Dear Friends of Joseph House: What is the greatest sin committed against the poor? According to Franciscan priest Raniero Cantalamessa, it is indifference. “Unfortunately, we can get used to anything in time, and we have grown accustomed to other people’s misery,” he writes in his book, Poverty. “It only affects us to a degree, we…
Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor disturbance. Where there is poverty with joy, there is neither covetousness nor avarice. Where there is inner peace and meditation, there is neither anxiousness nor dissipation. Where there is fear of the…
This has been a very busy week at the Joseph House Crisis Center. More than 50 families came seeking financial assistance, many in regards to housing. When housing needs are on the line, we can’t delay in responding – especially when the weather is cold. A house does more than provide protection from the elements,…
January is Poverty Awareness Month. According to the Census Bureau, 43.1 million people in the United States live in poverty. Of these, about 19.5 million live in deep poverty, which means their household income is less than 50% of the poverty threshold. Furthermore, 105 million people live close to being in poverty. Their household incomes…
The following was written by Bishop Kenneth Edward Untener (1937-2004), who served as the bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw: Helping the poor is not always a pleasant experience. It’s no picnic helping the poor. There is often no feeling of fulfillment. It’s work — like a lot of virtue is work — like taking…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: A prison can keep someone locked in, and also locked out. In Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle, the protagonist, Jurgis Rudkus, finds himself homeless, destitute, and ravenously hungry. He staggers up and down the city streets looking for work, fighting hunger-induced fatigue. His struggle is to no avail: he is…
In an online world, there is still a place for personal contact. Our help at the Joseph House is given person to person, in the flesh. This way we get a grasp of the details that cannot be conveyed in an e-mail, details that help to express the uniqueness of each person and the many…
René Voillaume, who helped to start the Little Brothers of Jesus, once gave a series of conferences about religious life. These were compiled in a book, and our founder, Sr. Mary Elizabeth, had the following passage underlined: “We must again consider what is implied by the notion of the ‘poor one.’ The poor person is…
The mission of the Joseph House is to work for social justice, stabilize family life, and help the poor in their needs, whatever they may be. Each person we assist is different. Each person has a particular story and unique circumstances. Sometimes when “the poor” are discussed, such as in public debates, they are considered…
To walk forward, we place one foot in front of the other. The walk toward social justice in the world requires the same effort. Two feet are needed for this movement: one is “Direct Service” and the other is “Social Change.” Both are needed to achieve justice, both are needed to stay balanced. Direct Service…