All five counties in the Diocese of St. Petersburg and our neighboring counties were directly impacted by Hurricane Idalia. To begin assisting those most affected, on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, Bishop Parkes presented Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Petersburg with $100,000 from the Diocese of St. Petersburg Disaster Relief Fund. Our Disaster Relief …
The Diocese of St. Petersburg is dedicated to Courageously Living the Gospel, our diocesan mission statement which defines who we are and how we live our faith as a local Church. To offer special thanks to those who have given so much to bring our mission to life, Bishop Parkes established the Mater Dei Giving …
Parish leaders have spent months planning and diligently working to complete recommended activities and run a successful and positive Catholic Ministry Appeal active phase. And now, the first parish has officially exceeded its goal for our new Catholic Ministry Appeal. Congratulations St. Brendan Parish Family for surpassing goal in record time! “This accomplishment has little …
Throughout January, parishes and missions began sharing information about the new Catholic Ministry Appeal through the bulletin, from the pulpit, on their websites and via social media channels. In addition, parishioners received a mailing from Bishop Parkes and a follow-up communication from their pastor. All of this laid the groundwork for pastors to ask parishioners …
Avery Thayer, a 21-year-old college student, is organizing a collection to help fill up Easter baskets for children of the San Jose Mission in Dover and your help is needed! “We are hoping to give joy to these families who have struggled through the pandemic. We want these families to feel loved and cared for. …
Continue reading “Local Student Organizes Easter Collection for Children in Need”
A giving society is established by organizations to give thanks to those who make it possible for them to fulfill their mission. While this is usually done through in-person events, the Diocese of St. Petersburg courageously jumped into the unknown last November to launch their Mater Dei Giving Society virtually. “For the last couple of …
Continue reading “Behind the Scenes of a Live Stream Event with Bishop Parkes”
The theme for the 2021 Annual Pastoral Appeal is “Hope in the Lord”, inspired by Isaiah 40:31 – “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Through hope, we find strength, …
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Petersburg recently received a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant of $2 million dollars to increase its rapid rehousing program assistance offered through Pathways, a lifeline for families and individuals who are either recently homeless or on the verge of homelessness. The program is designed to …
Continue reading “Catholic Charities Receives Grant to Prevent Homelessness in Tampa Bay Region”
Due to COVID-19, Catholic Charities has expanded its ability to help people in need of rent and utility assistance. Approximately 500 more people will be assisted so they can keep on their lights and air conditioning and stay in their homes. “Our Pathways Program provides rent and utilities assistance. We have various funding sources that …
Continue reading “Catholic Charities Helps Families Financially Impacted by COVID-19”
Faced with homelessness after a house fire, Catholic Charities’ homeless shelter in Tampa became a saving grace for Kishada. After living in her car for months, Kishada came to the shelter feeling anxious, but her experience there led her down a positive and restorative path. The 60-day emergency shelter dubbed “Hillsborough Hope” provided housing to …
Continue reading “Homeless Find Housing Thanks to Hillsborough Hope”
For Joshua, who is unemployed and homeless, Catholic Charities represents the difference between hope and despair. “I feel safe here,” says Joshua, 23, who is a resident of the newly established Catholic Charities Hillsborough Hope homeless shelter, located in Tampa. Before arriving at the shelter, that some call a tent city, Joshua had been living …
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Find the latest information from Catholic Charities on their website. For the time being (at least through April 30), Catholic Charities has closed its offices – see below for details on individual appointments Catholic Charities offices hours – All offices are now closed in compliance with Federal, State and Local requirements to maintain social distance and …
Continue reading “Updates from Catholic Charities regarding available services and programs”
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St.Petersburg, in partnership with the City of Tampa, opened a shelter (Hillsborough Hope) for homeless residents of Tampa on vacant land owned by Catholic Charities on March 30, 2020. Due to the risk posed by the coronavirus, city officials decided to relocate homeless residents in order to provide the …
Dear Friends of Catholic Charities: I am reaching out to our clients, our supporters (funders, donors, volunteers), vendors, colleagues and board members, community and government partners, parishioners, and members of the broader community, to share what Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg is doing in response to unprecedented health risk posed by the Corona Virus …
Continue reading “Catholic Charities ‘United in Christ’: Response to the Corona Virus”
On October 8, 2018, Hurricane Michael slammed into the panhandle of Florida, leaving widespread devastation in its path. In the weeks that followed, the people of the Diocese of St. Petersburg generously responded by giving over $300,000 for disaster relief. These funds went directly to Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida to help with recovery efforts. …
Continue reading “Helping the Panhandle after Hurricane Michael”
Terry Oliver will be celebrating Christmas at his Homosassa home this year, after one-year away. Last October, he and his daughter were displaced from his house because of damage sustained from Hurricane Irma. His house was fixed thanks to the partnership between Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Mennonite Disaster Services (MDS) and …
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Pinellas Hope, a homeless shelter for adults located in Clearwater, is drawing attention to the plight of the homeless of Pinellas County during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week by hosting an Open House on Friday, November 16th. While progress has been made to reduce homelessness both locally and nationally, it is still a serious …
Close to 30 individuals with experience in affordable housing gathered at the Pastoral Center of the Diocese of St. Petersburg on August 14th to discuss how to address an important community need – housing for low-income, working families and individuals. “We believe every person has the right to a decent place to live and a …
Continue reading “Diocese Hosts Community Forum on Affordable Housing”