Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

By Kate Scanlon, OSV News

WASHINGTON — Jill Rauh, the executive director of a newly created secretariat at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has pledged to support the work of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), following concerns about the future of that project after recent staff layoffs.

Rauh oversees the new Secretariat of Justice and Peace, announced on August 6. This office will serve four bishops’ committees to advance the social mission of the church through formation, policy analysis, advocacy, and outreach.

In an interview with OSV News, Rauh stated that the secretariat will continue “advocating for just policies so that we can promote human dignity and flourishing.”

In late June, the USCCB laid off an unspecified number of employees as part of a reorganization within its Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development. The conference did not specify how many employees were affected; however, estimates suggest about a dozen people were impacted. These included employees working for CCHD, which was part of that department.

Founded in 1969 as the National Catholic Crusade Against Poverty, CCHD has been moved to the USCCB’s Office of National Collections. Nonetheless, Rauh emphasized that the Secretariat of Justice and Peace will continue to collaborate with this anti-poverty initiative.

“One thing that I am happy to share is that the secretariat will continue to work with our colleagues in the Catholic Campaign for Human Development to support their essential work to address poverty,” she told OSV News. “We will collaborate with them. We will continue to receive instruction from the staff and committee of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. CCHD is an important way for Catholics to live out their faith and to engage in their communities.”

Before her new appointment, Rauh served as director of education and outreach for the Department of Justice and Peace from 2017 to 2024.

The Secretariat of Justice and Peace will serve several committees: Domestic Justice and Human Development; International Justice and Peace; Religious Liberty; and Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism.

At the U.S. bishops’ fall general assembly in 2023, a decision was made to replace USCCB’s current strategic planning cycle with a mission planning process aimed at streamlining operations, reducing spending, and removing silos within USCCB. Concerns were raised at that time regarding resource allocation under this new structure.

Rauh explained that moving forward involves integrating staff focused on education, formation, communication into other offices. This cooperation aims to highlight “the connections between our faith, the call of Scripture, our church’s social mission, and action to advocate [and] address poverty.”

“Sometimes there can be a misunderstanding that we’re either about prayer or action,” she said regarding the secretariat’s goals. “But as people of faith, we’re about both... striving to change those unjust structures [and] work for justice.” She added that this effort is grounded in Catholic identity and faith commitment towards aiding those in need while avoiding siloed approaches.