About Us
Cardinal’s Message
For 115 years, this local Church of Newark, through Catholic Charities, has worked to strengthen and preserve family life and restore the dignity of every individual. Through the people of Catholic Charities, we shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, care for the elderly and the ill, and educate children and adults. Every day, we live the Gospel message of Christ the Redeemer: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt. 25:40)Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.
Archbishop of Newark
Mission
Catholic Charities as a ministry of the Archdiocese of Newark participates in the Church’s social mission by recognizing the inherent dignity and worth of all people and responding with sincere Christian compassion to the corporeal needs of the poor and marginalized. The service of Catholic Charities is inspired by faith in Jesus Christ, Sacred Scripture, and the continuing exposition of Catholic social teaching. Through these activities, Catholic Charities strives to assist individuals in need, strengthen families, and provide those it serves with an experience of God’s mercy.
Catholic Identity
As a social services agency, Catholic Charities furthers the social mission of the Catholic community of the Archdiocese of Newark. As an apostolic outreach of the Church, Catholic Charities operates and provides services in conformity with the social and moral teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
Vision
Based on its core values and principles, Catholic Charities espouses a vision for a society in which:
- Each person lives life with dignity.
- Each family, community, and social relationship sustains the life and dignity of the person.
- All social institutions respect the fundamental rights and duties of persons in support of the common good.
- Community resources are allocated preferentially to serve the needs of the poor and the vulnerable.
Goals
In fulfillment of its mission, Catholic Charities will pursue the following social goals:
- Feed the hungry and house the homeless
- Reach the isolated, the lonely, and those with special needs.
- Nurture the development of the young and strengthen relationships with families.
- Assist the poor and the disabled to achieve economic participation.
- Help immigrants attain the benefits of liberty in a new land.
- Provide all those we serve with an experience of the kindness and goodness of human fellowship, of authentic charity, and a glimpse of the God’s mercy.
History
- July 1903 – a group of lay Roman Catholics founded Catholic Children’s Aid Society of New Jersey. This was the first organization to work on behalf of abused and neglected children.
- 1927 – Fifteen orphanages collaborated with the Children’s Aid Society to form Associated Catholic Charities which provided family and child-welfare services.
- 1929 – Bishop Thomas J. Walsh announced his intention to establish Newark Mount Carmel Guild, an organization that provided mental, spiritual and physical relief to individuals receiving public assistance.
- 1930 to 1941 – Mount Carmel Guild Soup Kitchen, established in the basement of St. Patrick’s Pro-Cathedral, serves meals to people in need. Staffed by more than 168 volunteers and one paid worker, Mount Carmel Guild Soup Kitchen served more than 1,632,000 meals during the decade it was opened.
- 1965 – Monsignors Francis LoBianco and Joseph A. Dooling establish St. Francis School, the second private, special education school in the United States.
- 1969 – Monsignor Dooling dedicated Mount Carmel Guild Multi-Service Center at 17 Mulberry Street, Newark
- 1973 – Mount Carmel Guild Special Hospital, a 20-bed psychiatric unit for adults, was opened.
- 1976 – Office of Migration was established to provide immigration assistance and refugee resettlement services to new arrivals in our country.
- 2004 – Catholic Community Services changed its name to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark to reflect its commitment to the charitable mission of the Archdiocese.
TODAY – Catholic Charities has 86 programs, serving close to 56,000 individuals in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union Counties. Among their programs are: counseling and support services for at-risk youth and their families; psychological and psychiatric help for those with mental illness; job training for those who are cognitively disabled; childhood education for preschoolers in Newark and Elizabeth; emergency shelter for the homeless and for those who are HIV-positive; affordable housing for low-income families; immigration legal services; refugee resettlement; adoption services and more.
Board of Trustees
Rev. Msgr. Robert Fuhrman, Chairperson
Pastor, St. Philomena Church
Livingston, NJ
Brian D. McAuley, Vice Chairperson
Anterix, Inc.
Woodland Park, NJ
Joseph Lemaire, Treasurer
Belmar, NJ
Brian P. Froelich, Esq., Secretary
Wall Township, NJ
John Westervelt
Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Charities
Gregory Alvarez, Esq.
Jackson Lewis, P.C.
Morristown, NJ
Eugene Cornacchia, Ph.D.
President, Saint Peter’s University
Jersey City, NJ
Harold M. Davis, M.D.
Weehawken, NJ
Deacon Michael Giuliano, M.D.
Hackensack Medical Center
Hackensack, NJ
Richard Malagiere, Esq.
Law office of Richard Malagiere
Moonachie, NJ
Christina McAleer
Greenwich, CT
Rev. Thomas P. Quinn
Pastor, Saint Michael Church
Jersey City, NJ
Tony Rico
Director, Human Resources, Goya Foods
Jersey City, NJ
Rev. Msgr. Ronald Rozniak
Pastor, Mt. Carmel Church
Ridgewood, NJ
Administration
John Westervelt
Chief Executive Officer
Elizabeth McClendon
Associate Executive Director
John D. Blomquist, Esq.,
General Counsel &
Chief Administrator of
Human Resources
Thomas Strano
Controller
Maria Biancheri
Senior Grants Specialist
Strategic Plan 2021 – 2023
Catholic Charities has begun to implement our 2021-2023 Strategic Plan. This Strategic Plan is an essential tool and blueprint for the next few years. We look forward to sharing with you the accomplishments as we move ahead with implementing this Strategic Plan.
Click here for a link to the 2021-2023 for Strategic Plan Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark, Mount Carmel Guild Behavioral Health System, and Mount Carmel Guild Schools.
Click here for the most recent Implementation Report.
Click here for our 2022 Annual Report.
We are pleased to share with you our most recent Performance Analysis Reports. This annual analysis is the end result of comprehensive evaluations conducted by agency program management and staff in the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark, Mount Carmel Guild Behavioral Health System, and the Mount Carmel Guild Schools Corporation. In addition to providing our Trustees and stakeholders with a comprehensive reporting of agency mission related activities and accounting for the use of public and private investments in our agency, the information in this report is used to meet accreditation requirements for an all-inclusive annual analysis; to provide data for funding
applications, communications, annual reports, marketing, and strategic planning; to train staff; and to set performance improvement targets for the coming year.
Click here for our most recent Performance Analysis.
Click here for our Report Archive.
Impact by the Numbers
Here are just some of the various ways Catholic Charities provided help and created hope in the lives of members of our community in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties. Behind each statistic are the stories and faces of persons seeking help and searching for hope.
