“This is not the Catholic Charities that I grew up with, but that’s not a bad thing,” said Jim Mullen, president and CEO of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland.
Mullen addressed members of the St. John the Evangelist Leadership Guild during a Sept. 16 program hosted at Catholic Charities’ offices at St. Augustine Health Ministries (in the former St. John Hospital) on Cleveland’s West Side.
The evening began with Mass celebrated by Father Dan Schlegel, pastor of St. Raphael Parish in Bay Village and SJELG chaplain. In his homily, Father Schlegel noted the Gospel dealt with Jesus showing compassion for a widow whose son had died, raising her son from the dead.
People may suffer from “compassion fatigue.,” Father Schlegel said, noting that at his parish, he used a poverty simulation to help junior high school students learn about the decisions some families face on a daily basis with their needs and wants.
After Mass, the group had dinner and heard Mullen’s presentation on the work of Catholic Charities in the eight-county Diocese of Cleveland. Mullen said when he left his career at United Way and moved to Catholic Charities, he had some big shoes to fill. His late father, Tom, led the organization from 1988 until his death in 2010. “In many ways, I’ve come full circle,” Mullen said, noting Beth, his wife of 19 years, worked at St. Augustine Health Ministries and he spent a great deal of time in the building during his father’s years with the organization. His children also were enrolled in the child enrichment center.
Mullen joined Catholic Charities in January and said he is grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with his faith in the work place. “It allows you to be who you really are, to wear your faith on your sleeve.”
As he settles into his new role, Mullen said his goals are to find what Catholic Charities can be exceptional at and how to deliver on faith formation. Ninety percent of the people the organization interacts with are not Catholic, so each encounter is an opportunity evangelize, he said. Also, the 22,000 students involved in CYO athletics, some of whom are not Catholic, affords additional opportunities to share the faith.
Flexibility is also crucial to the organization, he explained, with changes at the federal level affecting funding for Catholic Charities’ programs. But the staff works hard to ensure the needs of all clients are met.
Mullen said extensive renovation is ongoing at the old chancery building downtown, with plans to move about 140-150 Catholic Charities’ staffers there next year since they need additional space.
“We must be reverent to the history of this organization while having a vision for the future,” he added.
Father Schlegel summed up the event, telling guild members, “I am grateful to you for your generosity and the Lord is grateful to you for caring for his people in need. Thank you for being the hands, feet, eyes and most especially, the heart of Christ.”