Caritas to Parish 

The church is not just a building or an institution, but a living body made up of its members.

"Charity is not merely giving; it is living. It is the heartbeat of our faith." 

Here's what that means in practice:

• Active Participation: The vitality of a church depends heavily on the active involvement of its congregation. This includes attending services, but also participating in ministries, volunteering, contributing financially, and engaging in fellowship.

• Living Out Faith: The "actions" of the people extend beyond internal church activities. It refers to how members live out their faith in their daily lives – demonstrating love, compassion, justice, and service in their communities, workplaces, and homes. This outward expression is seen as a key part of the church's mission.

• Community and Fellowship: The actions of people build and sustain the church community. Through their interactions, support for one another, and shared spiritual journey, they create a vibrant and supportive environment.

• Mission and Outreach: When people are actively engaged, the church is better equipped to fulfill its mission of outreach, evangelism, and social impact. Their collective actions become the hands and feet of the church in the world.

• Growth and Renewal: A church where people are actively engaged is more likely to experience spiritual growth, attract new members, and adapt to changing needs. Stagnation often occurs when the congregation becomes passive.

Without the people's engagement, the church becomes an empty shell.

WHAT IS PARISH CARITAS?

"...The Church's charitable organizations, on the other hand, constitute an opus proprium, a task agreeable to her, in which she does not cooperate collaterally, but acts as a subject with direct responsibility, doing what corresponds to her nature. The Church can never be exempted from practicing charity as an organized activity of believers, and on the other hand, there will never be a situation where the charity of each individual Christian is unnecessary, because in addition to justice man needs, and will always need, love..." Deus Caritas Est

Parish Caritas is a pastoral body of the parish community whose task is to animate, coordinate, promote and witness charity with special emphasis on its pedagogical role. Caritas is not only an organization working for the Church but Caritas is an equal carrier of pastoral ministry. Caritas is the third branch of pastoral ministry (besides catechism and liturgy), which helps the Church and Christians to live the commandment of love.

The crucial role of Caritas is animation of the Christian community for charity – "pedagogical role". It is not that Caritas resolves all distresses, but animates Christians and encourages them to actively live love towards their fellow man, so that we can all, as a Christian society, face these distresses. Parish Caritas is a means that enables the whole parish community to witness Christian love in an organized way towards those who are in need. But we must not forget that Caritas is a means, not the objective of our work.

Nature of the Parish Caritas

• it is pastoral organism

• it serves to facilitate / promote, even in the collaboration with other organizations, testimony of the charity within the Church community 

• in the forms that respond to the time and needs 

• in a way that a man is developed as with integrity 

• in social justice and peace 

• with particular attention to the last one and 

• with prevailing pedagogical role 

What Caritas is not? 

• Not an humanitarian organization 

• Not an NGO nor association of volunteers or group of people 

• Not an institute of social services 

• Not a distributor of money, food, supplies… 

But it is: 

• Pastoral body of the Church 

• Social body of the Church 

• Charitable organization 

• Animation of Christian community for love 

• It creates significant deeds and good practices 

FOUR MAIN TASKS OF PARISH CARITAS 

• Pedagogical role of caritas 

The role of Caritas is particular in reminding Christians on Jesus’ active love to people in all kinds of distresses, or to awake humanistic consciousness among non-believers. Caritas must be open for everybody and needs to animate all community to witness Christian love. Without this dimension, all other work of Caritas (like social assistants, distribution of humanitarian aids, researching and similar) will loose sense and purpose. 

• Knowing territory 

A Caritas that doesn't truly know the needs of its community isn't living up to its calling.  Caritas staff or volunteers are suppose to know, not just general needs but to know each person in need on its own territory. Caritas co-workers are first and often the only one listening to people in need. One of strengths of the Caritas network is that we can create relationships with each individual person, and if we don't do this, if we work with only are numbers, we would be at risk to loose our mission. 

• Social activities 

Parish caritas (PC) can not be an answer for all the needs on its territory. But PC must offer some social activities as an example for all the community. Each social activity must be result of need from territory – they are concrete answer to the needs. Caritas social activities has the objective not just to help people but also to animate the whole community to be involved in testify love. 

• Coordination and collaboration 

Good parish Caritas will create relationship with diocesan and or national Caritas as well as with other parish caritas in order to exchange experiences, to support each other and to coordinate similar activities. PC should have a good relationship with NGO’s from their own territory as well as with local government. PC continually collaborates with other pastoral bodies (parish pastoral council, catechists, parish core, pastoral of youths, ministrants etc.) in order to create more coherent life for the parish and to involve them in charity activities. 

