Welcoming the Stranger this Christmas

Dear Friends of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans,

“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

Luke 2:7

Every Christmas, I am reminded that our Savior was born to a young, unwed mother and foster father who were homeless. At Catholic Charities, we see the face of Jesus in each of our clients, from our families participating in Bethlehem Housing to our expectant mothers at St. Vincent Maternity Clinic to the foster parents in Therapeutic Family Services. We at CCANO do not cast these individuals out to a barn to have their children sleep in a manger, but welcome them with open arms to our programs and assist them to find warmth and stability.

It makes me all the more grateful for your support of our mission and programs because it means that you, like the shepherds and wise men, have embraced the good tidings of Jesus’ birth. In the spirit of hospitality and welcoming of the Advent season, let us in this new year strive to always find room to welcome and assist the individual who knocks on our door. May Christ’s peace, hope, love, and joy be with your family now in Advent and in the days ahead.

 

God bless you,

Sr. Marjorie Hebert, MSC
President & CEO