Legacy Leader: Fr. Steve Orr
Why I Lead
“All of the things Catholic Charities does, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, counseling those with mental health issues, welcoming the refugee, all of those are the core mission of the Church,” said Fr. Orr
Father Steve Orr recognizes the vital ministry Catholic Charities provides to those in need. Thanks in part to his leadership, involvement and advocacy, Catholic Charities has grown into the organization it is today.
Fr. Orr was first introduced to Catholic Charities at a young age by hearing about the Christ Child Home, which was operated by the organization until 1966. Two children in his neighborhood were adopted through the Christ Child Home and would point it out anytime they would drive by.
Since being ordained, Fr. Orr held multiple positions throughout the Diocese, both in parish life and in administration. Most notably, he played a part in Pope John Paul II’s visit to Des Moines in 1979. He came to know Catholic Charities more through his work in diocesan administration. While serving as Chancellor for the Diocese of Des Moines, he would interact regularly with Catholic Charities leadership and helped with refugee resettlement alongside Sister Pat Scherer.
“I got to know the inner workings of Catholic Charities pretty well through my involvement with refugee resettlement,” said Fr. Orr. “At the time I got involved, Governor Ray was very welcoming of the Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian refugees to Iowa and I was proud of what Catholic Charities, the Diocese of Des Moines and the State of Iowa was doing.”
Fr. Orr also worked very closely with former Catholic Charities Executive Director, Larry Breheny, while serving as Vicar General for the Diocese. He enjoyed being able to interact more with Catholic Charities and the vital work being done to serve those in need.
His involvement within the organization continued to grow. When Catholic Charities was searching for a new executive director, he stepped in and served in the interim for a few months before Nancy Galeazzi fully assumed the role in 2002. He is grateful for this time to learn even more about the inner workings of the organization.
“The ministry Catholic Charities provides is vital,” said Fr. Orr. “All of the things Catholic Charities does, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, counseling those with mental health issues, welcoming the refugee, all of those are the core mission of the Church.”
Fr. Orr notes the parallels between the mission of Catholic Charities and his work as a priest. At the core, both are focused on the service and care of others. Before he retired, Fr. Orr would connect his parishioners with the programs offered through Catholic Charities and encourage them to get involved with the organization through volunteering.
“I never had a hard time getting up to the pulpit and asking for assistance for Catholic Charities because I believe in it,” said Fr. Orr. “There is nothing that compares to seeing these programs at work, first-hand, so I would encourage people to volunteer at Catholic Charities however they can.”
“Getting involved is certainly the best way to understand the needs of people but also how Catholic Charities is responding to those needs,” said Fr. Orr.
Catholic Charities recently celebrated their 100 year anniversary of providing help and hope to those in need. Looking to the future, Fr. Orr hopes the organization continues to look at and assess the needs of the community and how to best serve those who are struggling.
“100 years is a long time but it is a short time as well,” said Fr. Orr. “Catholic Charities has done tremendous work over the years, there is no doubt about that.”
For more information on how you can get involved and support the mission at Catholic Charities, contact Director of Development and Marketing, Bobbi Jo Smith at 515-237-5064 or bsmith@catholiccharitiesdm.org.
