Imagining a world without Catholic Charities is difficult and disheartening
By John Mecklenborg
Looking back on Inauguration Day, it’s easy to feel as if you are peering across the stern toward a fading shoreline. The emergent waters of this new administration are tempestuous—like a Nor’easter overwhelming the weary and making even well-traveled seafarers seek shelter from the storm.
Intentions aside, the onslaught of claims, contradictions, and change is tossing us about relentlessly and indiscriminately. As we learn in Acts 27, when neither star nor sun are visible, we are to take refuge in the Lord and let ourselves be driven by the wind—listening for His word, hoping for His light, searching for land in the middle of the night.
As a relative newcomer at the Chancery, amid a career transition and seeking to better understand the depths of our faith, I find myself making the rounds, getting acquainted with our parishes, and exploring our diverse ministries. This led me to one of my first priorities of 2025: touring Catholic Charities of East Tennessee.
Upon my return from Christmas break, I met with the executive director, Deacon Dave Duhamel, to learn more about the extent of CCETN programs. He graciously guided me through the facility and introduced me to their delightful and dedicated staff.
During the visit, we discussed the food pantry and Hope Kitchen, and I learned about the vital work of the Pregnancy Help Center and the launch of their new ultrasound van, the complex challenges facing their immigration legal staff, the vulnerable seniors finding shelter at Samaritan Place, the children’s emergency shelter providing safe harbor until courts find suitable arrangements, and the mobilization of resources for immediate disaster response in East Tennessee following Hurricane Helene, along with preparations for the long road to recovery.
As I walked those halls, hearing stories of heartbreak and hope, understanding their relentless work against seemingly insurmountable challenges, it became crystal clear: these are the people we are called to be, these are the precious souls we are called to serve, this is the radiant light of Jesus shining in our world.
The Pregnancy Help Centers often are the first beacon of hope for expectant mothers in crisis with nowhere else to turn. They provide comprehensive support through prenatal education, mentorship, adoption-care plans, life-skill training and basic needs. In a particularly moving moment just weeks ago, the center celebrated an extraordinary milestone: facilitating two same-day adoptions in a single week—matching mothers choosing adoption with loving families who were waiting with open arms for these precious newborns.
Speaking with the counselors in the Office of Immigrant Services, I learned of the hundreds of abused women and neglected and trafficked children they have helped through the years. They shared a story of reuniting a 4-year-old girl from Mexico with her desperate mother here in East Tennessee.
After being abandoned by her father, the child lived with her grandparents in Guerrero, Mexico—a region plagued by cartel violence and gang warfare. When her grandfather was murdered, her mother’s worst fears were realized. Facing the terrifying prospect that her daughter could meet the same fate, she turned to Catholic Charities.
Their legal team skillfully navigated immigration benefits designed for abandoned, abused, or neglected children. Through their tireless advocacy, mother and daughter were finally reunited, offering this young child not just safety but the promise of a new beginning far from the shadows of violence that had darkened her early years.
Reflecting on my visit, I am overwhelmed by their impact and inspired by their good work. Catholic Charities touches every walk of life—children, homeless, seniors, immigrants, and the unborn—providing not just basic necessities but supporting life itself. This isn’t mere charity; this is Jesus’ light extended to the vulnerable, the neglected, the hopeless, and the underserved, reaching those adrift in the darkest hours of night.
Catholic Charities of East Tennessee has worked with law enforcement agencies like the Knoxville Police Department to distribute toys to hundreds of children in need. Catholic Charities staff and volunteers donate the toys, which are handed out by police officers during their shifts. (The East Tennessee Catholic Archives photo)
Learning this firsthand makes it particularly disheartening when our new Catholic vice president, JD Vance, and Congressman Tim Burchett of Tennessee’s 2nd District—encompassing Knox, Blount, and Loudon counties—call for the defunding of Catholic Charities amid national blowback for legally processing refugees and providing basic legal education resources for our nation’s newcomers.
While we have a right to humane border protection, this call to defund hits especially close to home. Catholic Charities’ efforts are bound by law and effectively filling crucial gaps in government capabilities—helping children and families, touching lives, guiding them to shore.
Moreover, Congressman Burchett has long supported Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, speaking at its fundraisers during his tenure as Knoxville Mayor, attending its luncheons, and standing steadfast with the area’s Catholic community in support of the right to life.
Like the Apostle Paul’s storm-tossed vessel in the Adriatic Sea, Catholic Charities offers sustenance and hope when all seems lost. This Diocese of Knoxville organization links faith to action, bridging the gap between pew and problem. Experience it yourself: meet the people, walk the halls, hear the stories. If compelled, offer your time and talents—for in serving Catholic Charities you are casting off your anchors, setting a course to encounter Christ’s love in a tangible and transformative way.
John Mecklenborg serves as the communications director for the Diocese of Knoxville.
