Who We Are

Catholic Charities of Louisville serves people in need, especially the poor oppressed, with a wide range of outreaches that assist neighbors of all races, backgrounds, and beliefs. As the social-service ministry of the Archdiocese of Louisville, we serve people in its 24 counties in central Kentucky. We are a member of Catholic Charities USA.

Mission Statement

Catholic Charities of Louisville serves people in need, especially the poor and oppressed. Consistent with the principles of Catholic social teaching, we build bridges of hope, mercy, and justice as we accompany struggling families and individuals to greater self-sufficiency, one relationship at a time. We collaborate and advocate for necessary changes in social policy. We call the local Catholic Church and others of goodwill to engage in acts of mercy and justice. We support and resource our 110 parishes to expand this work across the Archdiocese of Louisville.

Our Vision

In the Spirit of Christ, we work throughout the 24 counties of the Archdiocese of Louisville to build a community where all people are welcomed to experience God’s love, strengthened to live with hope, dignity, and a sense of security, and empowered to achieve their full potential.

Our Values

In pursuit of its mission, Catholic Charities is animated by the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching.

We welcome every person in need of our loving care, seeing that their rights are respected and assisting them to take on responsibilities which honor their dignity. We seek the common good for all people and creation.  We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters regardless of race, creed, or culture.
 
We strengthen individuals and families to move from struggle to sufficiency, because the human person is not merely sacred, but social, and called into participation in community.
 
We empower individuals and families via subsidiarity, supporting others to do for themselves as they are able and to sustain themselves in the dignity of work. We work in solidarity with our parishes, sharing expertise and resources to effectively carry out the Church’s social mission in their local communities.

Our History

Catholic Charities of Louisville was established in 1939 as a way to organize and make more professional the many ministries of the church. We were incorporated as a 501c3 human service organization in 1993.

Our Catholic Identity

Our Catholic identity is most realized in the lives of women and men who, throughout the ages, have given witness to our faith by their actions of charity and outreach in service to people’s needs, especially of the most vulnerable. These saints continue to inspire each one of us.

For that reason, each of our programs here at Catholic Charities has an identified patron saint.