Parish can expect in terms of support from diocese - CaritasMJD:

• To receive guidance and support from the diocesan and national Caritas to meet the needs of those they serve

• To have clear terms of reference and authority service 

• To receive various development training sessions 

• To develop self-supportive mechanisms in providing pastoral and social development work 

• To access diocesan financial and material resources 

• To have information on resource use and Caritas activities 

• To base work on integral human development 

• To be listened to and respected 

Parish Responsibility - Expected to: 

• To carry out local needs assessment 

• To develop strategic plans and animate local communities 

• To deliver services to the community 

• To fundraise locally and be accountable to all partners 

• To network with other relevant organisations 

• To carry out campaigns and advocacy within the parish in collaboration with other governmental and non-governmental organisations 

• To implement programmes based on community needs 

• To be open to evaluation 

• To mobilise local resources enhancing sustainability of projects 

• To liaise and communicate with the diocesan office and other actors 

CARITAS @ PARISH 

Frontline organisations the doers of charity:

PARISH OFFICE FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT (CARITAS POHD / *SSVP)

Vision : Laity of the parish is involved in charity. (love thy neighbour)

Mission :To promote active participation in works of mercy and to practise the Catholic preference for the poor and marginalised.

Function :  (in any parish where there is only SSVP then SSVP will also perform these functions)

1. To coordinate with Parish Caritas the activities of the different organisations / ministries / societies at the parish level towards a continual involvement in Integral Human Development and social awareness in serving the poor and doing justice.

2. To deepen the understanding of the vision, goals and objectives of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan with regards to Integral Human Development within the parish.

3. To study and look at matters related to the pastoral priorities of the parish in  Integral Human Development and to make proposals to Parish Caritas that will meet the needs of the basic communities.

4. To raise social awareness, promote justice and alleviate suffering as a constitutive part of evangelization through education, formation programmes and social communication.

5. To initiate projects that will be at the service of the needy.

6. To implement and help the Parish with the Lenten Campaign during Lent and to carry out the related evaluations.

7. To set up the relevant structures/sub-committees to review project applications and to monitor their implementation and progress.

8. To prepare and present an annual budget to the Parish Pastoral Council and Caritas MJD for the running of the Parish Office for Human Development by  30 September of each and every year.

9. To assist the poor and marginalised within the parish.

Structure of POHD: 

1. The POHD shall be formed with the approval of the Parish Priest after his consultation with the Parish Pastoral Council. The Parish priest will be the Presider.

2. All organisations in the Parish involved in the area of Charity, Human Development and Social Justice shall send a representative to help in the formation of the POHD and to be a representative of the POHD.

3. The Parish Priest in consultation with the Parish Pastoral Council shall appoint the Chairperson and the members of the POHD.

4. The Chairperson of the POHD and one other member of the POHD shall sit on the Vicariate (District) coordinating body.

Determination of membership of the POHD :

1. On the expiry of the term of appointment which is for two years.

2. On a member submitting his/her letter of resignation to and being accepted by the Parish Priest.

3. The Parish Priest can, after consultation with the Diocesan Bishop remove a member with just cause, by requesting the member to resign. Should the member fail to comply with the request, his/her appointment shall be terminated by the Parish Priest.

4. If the member fails to attend three (3) POHD meetings consecutively without giving reasonable reasons for such absence.

Change of Parish Priest :

The in-coming Parish Priest shall be under no obligation to retain the existing members of the POHD. Subject to the approval of the Diocesan Bishop/Delegate, he may determine the members of the existing POHD and subsequently thereto appoint new.

Duties of the Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer of the POHD :

1. The Chairperson shall chair meetings

2. The members of the POHD shall elect one of their members to stand-in for the Chairperson in the event of the latter’s absence at any meeting.

3. The Secretary shall keep a written record of all POHD meetings and shall be responsible for all correspondence, the minutes of all meetings and shall prepare the Annual Report of the POHD.

4. The Treasurer shall maintain and keep the books of accounts of the POHD; shall issue authorised payments only and shall prepare the reports on the finances of the POHD.

5. One member shall be appointed to represent the Parish at the Caritas Vicariate Coordinators meeting.

Meetings :

1. The POHD shall meet once a month or as frequently as may be deemed necessary.

2. The POHD shall hold its Annual General Meeting before the Annual General Meeting of Caritas MJD. It should be on a date to be determined by its members.

3. The POHD should work towards presenting its annual budget for the running of the POHD to the Parish Pastoral Council and to the Caritas MJD Board of Management in September in each and every year.

Quorum and Voting Power :

1. One third of the POHD membership present shall constitute a quorum.

2. Decisions taken by the POHD shall be by a simple majority. In the event of a tie, the Chairperson shall have the casting vote.

3. The limit of the POHD to grant financial aid is RM 600 /- per month per family. Any sum exceeding this amount needs the approval of the parish priest.

Annual Report and Accounts :

       The POHD shall, not later than two weeks after its Annual General Meeting, submit a copy of its Annual Report and Statement of Accounts / Audited Accounts to the Caritas MJD Board of Management.

Spiritual Advisor :

     The Parish Priest shall be the Spiritual Advisor of the POHD and shall advise and guide its members in the activities of the POHD.