Catholic Social Teaching guides social worker to love as Christ loves

By Laura Iunghuhn for The Catholic Moment

In the modern world, it is often hard to live according to Jesus’s simple command: love your
neighbor. We are often taught to distrust or fear those we encounter on the streets; tattered
clothing and dirty hair often warn a passerby away rather than serving as an invitation for
compassion. However, some live this commandment every day and seek out the least fortunate
of God’s people in their work. Cynthia Ponto, a parishioner at the Church of the Blessed
Sacrament, encounters and advocates for the homeless population in the Lafayette area through
her work at Valley Oaks Health.

Valley Oaks Health (VOH) is a community mental health center providing care to residents of
nine Indiana counties, including Tippecanoe. The case managers and staff at VOH work to
connect clients to community resources; this includes securing housing, obtaining health
insurance or government assistance, and providing therapy or transportation to medical
appointments.

Cynthia is a case manager for the PATH team, Valley Oaks’ outreach program for the homeless.
“I spend a lot of my time at the local homeless shelters,” Cynthia says. “During the nicer
seasons, I am out in the community on foot trying to find homeless individuals. I walk trails to
find campsites.” Her direct work with the homeless is challenging; it can be a daily fight against
the instinct to respond to the homeless with fear or distrust. In these situations, Cynthia relies on
her faith and Catholic social teaching so that she can put the good of her clients first.

Modern Catholic social teaching (CST) has its roots in Hebrew prophets who revealed God’s
love for the poor and called his people into a covenant of love and justice. Just as Jesus identified
himself with the least of his people, CST instructs that we do the same. Below are five of the
seven pillars of CST that aid us in our mission to love others as Christ does.

Life and Dignity of the Human Person

Every person is created in the image of God and has been redeemed through Christ’s sacrifice.
For this reason, the Church proclaims the sacredness of human life, labeling each of us as
invaluable and worthy of respect and dignity. This belief is the foundation of CST, but it is often
easier to profess than it is to practice. So often when passing the homeless on the street, we look
away, refusing to make eye contact or offer a smile. Doing this refuses them the respect and
dignity we’d offer to others.

As a case manager, Cynthia strives to offer respect to everyone she works with, whether they are
homeless or coworkers. “You learn to realize we’re all just humans trying to get by,” she says.
“Unfortunately for some, life is different. But they are still someone’s son or daughter, father or
mother.” By recognizing how others are similar to us, even in the simplicity of relationships, we
can learn how to approach others in their need while respecting the dignity of their person.

Call to Family, Community, and Participation

The Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – reveals God to be communal and social. Since we
have been made in God’s image, we share his social nature and are called to build relationships.
These relationships aren’t simply our families or circle of friends; they also include how we
organize our society – governing bodies, law enforcement, disbursement to not-for-profits –
which can directly impact human dignity and an individual’s ability to grow in the community.

Valley Oaks works with several other organizations in the community, including Lafayette
Transitional Housing Center and the Lafayette Housing Authority, to provide resources for the
clients they serve. Recently the PATH team established a relationship with the West Lafayette
Police Department. “I work closely with the department’s social worker, Devin Moore,” Cynthia
says. “If a police officer is in contact with someone who is experiencing homelessness, then
Devin is called. Devin then refers the individual to PATH services.” The collaboration between
community service centers helps to ensure that individuals receive the care and help they need to
positively grow within the community.

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

The Catholic Church’s love for the poor is inspired by Jesus’s poverty and his care for the less
fortunate. The story of the Last Judgment reminds us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable
before our own: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt
25:40). This pillar of CST is a commitment to enabling the poor and vulnerable to become active
participants in society, sharing in and contributing to the common good.

Cynthia began her job at VOH in January 2020. “I used to work as an administrative assistant,
but I always felt like I could be doing more,” she says. As a case manager, she can fulfill her
passion for helping people in need. “Being able to serve and provide quality care and see the
happiness on my clients’ faces when they get a house makes my job even better,” she says.

Solidarity
Jesus’s command to love our neighbor has global dimensions as the world becomes even further
connected. Therefore, we must stand together in solidarity with everyone to pursue justice and
peace.

Working at VOH is only the beginning of showing solidarity to the community’s most
vulnerable people. When Cynthia introduces herself to the people she encounters and offers
assistance, she is saying, in a small way, “I stand with you.” Some aren’t yet willing to accept
help, so Cynthia leaves them with her name, phone number, and VOH address in case they
change their mind. “I also have items in my car such as sleeping bags, toiletries, blankets, and
socks,” she says. “I try to build rapport by handing out necessities.”

Care for God’s Creation

When we care for each other and the earth, we are living our faith in relationship with God’s
creation and showing our respect for God.

Caring for others isn’t easy work, since it can often be physically and emotionally challenging. “I
recently had a client who was ill and living in his car,” Cynthia recalls. “It was a hard case, and
we were working together for seven weeks before I was able to find him housing.” During those
seven weeks, Cynthia spent a lot of time praying that he’d soon have a place to live. Even after
securing housing, she spent a while trying to find him a bed since he couldn’t afford one on his
own. “A mattress was donated to him, and I found a free frame that would fit the mattress. In that
moment, my first reaction was to look up and thank God,” Cynthia says.

Answering God’s call to love our neighbors isn’t always easy. “It can be a difficult job at times,
but it is rewarding,” Cynthia says. Serving others requires us to step out of our comfort zones
and meet people where they’re at, even if they live lives vastly different from our own. Catholic
social teaching serves as a guide in this work so we can offer help in a holistic way, fulfilling
physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs.