On 30 October, Caritas Westminster was pleased to convene 'A Call to Deeper Social Engagement: 15 Years On,' a conference bringing together Catholic charities from across the Diocese of Westminster to share insights from their work and discuss opportunities to better serve the most vulnerable.
Kindly hosted by CCLA Investment Management, the day opened with a keynote speech from Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who reflected on the Church's understanding of social action, as well as the changing landscape of charity he has witnessed in his decade and a half as Archbishop of Westminster.
His Eminence emphasised the importance of embracing the Catholic roots of the charities present, noting that 'increasingly, the spiritual dimension of what we do is becoming more attractive,' and that service grounded in a strong faith is naturally open to engagement and collaboration, both with other faith groups and the wider society.
Expressing his aspirations for the future, Cardinal Nichols said:
'I hope today will be about partnerships, and the ways in which our experience, our resources and resourcefulness can be effectively used, [so that] we can learn to be catalysts on a much wider field.'
Following this, attendees heard from representatives of Borehamwood Foodbank, the Catholic Children's Society, Hope for Southall Street Homeless, St Elizabeth's Centre and Women at the Well about their experiences tackling issues such as poverty, homelessness, exploitation and intellectual disability.
Later on, participants were invited to discuss shared challenges, best practices and ideas for the future, focusing on topics such as fundraising, knowledge sharing, volunteer support and engaging with the broader cultural and political environment of our day.
The day concluded with a comment by Bishop Paul McAleenan, Chair of Caritas Westminster, who stressed the power of collaboration and the need for a spirit of 'encounter' between charities as well as with those they serve.
Bishop Paul commented:
'This was a very fruitful event, bringing likeminded people together, and the sense of a common purpose was striking. The charities represented today speak clearly to the principles of Catholic Social Teaching; there was a great sense of solidarity and of community, motivated by a strong belief in an "Option for the Poor."'
Reflecting on the day, Richard Harries, Director of Caritas Westminster, said:
'We are delighted to have brought together almost 30 Catholic charities operating in our diocese, to reflect on the achievements made and lessons learned in the last 15 years. There remains much to be done, and I very much hope that the ideas and fellowship fostered today will enable us to work more closely to meet the changing needs of our communities.'
Find out more about Caritas Westminster here.