Diocese of Madison CCHD funds to support job education, area farmers

For some background on this, check out last year's  USCCB Catholic Campaign for Human Development scandal.  Basically it appears the CCHD has become a funnel from parishes to liberal groups supporting abortion and homosexual "marriage".  Bishop Morlino last year also withheld his CCHD funds and put them to a more appropriate use.

(Madison) As the nation’s bishops continue to scrutinize the distribution of the national portion of the US Church’s annual Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Bishop Robert Morlino has assured the Diocese of Madison that all donations earmarked for local use will only benefit initiatives, groups and programs consistent with authentic Catholic social teaching, as a matter of justice. To this end, after receiving recommendations from a local advisory committee, Bishop Morlino has decided that all of this year’s funds will help fund the Madison Catholic Multicultural Center’s “Just-Us Artisan Producer” project, and the initiatives proposed by diocesan Cluster 350’s Justice and Peace Committee.

Bishop Morlino is extremely grateful to Fr. Jim Murphy and the members of the diocesan CCHD advisory committee for their hard work and recommendations, with regard to how the diocese should best disperse local CCHD funds. Likewise, the bishop and the diocese thank all those who have so generously contributed to the CCHD collection. In a letter of thanks to Fr. Murphy, Bishop Morlino stated “I have complete confidence that these two projects which you have recommended will remain beyond reproach and faithful in all respects to authentic Catholic social teaching under the guidance of our diocesan priests.” A number of people in the diocese will benefit greatly, from the programs receiving these funds.

In 2008 and 2009, the Diocese of Madison earmarked the entire national portion of the CCHD collection to the victims of Hurricane Ike, on the Gulf Coast, and the work of the Little Sisters of the Poor, respectively. The decision to send directly to these two causes came after increased concerns that some funds donated to CCHD, in the past, had gone to support initiatives of either scandalous or, at the very least, groups or programs, which also undertook projects or political initiatives with which the Church did not desire to be associated.

The bishop’s decision was made to avoid and further scandal in this regard and to assure that all funds, so generously given by our faithful Catholic people consistently go to benefit only programs in line with authentic Catholic social teaching, as they intended.

Notes regarding programs benefiting from Madison’s local CCHD funds:

Catholic Multicultural Center’s “Just-Us Artisan Producer” Project ($10,000) – Program will prepare food for restaurants and other food providers purchased from local farmers, while training persons with major barriers to employment in marketable skills in this field. The work of the Catholic Multicultural Center is managed by Msgr. Ken Fiedler and Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Madison.

Cluster 350’s Justice and Peace Committee Initiatives ($6,000) – Cooperating with Family Farm Defenders, which partners with many area farmers, as well as local businesses, schools and hospitals, seeks to help people meet basic nutritional needs and encouraging fair compensation for producers. Cluster 350 is composed of St. Boniface, Lime Ridge, St. Patrick, Loreto, Holy Family, La Valle, and Sacred Heart, Reedsburg, WI.

Diocese of Madison