for over 7.1 million people, regardless of their religious, social, or economic backgrounds.

Locally, Catholic Charities of Los Angeles made over 1.2 million services available to individuals and families living in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties during the 2004-2005 fiscal year. The agency serves all people without regard to their race, ethnicity, income, gender or religious belief. Clients come to Catholic Charities for emergency food and shelter, senior services, low-cost before-and-after-school childcare, counseling, youth job training and placement, and other supportive services.

The 2004 combined revenue of the Catholic Charities’ network was $3,189,302,436. Nearly 90% of these funds were spent on programs and services, making Catholic Charities’ network one of the nation’s most effective charities. The network’s expenses for 2004 were $3,035,709,486.

This year the network has been ranked 10th among the nation’s largest fundraising organizations in the country by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. The Chronicle’s “Philanthropy 400” ranks the nation’s largest nonprofit groups by how much money they raise from private sources. In 2004, Catholic Charities’ agencies across the nation received more than $580 million in private support, which does not take into account government funding or program fees.

For more information on these nonprofit rankings, visit The NonProfit Times Website at www.nptimes.com or The Chronicle of Philanthropy Website at www.philanthropy.com.

Agencies that fund programs and accredit social service agencies across America have been increasingly vocal in their desire to see an increase in quality services that promote positive outcomes for persons served during the last decade. Perhaps this is not too surprising, given the number of people that still wonder whether social service agencies actually provide the services they promise and, if so, whether the services they provide are good enough for their own families.

For Catholic Charities, the answer is not in doubt. The organization has been committed to quality service since its inception, as this commitment flows naturally from its core values that are manifested in its vision and mission...To read the entire article click here.

Cardinal Ratzinger Becomes Pope Benedict XVI

With great joy, the Board of Trustees, staff and volunteers of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc., welcome Pope Benedict XVI, elected to lead the Catholic Church on April 19, 2005. In his first blessing and speech, Benedict XVI addressed the faithful gathered at St. Peter's Square with the following words: "Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me - a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord. . . The fact that the Lord can work and act even with insufficient means consoles me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers."

Pope Benedict XVI was born on April 16, 1927 in Marktl am Inn, Germany. As a teenager, he was forcefully included in the Nazi youth movement and, in 1944, drafted into the German Army from which he deserted in May 1945, soon to be arrested as a POW by the Allies. Profoundly affected by the war, he decided to become a priest and studied theology at the University of Munich in 1946-1951. In 1951, he was ordained as priest; in 1977 he was elevated to bishop and, three months later, proclaimed cardinal by Pope Paul VI. In 1981, Pope John Paul II appointed him to the Roman Curia, as President of the International Theological Commission, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. In these capacities, Cardinal Ratzinger supervised the publication of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994; revised for the first time in 400 years) and other important documents. He has been responsible for ensuring the Church's theological unity and faithfulness of teachings to the Scriptures and tradition. In 2002, Cardinal Ratzinger became the Dean of the College of Cardinals. Over the years, he worked closely with Pope John Paul II and presided over his funeral celebrations on April 8, 2005. He is the first German-born Pope since the 11th century.

The newly chosen Pope Benedict XVI is fluent in four languages and is an expert in the Church's scriptures and traditions. He published numerous books explaining and clarifying various aspects of dogmatic teachings, sacred scriptures, liturgy, pastoral practice, and popular beliefs of the Catholic Church. English translations of numerous texts are widely available and include: Feast of Faith: Approaches to a Theology of the Liturgy (1986); Principles of Catholic Theology: Building Stones for a Fundamental Theology (1987); Behold the Pierced One (1987); Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life (1988); Introduction to Christianity (1990); Introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994); The Nature and Mission of Theology: Essays to Orient Theology in Today's Debates (1995); In the Beginning...: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall (1995); Called to Communion: Understanding the Church Today (1996); Salt of the Earth: Christianity and the Catholic Church at the End of the Millennium (1997); Gospel, Catechesis, Catechism: Sidelights on the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1997); Milestones: Memoirs 1927-1977 (1998); Many Religions, One Covenant: Israel, the Church, and the World (1999); The Spirit of the Liturgy (2000); God and the World (2002); God Is Near Us: The Eucharist, the Heart of Life (2003); Truth And Tolerance: Christian Belief And World Religions (2004); The End of Time?: The Provocation of Talking about God (2005); Pilgrim Fellowship Of Faith: The Church As Communion (2005).



Farewell to Pope John Paul II

It is with great sadness that the trustees, officers, staff, and volunteers of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc., announce the passing of Pope John Paul II on April 2, 2005...To read the entire article click here.