Society of St. Vincent De Paul I have been writing a lot recently about our efforts for the Catholic Church to use money from sales of Church properties for people in need in the areas of the closed Churches. It has been hard to get people in Church to listen to Cry of the Poor. I even tried stories or parables like If Joseph and Mary would have come to Milwaukee Today and What to Give Jesus for Christmas. Last week I even wrote a “letter to the editor” based on some newspaper article. It has not been five days since sending it to the newspaper and I have not heard back from them. So here is is:
December 7, 2012
Dear Editors of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
I went to bed last night wondering What to Give Jesus for Christmas and woke this morning to read the answer in the headlines of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “Parish funds avoid bankruptcy.”
For some time now a number of us have been asking the St. Catherine Corporation board to use the 1.1 million resulting from the sale of three Church properties in North Central Milwaukee for use for St. Vincent De Paul conferences in the area to purchase vouchers for food, beds and appliances for those in need. The North Central Milwaukee neighborhoods consist of the poorest and most segregated in Milwaukee and many families are lacking basic needs like stoves and refrigerators.
One major obstacle to the St. Catherine Corporation Board has been the possible involvement of these parish funds in the bankruptcy hearings. Now that this obstacles has lessen by the Judge the parish is now free to use this 1.1 million to honor the “intent of donors”, for needs of God’s blessed ones and to give Jesus the Christmas present he dearly desires: “Whatsoever you did for one of my brothers and sisters, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did for me.” (Matt: 25, 40)
May you share in the Blessing and grace God gives to the poor,
Bob Graf
The Cry of the Poor still goes unheard by those in power in the Church. Maybe this letter here will awaken someone.
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