Catholic Charities is governed by a 12-member board of directors that represent the 28 counties of the Diocese. The agency has an Executive Director and almost 40 staff who work to identify the needs of the people in the diocese and seek solutions for those needs.  

Our History

Catholic Charities has a proud tradition of serving those in need in Southwest Kansas. Our programs and services have evolved, but our core mission of honoring human potential through service, advocacy and invitation, in the spirit of the Gospel, remains the same.

Catholic Charities serves all 28 counties in southwest Kansas with offices in four locations: Dodge City, Garden City, Great Bend, and Liberal.

Catholic Charities USA

Catholic Charities of Southwest Kansas is proud to be a member of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), one of the largest networks of charities in the United States, with headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. Catholic Charities agencies nationwide serve millions of people a year, regardless of their religious, social, or economic backgrounds. The following video is a comprehensive, 10-minute overview of the history, mission, and services of Catholic Charities USA. 

In 2015, Sister Donna Markham OP, Ph.D. was selected as the first female president to lead CCUSA in the organization’s 105-year history. Sr Donna has a doctorate in clinical psychology and a proven track record in organizational leadership. She succeeds Rev. Larry Snyder, who served as CCUSA’s president since 2005.

Catholic Social Teaching

The foundation for our ministry rests on seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching:

We Believe that All Life is Precious

We believe that we are one human family regardless of nationality, race, ethnicity, or economic and ideological differences and that we must promote peace in a world filled with violence and conflict.

We Care for the Poor

We believe that in a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, the needs of the poor and vulnerable must be put first.

We Practice Solidarity

We believe that we are one human family regardless of nationality, race, ethnicity, or economic and ideological differences and that we must promote peace in a world filed with violence and conflict.

We Support Families

We believe that the family is the critical institution which supports a flourishing society; we encourage strong and healthy marriages that provide children the best situation in which to thrive.

We Protect Fundamental Rights

We believe that every person has a fundamental right to life, and that our network has the right, guaranteed by the first amendment, to serve others in ways that live out our authentic Catholic identity.

We Support Workers

We believe that the rights of workers must be respected—the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to organizing and joining unions, to private property and to economic initiative.

We Care for God's Creation

We believe that we are called to protect people and our common home in stewardship of creation and out of respect for our Creator.

Standing on these seven principles, the mission of Catholic Charities across the country is to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the church and other people of good will to do the same.