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October 4, 2022, Washington, D.C. – Sister Donna Markham, OP, PhD, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), was among the Nonprofit Times’ (NPT) 2022 Power and Influence Top 50 during a gala held in September at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. This is the seventh year in a row that Sister Donna has received this honor.

“The honorees have distinguished themselves as initiators, innovators, and leaders who can redirect and sometimes restrict vital nonprofits and their operations,” wrote Paul Clolery in the announcement of the top 50 honorees. He noted that the honorees distinguished themselves in their day-in, day-out work during a challenging year, still affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, food shortages, and inflation.

Sister Donna was recognized for going beyond talk in the social sector and taking action, such as visiting the border to see firsthand the situation for immigrants. Responding to the challenges faced by 58,000 Catholic Charities workers, Sister Donna is focusing on housing and healthcare, “particularly seeing housing as a moral imperative and partnering with anyone willing to pitch in,” the 2022 Top 50 influencers program states. 

Catholic Charities USA is the national office for diocesan agencies throughout the United States. Its mission is “to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same.” 

Catholic Charities agencies serve all people in need in such areas as food and nutrition, affordable housing, social enterprise initiatives, advocacy and social policy initiatives, immigration and refugee services, disaster relief, and leadership development and Catholic identity. Sister Donna is the first female President and CEO in CCUSA’s more than 110 years of history.

 

Featured photo: Leaders attending the Nonprofit Times 2022 Power and Influence Top 50 Gala are, from left, Jonathan Reckford, President of Habitat for Humanity; Nancy Brown, President of the American Heart Association; Sister Donna Markham, OP, PhD, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA; and Gail McGovern, President of the American Red Cross.


October 4, 2022, New London, Connecticut – As we move further into the season of fall and many begin to prepare for Christmas, it’s time to make spiritual preparations to celebrate the incarnation of Jesus. 

Sister Janet Schaeffler, OP

Sister Janet Schaeffler, OP, has released Advent 2022: Awaiting the Good News. Beginning on November 27, 2022, the First Sunday of Advent, and running through Christmas Day, December 25, 2022, the booklet offers daily reflections on Scripture passages, inspirational stories, suggested daily practices, and prayers to aid in that preparation.

A retreat leader and a consultant for catechists and adult faith formation leaders, Sister Janet also once ministered as Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Archdiocese of Detroit. She is a recipient of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) Distinguished Service Award.

Noting the difficulties and challenges of the past few years, Sister Janet reminds readers in her introduction that “numerous instances and stories of goodness” have also been part of those years. Advent can be a time to focus on these positive stories. “These Advent days ahead of us invite us to show down and become more aware of the good news of God-among-us: the glimpses of goodness vibrantly alive in the everydayness of our lives,” Sister Janet writes.

Copies of Awaiting the Good News and of the Spanish edition, Esperamos la Buena Nueva, are available through Twenty-third Publications. They can also be ordered through the Weber Center Shop at Weber Retreat and Conference Center, 1257 E. Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI 49221; webershop@adriandominicans.org; or 517-266-4035. The shop is open Wednesdays through Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The shop is closed for lunch from noon to 12:45 p.m.  


 

 

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