CCHD Executive Director and St. Martin de Porres National Shrine & Institute
CCHD Executive Director and St. Martin de Porres National Shrine & Institute
Ralph McCloud, Executive Director, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, will deliver the second annual St. Martin de Porres National Shrine & Institute Social Justice Lecture. CCHD is the educational and empowerment-of-the-poor arm of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The National Shrine & Institute promotes religious, cultural, and educational activities on behalf of the Southern Dominican Province.
Executive Director McCloud will present twice on Thursday, Dec. 2—first at our St. Louis Catholic Church, 203 White Station Rd., 12:45pm, with a light lunch served and then later in the day at Christian Brothers University, 650 E. Parkway South, 7pm, with refreshments. His presentation is entitled “Becoming Social Poets, Answering Pope Francis’ Call.” All are welcome. Admission is free.
Prior to his USCCB service in Washington with the Bishops, Executive Director McCloud worked as Director, Pastoral and Community Services, Diocese of Fort Worth. Before that, he was in business and a politician, serving eight years on the Fort Worth City Council. McCloud has won numerous awards including the Catholic Charities USA’s Martin Luther King Keep the Dream Alive Award in 2010.
For more than 50 years, the USCCB’s Catholic Campaign for Human Development has supported organizations that combat poverty and improve the lives of people in communities across the U.S. The goal of the CCHD is to help people who are poor or disadvantaged develop the skills and create the opportunities necessary to make a living and to build stronger families and neighborhoods. More information on the history and impact of the CCHD can be found at: USCCB-CCHD.
St. Martin de Porres National Shrine & Institute’s history goes back more than 90 years. A Dominican Priest, Fr. Thomas Weiland, O.P., founded the Shrine in 1936 in Columbia, S.C. Along with the Shrine, a Church and School were built and for 60 years donations were used to support the African-American Catholic community in Columbia. The Shrine was moved to the seat of the Dominican Province of St. Martin de Porres, New Orleans, La., in 1996. It remained there while a permanent setting was being built. In 2001, Bishop Terry Steib, Memphis, dedicated the Shrine Chapel at our St. Peter Catholic Church. Its name became Shrine & Institute to include educational and cultural activities. In 2015, it was awarded National status and is led by Fr. Carmen Mele, O.P. For more information, please visit: StMartinShrineWebsite and StMartinShrineFacebook.
