Who We Are

In the winter of 2011, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis sponsored a day long retreat where the focus was "global solidarity." One of the purposes of the day was to help participants increase their awareness and understanding of what global solidarity means, how you recognize it when it is being practiced, and its relevance and importance to the life of a Roman Catholic.

As an outgrowth of that day, David Siler, Executive Director of Catholic Charities, suggested a Global Solidarity Advisory Council be formed, and asked for volunteers from workshop participants to serve on the initial Advisory Council. David received names of more than 15 volunteers.  The first meeting of the Council took place in February, 2012.

Early on, members of the Advisory Council realized that even defining the term "global solidarity" had its challenges. There are numerous definitions, similar to each other but also with different emphases and nuances. On the website, you'll find the definition which we finally agreed upon.

In order to educate and communicate with the members of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, having a web page immediately came to mind. Our web page is part of the Archdiocesan website, being sectioned with Catholic Charities.   It is our hope that you will visit our webpage and grow in a greater understanding on what the Catholic Church means by global solidarity.  If there is something you do not see on our webpage and would like to have included, please let us know, we are open to suggestions.

As the year progresses, we hope to get the word out in other forms than through a web page. In the spring of 2013, we want to host an event whose purpose is to educate, advocate for and promote global solidarity. We will also celebrate those partnerships already in place which are prime examples of global solidarity within the Archdiocese.

As I mentioned earlier, this webpage was created to inform, educate and promote thinking concerning Global Solidarity through the teachings of the Catholic Church.   Please feel free to contact us with suggestions, questions, or comments.

Sincerely,

David Harpenau
Global Solidarity Council Chair
Archdiocese of Indianapolis