Father José García, of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Charlotte, delivered this blessing at Bank of America Stadium prior to the Carolina Panthers game on Oct. 5:
“On the occasion of the Jubilee of Sport, Pope Leo XIV said, “Sport reflects the beauty of God,” and Pope Francis added, “Sport is a place of encounter and fraternity.” These words echoed in my mind on Sunday, October 5, when I had the privilege of delivering the opening invocation at the game between the Miami Dolphins and the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.
The moment lasted only 30 seconds, but it was filled with emotion. Stepping onto the field, I felt the weight of responsibility and the joy of representing the Church before thousands of people. Seeing my name and image on the giant screens, hearing the murmur of the crowd, and observing the spectacle—paratroopers, athletes, flags—was an unforgettable experience.
However, the most profound aspect was not what was seen, but what was lived: the opportunity to bring faith into a space where God's name is rarely spoken. It was a simple gesture, yet full of meaning. Amidst the noise of sport, the Church said “present,” reminding that even there, fraternity and divine beauty are celebrated.”
CHARLOTTE — The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) is one of the Church’s primary means of fighting poverty at the grassroots level – both here in the Diocese of Charlotte and across the United States.
The annual collection, which will be taken up Nov. 22-23, is a source of both national and local funds to support organizations that address the root causes of poverty in America.
Seventy-five percent of the funds collected go to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to support national grant funding, and the other 25 percent remains in the Charlotte diocese to fund local anti-poverty efforts.
Nationally, your generosity helped to provide grants supporting the work of two organizations: the Coalition to Save Our Mental Health Centers in Chicago and Communities Organized for Relation Power in Action in California.
Both organizations work to remove the stigma of mental illness and mental health challenges that often go hand in hand with stress and anxiety affecting those living at or below the poverty line.
The 25% of the CCHD collection that remains for use in the Diocese of Charlotte enables Catholic Charities to provide local CCHD grants of up to $5,000 to non-profit organizations across the diocese that are both headquartered in and are fighting poverty in the geographic boundaries of the Diocese of Charlotte. 2026 applications are due via email by Monday, Feb. 16, 2026.
Each grantee partners in some way with a Catholic parish or entity of the diocese familiar with the work of the non-profit, and the parish provides a letter of endorsement with the grant application.
World Day of the Poor
The 2025 World Day of the Poor will be recognized Nov. 16.
The theme this year is “You are my hope” (from Psalm 71:5).
To mark the Ninth World Day of the Poor, Pope Leo XIV urges Christians to recognize the poor not as just as objects of charity but as “protagonists of hope.”
“The poor are not a distraction for the Church, but our beloved brothers and sisters, for by their lives, their words and their wisdom, they put us in contact with the truth of the Gospel,” the pope wrote in his annual message.
The Holy Father will celebrate Mass for the World Day of the Poor on Nov. 16 in St. Peter’s Basilica.
— Catholic News Herald and Joe Purello
Learn More
At www.ccdoc.org/cchdcrs: Find out more information about the Catholic Charities’ CCHD Local Grants Program.
At www.pcpne.va/content/pcpne/en.html: Read the Holy Father’s message for the 2025 World Day of the Poor.
At www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty.html: Read more about poverty in the United States.