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  • Catholic Charities USA: 100 Years at the Intersection of Charity and Justice
  • Dianne Creagh
Catholic Charities USA: 100 Years at the Intersection of Charity and Justice. Edited by J. Bryan Hehir . Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2010. 224 pp. $19.95.

This commemorative anthology honors the centennial anniversary of the National Conference of Catholic Charities, now known as Catholic Charities USA. Edited by former CCUSA president, Rev. J. Bryan Hehir, this work reviews the past, analyzes the present, and looks to the future of administering the extensive network of providers and advocates that Catholic Charities encompasses. The work of CCUSA has been defined by its dual mission: to function as a professional trade association for agencies and their staff and to sustain and shape a charitable movement based on Catholic principles. Most of the essays are authored by clergy and members of religious orders with personal connections to CCUSA and its affiliated institutions. Some authors explore the external influences of historical events and trends on the development of the Conference, such as Progressive-Era social welfare innovations, New Deal legislation, and the professionalization of social work. Other chapters review the association's internal milestones of assessment and renewal, [End Page 76] particularly the 1972 Cadre Study and Vision 2000. Another significant theme is the relationship of charitable work to the church's theological vision and the papacy. These chapters examine how Catholic charity has been defined and redefined over time to continue upholding distinctive religious values even as it has expanded to perform more secular functions and serve an increasingly diverse, non-Catholic clientele. They also track the influence of the Vatican on the mission and operation of CCUSA, particularly during the late twentieth century with Vatican II and Pope John Paul II's emphasis on social justice. Finally, the book is instructive on the changing relationship between church and state as it has influenced the funding and organization of religious philanthropy in the United States, from municipal to federal allocations and from one presidential administration to the next. The essays are highly readable and should be of great interest to anyone who studies social welfare, faith-based charity, non-profit administration, Catholic theology and history, and American religious culture. The chapters are redundant at times, especially when it comes to reviewing the founding narrative of NCCC and the Cadre Study. Also, those seeking descriptive histories of individual Catholic agencies should look elsewhere; except for one essay on the Holy Family Institute in Pittsburgh, this is a book on the coordination and administration of national charitable systems, not a collection of case studies. Neither is it a critical examination of Catholic social welfare; with only one academic historian on the authors' list (David O'Brien), this volume serves to celebrate more than debate. Nevertheless, it provides highly useful insights into the legacy of organized benevolence in Catholic America that students, scholars, and anyone who has been affiliated with or served by a Catholic agency can appreciate. [End Page 77]

Dianne Creagh
Penn State York
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