The maxim “Do unto others what you would have them do to you” is a guiding principle of many faith traditions. For Catholics, this Golden Rule informs our commitment to social justice and human dignity. For Catholic Charities of Louisville, these words are at the core of our mission to serve those in need — and to call on others of good will to do the same.
Each and every day, Catholic Charities staff and volunteers endeavor to walk in the shoes of the clients we serve. We strive to not only help the poor, vulnerable and marginalized, but to do so with empathy and compassion.
In this new year of 2019, Catholic Charities invites you to contemplate and practice the Golden Rule. It’s a message we hope resonates and spreads throughout the community with the help of “Be Golden,” a campaign that reaches across faiths to urge compassion for all people, but with a particular focus on the immigrants among us. Our goal is to remind people that immigration is a human issue, and we’re all in this journey together.
On Feb. 5, I was honored to join Archbishop Kurtz, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, and a diverse group of community leaders at the Muhammad Ali Center to launch the Be Golden campaign. In the months to come, Golden events will take place citywide, offering opportunities for learning more about our neighbors and about our own American history as immigrants. I hope that through these points of engagement, we will more clearly understand and appreciate the humanity we all possess.
In an address to the U.S. Congress in 2015, Pope Francis reiterated the importance of remembering the Golden Rule in our treatment of immigrants and refugees: “Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves. In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities.”
At Catholic Charities, we work to provide our clients with assistance and opportunities so they can thrive. We have responded to Christ’s call to “welcome the stranger” by sharing the journey with our immigrant and refugee brothers and sisters, helping them overcome barriers to achieve self-sufficiency. We provide help and create hope, guided by the principle that all individuals deserve the care necessary to alleviate their suffering and uphold their dignity.
I encourage you to join us on this journey to Be Golden and to reflect on the Golden Rule — to open your heart to others and practice kindness in your daily life.
Lisa DeJaco Crutcher is the chief executive officer of Catholic Charities of Louisville.
