An “outstretched hand to an oft forgotten people.” That was how Bishop Joseph Vath, the first Bishop of Birmingham, initiated the original Catholic Charities Drive in its earliest days. While the outstretched hand continues its reach, our Annual Catholic Charities and Communities Appeal of today has grown to include a strong base of ministries to serve the evangelistic mission of our diocese. 

These ministries fill voids in people’s lives every day - voids left by poverty, by hardship, by emotional isolation and spiritual desolation. And, they work to foster and support our next generation of priests and religious orders, enhancing the shared experience of sacred liturgies across our diocese and providing a foundation for religious education and faith formation. 

​Catholic Social Services, Family Services, Catholic Schools, Vocations and Sacred Liturgy are but a few of our ministries that build up the Body of Christ in our communities, today and for lifetimes to come.

leadership

Bishop Steven J. Raica

Bishop of Birmingham

“You are part of the Body of Christ in our midst, blessed with graces of the Holy Spirit that are beyond our understanding. Your presence is a beautiful representation of our Lord to millions of people throughout central and northern Alabama.  

“One way that presence is even more strongly felt - when you bring your talents and resources to build stronger, faith-filled communities through your support of Catholic Charities and Communities of the Diocese of Birmingham.” 
                                
- Most Reverend Steven J. Raica, Bishop of Birmingham in Alabama