His Eminence Oscar Andres Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga, S.D.B. Celebrates Mass at Food For The Poor
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (October 22, 2009) – Bearing a message of love and service, Cardinal Rodríguez traveled from his home country of Honduras to South Florida last week to visit Food For The Poor and celebrate its work in his country and 16 other countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.
His Eminence Óscar Andrés Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga, S.D.B., surrounded by priests and deacons, thanked God for Food For The Poor’s loyal donors and the dedicated work of Food For The Poor’s employees.
“The love of a Christian is not only a sentiment, no, it is the main reason for our lives,” said Cardinal Rodríguez, who toured Food For The Poor’s warehouse on his visit. “We live for faith, we live for love, we live for those who are suffering. The love of the heart can go beyond any and all borders to serve the poor. We are all called to serve one another by love. I am thankful for all you do to help and to love the poorest of the poor. The proof of our faith is our love for others. To take care of [the poor] in the amount that you do – is only through the biggest love, beyond the boundaries of your own heart.”
Cardinal Rodríguez, a member of Food For The Poor’s Board of Directors, is a native of Honduras. He formerly presided as the bishop of Honduras, served as the President of the Episcopal Conference of Honduras, and is the founder of the Catholic University of Honduras, “Our Lady Queen of Peace.”
“Cardinal Rodríguez speaks the truth for those without a voice and understands the immense burdens of poverty,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “His wealth of knowledge in education, health care and human rights complements the core programs of Food For The Poor.”
Considered one of the strongest voices of the Latin American Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Rodríguez’s campaign for human rights and the poor have won widespread praise. He is admired as a dynamic pastor who brokered peace accords with rebels and led rebuilding efforts following a natural disaster. His Eminence has served as the Vatican’s spokesperson to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank on the topic of Third World debt.
Food For The Poor’s projects in Honduras include housing, sanitation, community centers and projects for water, animal husbandry, and agriculture. Additionally, Food For The Poor’s monthly giving club, Angels of Hope, sponsors orphans throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. In Honduras, Food For The Poor works with 19 orphanages. To learn more about projects in Honduras, click here.
Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed the millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. Since 1982, we have provided clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and emergency relief, with more than 96% of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For additional information, visit the website at www.foodforthepoor.org.
Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Public Relations
[email protected] (954) 427-2222 x 6054