What's Happening

February 5, 2016, Washington, DC – It seems to be common knowledge in the U.S. these days that the two sides of the Congressional aisle – Democrats and Republicans – will never come together and agree on anything. That was proven false on the evening of February 3, when Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Speaker of the House; Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Minority Leader, and some 70 Congressional leaders came together with Catholic Charities USA to discuss what can be done to help people who are most in need.

With those present at a planned reception at the Capitol, Sister Donna Markham, OP, PhD, President of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), said she took the opportunity to discuss “how we might work together on poverty alleviation, criminal justice, and mental health issues.” She offered the services of Catholic Charities to “be ‘Switzerland’ and invite both sides to address what we might do to help the most vulnerable among us.” She was gratified that everyone in the room spoke together about ways to help those most in need.

Sister Donna, former Prioress of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, is the first female president and CEO of CCUSA. CCUSA is a national network of 164 local agencies that serve their local community through such means as providing shelter for the homeless, feeding the hungry, welcoming refugees, and meeting the needs of the vulnerable population.

September 14, 2015, Washington, DC – In two interviews with CNN’s Carol Costello, Sister Donna Markham, OP, PhD, discusses the topics of poverty in the United States and the role of women in the Catholic Church.

In an interview that aired on September 8, Sister Donna, as the first woman President of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), discusses the agency’s new campaign, End45: Raise a Hand to End Poverty in America. The former Prioress of the Adrian Dominican Congregation, speaks of the 45 million people in the United States who live in poverty and of our nation’s need to address that situation.

During an interview that aired on September 10, Sister Donna discusses with Carol Costello the role of women in the Catholic Church – and the confusion that results from mixed messages on that topic by Pope Francis.