What's Happening

April 14, 2020, Alexandria, Virginia – Sister Donna Markham, OP, PhD, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, speaks in an interview of the growing needs of people in the United States in light of the COVID-19 virus and the resulting economic downturn. She notes the needs of people throughout the country for food, medical care, and counseling for people who are afflicted or anxious because of the pandemic. 

In addition, Sister Donna speaks of the need for personal protective equipment for CCUSA employees from its more than 160 agencies nationwide who are on the front lines, helping people in need at this time. 

“I would humbly ask that you pray for our workers on the streets who are tending to millions of suffering people at great personal risk,” Sister Donna said in the interview with John Gehring of Commonweal Magazine.

April 13, 2020, Maywood, Illinois – Adrian Dominican Sister Xiomara Méndez-Hernández, OP, as part of the chaplaincy team at Loyola University Medical Center, is finding new ways to be with patients who are dying of COVID-19, the new coronavirus, and with their families. The chaplains make every effort to ensure that patients don’t die alone – even if they have to speak to them from the hall outside of the room – and that families can speak to their dying loved ones. “I think I’ve never prayed so much in my whole life,” Sister Xiomara told Kate Thayer of The Chicago Tribune. Read the entire article on the compassionate ministry of the chaplains in dealing with COVID-19 patients and their families.