First printed in the Diocese of Winona Courier, December edition.

When someone asks me what Catholic Charities does, my answer depends on how much time we've got to discuss it. If we have a couple minutes, I explain that Catholic Charities provides:

- Counseling to individuals and families in crisis;
- Marriage Preparation;
- Refugee Resettlement Services for those who are new to our country;
- Pregnancy, Parenting and Adoption Assistance offered 24/7;
- Parish and Community Social Action Services;
- Guardian, Conservatorship & Custody Study Services in legal cases;
- Medical Application Services for those without prescription drug coverage; and
- Coordination of various volunteer relationships between volunteers and the elderly.

But when I only have a few seconds and can't get through my list, I simply say: "Most of the important work Catholic Charities delivers is high-impact to the people in need but low visibility in our community."

Most of what Catholic Charities does is highly confidential and involves extremely sensitive and important decisions at a critical time in a person's life. So unless the person who receives our help shares his or her story with someone else, our work remains under the radar. This is where you come in.

This Christmas as we recall Mary and Joseph's trip to Bethlehem and the humble surrounds in which Jesus began his life of service to others, take a minute to tell the Catholic Charities story to someone you know. The stories are similar.

Paul F. Brosnahan
Catholic Charities Board Treasurer
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Parish
Winona