Catholic Community Services Celebrates 90 years in Diocese of Tucson

By Joe Leisz, CCS Development Director 

The Diocese of Tucson invites you to celebrate Catholic Community Services as it commemorates 90 years of service. 

Bishop Weisenburger and Bishop-Emeritus Kicanas will concelebrate Mass at Saint Augustine Cathedral on Friday, November 10 at 3 p.m.  Immediately following the Mass, a reception will be held with friends and supporters in recognition of the CCS mission to provide help, create hope, and serve all. Tickets can be reserved by emailing [email protected] or calling 520-670-0854. 

Catholic Community Services, known as CCS, began in 1933 at the height of the Great Depression responding to calls for help throughout Southern Arizona “For 90 years we have been providing help, creating hope and serving all,” said Elena Dwyre, CEO. “And today CCS makes a difference in the lives of some 100,000 people with a wide range of services, ranging from aid for refugees and migrants, services for the Deaf Community, senior nutrition programs, counseling, a new Medical Respite Center, and so much more.” 

Since its inception, CCS programs have impacted more than a million people across the Diocese of Tucson.  Early on the mission supported basic needs like providing food, clothing, and assisting with shelter. In 1946, CCS’s Pio Decimo Center was started by the Eucharistic Missionaries of St. Dominic which placed a focus on early childhood, pre-school and after-school programs. Years later, in 1973, CCS developed the Community Living Program which provides residential support services for adults living with disabilities. The effort now serves as a national model for programs that empower individuals who are deaf, deaf and blind, and hard of hearing. 

In 2014, CCS instituted the Casa Alitas Program. Initially, it began with college students handing out sandwiches to refugees, migrants and asylum seekers at the bus station. Over time the mission evolved.  Casa Alitas now serves between 800 – 1200 migrants daily at a handful of locations throughout Tucson. The migrants served represent more than 20 countries worldwide. The mission of Casa Alitas is to serve everyone with compassion and dignity, while connecting them with family and sponsors in the United States as they work through the asylum and immigration process.   

There are also programs like St. Jeanne Jugan Ministry with Elders which provides services for seniors throughout Southern Arizona. Meanwhile the St. Maximilian Kolbe Prison Ministry mobilizes volunteers to help with rehabilitation programs in jails, prisons, and detention centers around the state. 

Anyone interested in sharing their stories and connections to CCS or offering their support, financial contributions can be made online at www.ccs-soaz.org/donate/form, or by contacting Joe Leisz, Development Director at (520) 670-0809 or [email protected]. 

For more information, please visit www.ccs-soaz.org.