Mission & Vision

Mission & History

Faithful to Christ’s mission of love, Catholic Community Services is a nonprofit organization serving communities throughout the Catholic Diocese of Erie. Our mission is to provide professional counseling, adoption services, and other programs that educate, affirm, and support individuals of all faiths in achieving their fullest human potential.

History

Catholic Social Services was founded on December 24, 1953, as a family casework agency. Its mission was to offer social services of a professional nature to the residents of the Diocese of Erie.

Sisters Marie Baptiste DeGroat and Kathleen Kirsch traveled to Catholic University to study social work. Three years later, after earning their MSW degrees, they opened the agency’s doors at 1926 West Sixth Street, in an office located within what was then St. Joseph’s Home for Children.

The agency continued the work previously begun under the Diocesan Department of Charities. With no formal programs in place, staff provided counseling and adoption services and distributed food vouchers that could be redeemed at local grocery stores.

Under the leadership of Sr. Marie Baptiste, Catholic Social Services became an accredited social service agency licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. An advisory board was established in 1957, and the agency developed a formal philosophy of service. The new board met for the first time on November 18, 1957.

Between 1958 and 1962, the full-service agency received 80 percent of its funding from the United Way and 20 percent from the Diocese of Erie. Sr. Marie Baptiste served as director for 11 years, until 1967, when she was elected General Superior of the Sisters of St. Joseph.

On August 14, 1967, the agency’s name was officially changed from Catholic Charities to Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Erie, Inc.

The newly named agency focused on helping individuals and families address challenges involving parent-child relationships, marital relationships, and individual needs. Services were also provided to unmarried parents, families seeking to adopt children, and families requesting placement for children. The agency also provided emergency financial assistance, with the approval of a client’s pastor, to families who were ineligible for assistance through other community resources.

New Directions

On December 18, 1967, the Advisory Board of Catholic Social Services appointed Raymond J. Micco to succeed Sr. Marie Baptiste as the agency’s supervisor.

At the time, one of the agency’s major challenges was its location within St. Joseph’s Home for Children. Beginning in the summer of 1968 and continuing for the next two years, the Advisory Board devoted significant attention to determining how best to use the facility. As the cost of caring for children increased from $2.50 per day in the mid-1960s to $13.63 per day in 1969, it became clear that a change was needed.

In 1969, an independent evaluation by the United Fund determined that the Home was no longer necessary in Erie County. When St. Joseph’s Home officially closed on November 1, 1970, Catholic Social Services moved to its current location at 329 West 10th Street.

During this period, the agency continued expanding its formal programs. International adoptions had taken place since 1958, primarily involving children from Ireland, Italy, and Germany, as well as children from China, Newfoundland, and Lebanon. In February 1960, the board approved a program to find homes for children from Asia. The agency also approved its first single-parent adoption.

In 1973, the agency established its Emergency Pregnancy Service in response to a request from Bishop Watson following the United States Supreme Court’s decision on abortion. Between 1973 and 1988, more than 8,000 people used the service.

Sr. Teresa Marie Bohren, ACSW, joined Catholic Social Services in 1968 and was appointed supervisor by the Advisory Board in April 1973. In 1979, as the agency faced significant financial challenges, she was named director.

Despite the financial difficulties of the 1970s and 1980s, Catholic Social Services continued to find new ways to fulfill its mission.

Between 1975 and 1976, more than 163 Vietnamese orphans were placed or served in some capacity, while more than 300 Southeast Asian refugees received assistance from Catholic Social Services. By 1980, Catholic Social Services was one of 11 organizations working under contract with the U.S. Catholic Conference’s Refugee Resettlement Program, assisting refugees from Cuba and Southeast Asia.

Today

Catholic Community Services has main offices in Erie and DuBois, with additional offices serving communities throughout the 13-county Catholic Diocese of Erie. The majority of our funding comes from program fees and reimbursements, financial support from the Diocese of Erie, organizations such as the United Way, and the generosity of grantors, donors, and community partners.

The future of Catholic Community Services remains positive. We continually strive to provide the services our communities need in a caring and compassionate manner that reflects our Catholic beliefs and commitment to serving all people.

“We don’t serve people because they are Catholic; we do it because we are.”