Celebrating 60 years of Catholic Charities,
Diocese of Nashville
On July 17, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville will mark the 60th anniversary of its founding, serving people through a wide array of programs, including refugees building a new life and a new home in a new country; people seeking the skills to pursue a job that will help them provide for their families; families opening their homes and hearts to children through adoption or foster care; people trying to rebuild their lives after a natural disaster.
To celebrate, the Tennessee Register released a series of articles exploring Catholic Charities’ past, present and future. Check them out below.
The Fernandez Brothers, Luisa Vilar Hough, and Anna Warner. Read their stories and how it led to the program that started everything for Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville, and begin the journey of discovering its first 60 years.
The 43 Cuban children that Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville helped resettle during Operation Pedro Pan was just the start of arguably its largest program, as it has gone on to resettle more than 30,000 refugees over the last 60 years. In that time, one thing that became clear was that having community members volunteer as family mentors was a huge part of a successful resettlement experience.
‘For I was hungry, and you gave me food…” Thus began the teaching of Christ, which led to the establishment of the Corporal Works of Mercy in the Church. Learn how Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville takes that to heart as they do God’s work in the community no matter what the situation.
With the community’s support of A Legacy of Faith, Hope and Love Campaign, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville will be able to continue their work in serving our neighbors. Judy Orr, Catholic Charities executive director, explains how.
Love, hope, healing. No matter what the need, through its services, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville is there to provide a loving hand, provide hope to what otherwise seem hopeless, and healing to those who seek it.
As a non-profit, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville relies on its volunteers to help complete its mission. With the establishment of a central volunteer coordination program in 2021, more than 800 volunteers are taking part in that success.
For 60 years, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville has been serving the people of Middle Tennessee in several capacities, and there is no plan to slow down. From Older Adult Programming to the County Expansion Program, Judy Orr, Catholic Charities executive director, and John Michael Ford, Catholic Charities deputy executive director of programs, discuss its next 60 years in this final anniversary article.
