The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church and Catholic Charities have partnered on humanitarian work across the globe for many years. The working partnership between the Mormon Church and the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in Texas which services over 1,300,000 Catholics, has been very successful.
As part of the annual meeting of Catholic Charities in Houston, the Mormon Church was recognized for its support to their relief efforts. Mormons have provided countless hours of service and massive contributions of supplies for joint projects the organizations have been working together on.
The meeting was presided over by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo the Archbishop of the local Archdiocese and current President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The LDS Church was the only non-Catholic organization to be recognized. Cynthia Colbert the CEO of Catholic Charities in the area said, “Our second 2017 Charity In Action Award goes to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Their unwavering support has allowed us to help many as they always answer our urgent calls for volunteer needs.
LDS Church has hosted school supply drives to ensure that the children that we help are prepared for the school year and have coordinated outing events for the children of our St. Michael’s program. In addition, they have helped seniors move into new homes and assist with sorting donations at several of our locations, like Mamie George Community Center and The Guadalupe Center.“
Jan Chappell, the Houston Area Director of Public Affairs, accepted the award on behalf of the Mormon Church and expressed gratitude for being able to serve together with Catholic Charities. Chappell said, “What a privilege it is to work with a dedicated group of people who are also committed followers of Jesus Christ.”
Also, in attendance was Brian Corbin the Executive Vice President of Catholic Charities USA in Washington DC. Concerning the value of faith-based organizations working together for the common good, he noted that Mormons like other faiths are “…are people of the book and people of the spirit and we all share in that common conversation.”
Corbin also mentioned that the headquarters building of Catholic Charities USA in Washington DC was funded by a very generous donation from a Mormon Church member who wanted to help them be more effective in their work.
