12
June 24, 2014
T
he Valley Catholic
in the church
Founder of Philadelphia community center
recipient of annual CCHD award
By Julia Willis
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Long before
she became a Catholic in 2005, Bethany
Welch demonstrated a commitment to
serving others and living out the Gospel,
from creating relationships with the
marginalized while living at poverty
level to developing a community center
that supports immigrant populations
in South Philadelphia.
For her work, Welch, 35, is this year’s
recipient of the Cardinal Joseph Bernardin New Leadership Award, given by
the U.S. Bishops’ Catholic Campaign
for Human Development.
Named for the late Cardinal Joseph
Bernardin of Chicago, the award has
Bethany Welch at St. Thomas Aquinas
been presented annually since 1988 to
Center’s community garden in Philadelphia.
a Catholic between 18 and 40 years of
She is this year’s recipient of the Cardinal
age who demonstrates leadership in
Joseph Bernardin New Leadership Award
fighting poverty and injustice through
given by the U.S. Bishops’ Catholic Camcommunity-based solutions.
paign for Human Development. (CNS photo/
Although Welch cites her parents as
Sarah Webb, CatholicPhilly.com)
“models of faith in action,” she didn’t
consider a career in social change until
Gospel. “Bethany Welch is practicing
finishing her undergraduate studies
her Catholic faith in an inspiring way.
at Roberts Wesleyan College in 2000,
She lives at the service of immigrants
and worked at a food bank in Rochesand the working poor, those on the
ter, New York, where she coordinated
margins of our society. Bethany brings
advocacy efforts and secured new lanto life the mission of the Catholic
guage for federal legislation governing
Campaign for Human Development.”
hunger and food security.
He presented the award to Welch June
Welch continued to serve the urban
11 during the bishops’ annual spring
poor when she moved to Philadelphia
meeting.
to become an AmeriCorps VISTA
volunteer and developed a service
learning program for at-risk youth and
helped launch a community center
sponsored by Catholic Social Services
of the Philadelphia Archdiocese.
“I had never encountered such
brokenness, such pain. The neighborBy Carol Glatz
hood where the center is located is the
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis
‘hungriest in America,’” Welch said. “It
named a slate of new members to the
has some of the highest rates of drug
Vatican’s financial watchdog agency,
addiction and gun violence.” She cites
replacing an all-Italian panel with
the experience as “the final step” in her
members from Italy, Switzerland,
decision to join the Catholic Church.
Singapore and the United States.
“I didn’t understand how the Sisters
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican
and priests I worked with were doing
Secretary of State, also promoted Tomthis work for 30 and 40 years. They
maso Di Ruzza, an Italian, to be the
pointed me to the Eucharist. Christ’s
agency’s “ad interim” vice-director. A
body unites us with those who are sufformer official at the Pontifical Counfering,”
cil for Justice and Peace, Di Ruzza
Msgr. Hugh Shields, pastor of St.
had been an assistant at the financial
Thomas Aquinas Church in South
authority, which is directed by Rene
Philadelphia, invited Welch to convert
Brulhart.
a former convent into something for
Pope Benedict XVI established the
the local community. She spent three
Financial Intelligence Authority in
months listening to the multicultural,
late 2010 to monitor Vatican finanmultilingual members of the parish
cial operations and ensure they met
explain their needs.
international norms against money
The Aquinas Center opened in
laundering and financing of terrorism.
January 2013. It works extensively with
In November 2013, Pope Francis
partner agencies to provide a law clinic,
revised the agency’s statutes. He clarimental health counseling, and other
fied the roles of the authority’s presisupportive services for immigration
dent, board of directors and director,
populations; houses service trips and
and specified that it would have two
urban immersion groups; coordinates
separate offices: one concerned with
with community organizing groups;
supervision and regulation, the other
and works with the greater Philadelwith financial intelligence.
phia community to promote urban
New finance laws passed in October
revitalization efforts.
formally expanded the competence of
Chairman of CCHD, Bishop Jaime
the Financial Intelligence Authority
Soto of Sacramento, described how
by including the task of “preventive”
Welch promotes the message of the
vigilance, which involves ensuring the
www.valleycatholiconline.com
Pope: Half-hearted Catholics aren’t
really Catholics at all
By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CIT Y (CNS) -- Those
who insist others pray and believe
exactly like they do, those who have
alternatives to every Church teaching,
and benefactors who use the Church as
a cover for business connections may
call themselves Catholics, but they have
one foot out the door, Pope Francis said.
“Many people say they belong to
the Church,” but in reality have “only
one foot inside,” the pope said June 5
at his morning Mass. “For these people,
the Church is not home,” but is a place
they use as a rental property, he sai