Caritas Archdiocese of Birmingham is a network of parishes, charities and services that carry out charitable work in the name of the Church.
Working across the Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham, we strive to live out the Gospel through our work, by supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable people in local communities.
A welcome from the Caritas Chair, Fr Michael White:
Hundreds of groups and thousands of people throughout the Archdiocese carry out social action, taking steps to change what is wrong in society. That action is central to the Gospel message and is a central part of Church life. As a result we discover that the obverse of what James says in his letter is true (‘faith is dead if it is separated from good deeds’ 2:26) – that good deeds bring our faith to life. We know this to be true by listening to so many who are committed to this work.
Caritas Archdiocese of Birmingham was established in 2014 to play some part in this vital ministry, creating a network of charities, parishes and services that provide charitable work in the name of the Church throughout the Archdiocese. Our greatest ambition is simply to encourage this work by sharing good practise, networking, offering spiritual support and sharing ideas.
In chapter 2 of his letter to the Philippians Paul writes:
“Be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. Always think of the other person as better than yourself, so that nobody thinks of his own interest first but everybody thinks of other people’s interest instead.”
There is a real opportunity to be united in our common purpose, to celebrate some of the fine projects going in so many parishes and to strengthen our ministry by doing so. I am convinced that in these challenging times for the Church this ministry can be part of an exciting vision for the future.
Fr Michael White, Chair
Caritas Archdiocese of Birmingham