Dear Diocesan Director,

At a farewell reception last July, ten Bethlehem University interns spoke about their U.S. experience. For many of them it was
life-changing. Some shared that it clarifed for them what future profession they should pursue. For others, it opened the door
to a desire to serve in the non-proft sector in service to those who are poor. Several expressed desires to be ambassadors;
one confrmed her ambition to be a professional basketball player! All were amazed by the warm welcome that they received
from so many different people. But it was not only a powerful experience for the interns. It was also a powerful experience for
the host agencies and families. These remarkable students infected the Catholic Charities staff and host families with their
simple yet joyful spirits.
In January 2014, during the second OGrady Institute trip to the Holy Land, Fr. Larry and I had dinner with some of the interns
from the previous summer. We asked them, Did the internship make a difference for you? Without hesitation, they said it
made all the difference when they entered the job market. In a land of high unemployment despite many young adults with
advanced degrees, this was an important realization for Fr. Larry and me.
How did this begin? In January 2013, several diocesan directors and staff of CCUSA participated in the OGrady Institute that
visited the Holy Land. Our host Catholic Relief Services invited us to Bethlehem University, where we met the most amazing
staff and students. As a result of this visit, CCUSA, collaborating with Bethlehem University, extended an invitation to students
to intern in Catholic Charities agencies that very summer. The program was so successful that we continued it during the 2014
summer. CCUSA and Bethlehem University are committed to continuing the program next summer, 2015.
On behalf of Catholic Charities USA, I am writing to invite you to be a host agency for a student intern from Bethlehem University
in the summer of 2015. As a host agency, you provide the intern a work experience that supports his or her future employment
goals while at the same time exposing him or her to multiple dimensions of Catholic Charities. You will be asked to recruit a
host family who would be willing to share their family life with an intern and to provide opportunities for them to experience
the cultural life in your region.
The interns will arrive in the U.S. for an orientation on June 15, 2015 and depart for their summer Catholic Charities assignment
on June 19. They will serve the host agency for six weeks. They return to CCUSA on August 2 for fve days of debriefng before
departing for Amman on Aug. 7. CCUSA will also provide orientations to the agencies, supervisors and host families.
If you are interested in participating in this program, please contact Kathy Brown, Senior Director for Mission and Catholic
Identity, kbrown@CatholicCharitiesusa.org.
We hope that you will consider having a Bethlehem University intern next summer. It is a wonderful opportunity!
Thank you.
Kathy Brown, Senior Director for Mission and Catholic Identity
703.236.6245 (direct) | kbrown@CatholicCharitiesUSA.org
BETHLEHEM UNI VERSI TY
INTERNSHIP
PROGRAM