Thursday, 31 January 2013 12:10

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, or as the rector Father John Sherlock would say, “The Grand Ol’ Lady,” is getting a lot of attention as the diocese awaits the reopening of the cathedral campus and the dedication of the cathedral altar.
But several other areas on the campus deserve to be highlighted.
The St. Joseph Pastoral Center will house the offices of Catholic Charities, a ministry of the Diocese of Wichita. The pastoral center is located on the east side of the campus in the former Cathedral High School building.
Wendy Glick, director of Development and Community Relations for Catholic Charities, said the staff is excited to be returning home to the Cathedral campus.
She said in addition to Charities’ administrative offices, other services that will be under the one roof will be Cana Counseling, Adoption and Pregnancy Counseling, Immigration Services, the Foster Grandparent Program, Marriage for Keeps, and Positive Pathways.
“As one family, together in one home, we will build up the people of God in the Diocese of Wichita in holiness and joy through works of love,” Glick said.

Hispanic ministry
Jo Fernandez, director of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry, said she and those in her office are excited to be able to be in one building, which she said fulfills Bishop Michael O. Jackels’ desire for diocesan employees to work collaboratively as a family.
“We will no longer be separate, but will now work in unison to serve the faithful of the diocese,” she said last week. “We are most grateful to the people of the diocese who responded so very generously to help repair what was so broken. We look forward to having Saint Joseph with us and guiding us in our work. What a strength we will have because of his presence with us!”

Parish offices
Father Sherlock said having the offices in one building so close to the parish offices will benefit everyone involved.
“The offices there collaborate with us and we with them because many indigent people with their material, financial, spiritual and psychological needs visit the parish offices,” he said.
“We can now send them over to the St. Joseph Pastoral Building – on the same campus. We can educate and help form the whole person, we are really holistic in that sense.”