Rising and shining with Catholic Charities 

Southeast Texans from all over the Diocese of Beaumont joined together for the most important meal of the day June 10 during Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas Bayou Breakfast with Bishop Curtis Guillory, SVD, at St. Jude Thaddeus, Beaumont.

The event benefited the programs of Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas. Bishop Guillory welcomed those in attendance and reminded them how important their contributions were to the mission of Catholic Charities.

“When our brothers and sisters are in need it awakens in us that love and compassion. It requires action. It requires us to rearrange our schedules and give of ourselves like you all are doing today,” Bishop Guillory said.

Cynthia Wolf, a member of the Catholic Charities board and of Temple Emmanuel, Beaumont, spoke to the crowd about how the support group Elijah’s Place had inspired her to get involved with Catholic Charities. Elijah’s Place is a program to provide ongoing grief support services to children, ages 5 to 18, who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling.

“Elijah’s Place teaches children to learn how to live with that kind of trauma. The trained staff leads the support sessions at no cost, for as long as the children, for as long as the parents, for as long as the families need them,” Wolf said.

Wolf recalled dealing with the death of her father at age 10 and how none of her friends or family knew what to say to comfort her.