Recently, I was invited (as were others) to submit an op-ed letter to the Boston Globe with some thoughts about what is next for our Church in light of the report from the Pennsylvania Grand Jury. In the hope that my words might reach more people, I am repeating my message in this space, as it was originally published.

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At Catholic Charities, a 115-year-old social services organization committed to supporting children and families of all faiths and backgrounds, we recognize that this is an extraordinarily difficult time in the Catholic Church and, most especially, for the survivors of sexual abuse by clergy. Like so many, we were horrified by the scandal in Boston, as well as by the recently released findings in the Pennsylvania grand jury report. This issue must continue to be dealt with accordingly including by global Church leadership.

Unfortunately, it is because of these horrific actions that the important work of Catholic organizations like Catholic Charities is often forgotten. Here in Greater Boston, each and every day, thousands of people -- the poor, the marginalized, the vulnerable -- count on the staff and volunteers of Catholic Charities to help with basic needs and the support necessary to close the gap between absolute poverty and the ever-rising cost of living.

We meet our clients at our food pantries when their children are hungry, and at our early childhood education centers while they work or seek work. We meet them when they need help keeping their apartments warm or -- worse -- after they become homeless. We meet them as students seeking a path to being the first in their family to graduate from college, or as newcomers who need to learn English in order to get good jobs. We meet refugees and immigrants who have suffered unimaginable injustice and heartache in their countries of origin. It is this daily work in our communities -- charting a path out of poverty -- that we hope will be our proudest legacy.

We are guided by our foundation and Catholic principles to serve our neighbors in need with compassion and dignity. It is our belief, in the midst of this tumultuous time, that the good will prevail.



- Deborah Kincade Rambo is president of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston.