Compassion key in raising awareness of poverty, says CCUSA president

Dominican Sr. Donna Markham has been chosen to succeed Father Larry Snyder as the new president of Catholic Charities USA. The announcement was made Jan. 12 at Catholic Charities headquarters in Alexandria, a suburb of Washington. She is pictured in an undated photo. (CNS photo / Courtesy Catholic Charities USA)

Washington, D.C. — Newly released U.S. Census data confirms that the country continues to face a national poverty crisis “straining millions of families and stalling our nation’s prosperity and growth,” said Dominican Sr. Donna Markham, president and chief executive of Catholic Charities USA,  in a press briefing Sept. 17.

Speaking just days before Pope Francis arrives in the nation’s capital, Markham said the pontiff’s visit will help focus attention on the magnitude of the poverty issue.

Read the full story at National Catholic Reporter.

2299