ALEXANDRIA, Va. — From September 16 through September 19, nearly 600 Catholic Charities staff, volunteers and supporters from around the country gathered in Oklahoma City for the 2024 Annual Gathering. Each year, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), the national membership organization representing 168 Catholic Charities agencies, convenes its network in a different city for several days of idea sharing, trainings and networking.
In her address kicking off the conference, CCUSA President and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson thanked all those gathered for their unwavering commitment to serving and advocating for the most vulnerable among us. Reflecting on her first year leading CCUSA and the many visits she made to agencies around the nation, Robinson identified six virtues that she said animate and define the work of Catholic Charities: conviviality, reverence, creativity, tenacity, magnanimity and hope.
“Catholic Charities agencies bring people from disparate backgrounds together. You invite clients in with open arms and make them feel loved and supported. You rally volunteers and supporters to serve and encounter their neighbors with authenticity. You listen — really listen — to the suffering, to your clients’ stories, replete with trauma, the better to provide healing. You seek out, recognize and celebrate the things we have in common,” Robinson said. “And in doing so, you uncover that all of us — regardless of our race, economic security, country of origin or political party — have much, much more in common than that which divides us. You stand as an example for this country of how we can and should behave and how we can and should treat one another. And that is such a desperately needed and powerful witness.”
Robinson also expressed gratitude for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, the local host agency that helped CCUSA plan and execute the conference. Led by Executive Director Patrick Raglow, the agency took attendees on informative tours of its facilities and programs, including showcasing its innovative efforts to address the affordable housing shortage, a shared challenge across the network. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City also showcased some of the spiritual and cultural highlights of its community, from a Mass at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine to a reception at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
The packed Annual Gathering agenda included a plenary session on the mental health crisis in the United States and the ways in which Catholic Charities agencies can continue to respond to it. Moderated by Catholic radio and podcast host Katie Prejean McGrady, the conversation also featured Mike Carotta, a Catholic educator and author who wrote CCUSA’s parish-based trauma awareness resource, Whole Hearted; Lisa Carr, a public health analyst at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); and Monica Palmer, the senior director of clinical and legal services at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. The panelists offered attendees insights into the state of mental health across the country, as well as actionable strategies for how agencies can strengthen their services for families and individuals in need of mental health support.
During another plenary session, attendees shared critical feedback and ideas as CCUSA develops its next strategic plan, which will inform and strengthen how it serves its member agencies into the future. The conference also included breakout sessions on a variety of valuable topics, from hunger and homelessness to federal advocacy and disaster preparedness.
CCUSA also presented awards to three outstanding members of the Catholic Charities network during the conference. Lisa Perkins, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh, received the Management Excellence Award in recognition of the agency’s remarkable growth under her leadership. For her 30 years of service to children and families in need, Kimberly Osborn, the program director of the Northside Child Development Center at Catholic Charities Twin Cities, received the Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan Award. And John “Jack” Halton, a dedicated volunteer with Catholic Charities Diocese of Gary, was honored as the Volunteer of the Year for his hundreds of hours of service at the agency’s food pantry.
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