CSS Outreach Offices

By Katie Patrick

Because the poor were fed, clothed and sheltered at a personal sacrifice, the pagans used to say about the Christians, “See how they love each other.”

In our own day the poor are no longer fed, clothed, sheltered at a personal sacrifice, but at the expense of the taxpayers.

And because the poor are no longer fed, clothed and sheltered, the pagans say about the Christians “See how they pass the buck.”

These striking words from Peter Maurin, co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, are just as relevant today as when he first spoke them nearly a century ago.

"Welcoming the Stranger" is a call to offer hospitality, shelter, and a sense of belonging to those who may be displaced, unfamiliar, or in need of assistance. It's also a Work of Mercy and thus an important component of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska's mission. In this podcast, CSS team member and attorney Brad Brestel shares how the CSS Immigration Legal Services staff helps provide hope for a new life in America with affordable legal aid.

By Katie Patrick

Springtime is often associated with new life and fresh beginnings. After a long, cold winter, nature reawakens—birds chirp, flowers bloom, and the grass turns green. In my backyard, for example, near our Marian statue, our rose bushes, which struggled last year, are beginning to show signs of hope.

Just like those rose bushes, there are many people in our community who are given the chance to grow and rebuild, no matter how difficult their past has been. One such person is Jacob, a young man who, after more than a decade in federal prison, is navigating his own journey of transformation with the help of Catholic Social Services and RISE.