What’s going on here

It’s a question on the mind of many a caller to NCCL, looking for help in the current crisis.

“What does NCCL do, anyway?”

It reminds of an amusing story one of the apostolate’s co-founders, Dr. William Marra — God rest his soul — used to tell.

Dr. Marra, you might remember, was a professor of philosophy, friend & colleague of Dietrich von Hildebrand, and a model-apostle of the “New Evangelization” which St. John Paul II called for years after Dr. Marra accepted the challenges of the day. (He is the father of William Regis Marra, President of NCCL.)

In his travels to help families all over North America (and beyond) keep the faith, Dr. Marra was memorable for the stories he could tell reminding of the cheerful side of Catholic life.

In one of them, he would imitate his venerable Italian-American mother, who more than once pleaded with her philosopher-son — who was also something of an handy-man, a jack of all trades:

“Billy, Billy! I know what a plumber does, and you’re a pretty good one. And I know what a mechanic does, and you do a lot better than tinker with engines. And I even know what a doctor does. But what on earth does a philosopher do?!”

That pretty much sizes up the question about NCCL.

Most people have an idea what your everyday charity does. Or what a pro-life group seeks to accomplish. Or what a religious order or parish is about. “But what does the NCCL apostolate do, anyway?!”

In fact, it’s a question practically every person has asked who has called on this unique apostolate for help over the past 38 years.

After about a year of trying to answer that very question directly — with usually less than satisfying results — our Executive Director started giving another answer, which he’s repeated for the past 25 years with surprisingly vivid success, every time.

“Wait until my colleagues & I give you the help you need and called for, and you’ll have a clearer idea.”

The thousands & thousands who have benefited from NCCL’s dedication can attest to it. Maybe you’re one of them?

The apostolate handles issues and problems that no other group will even touch. We’re small. We’re humble. We get results. Boat-loads of them, thanks be to God.

Our blogs and websites are teeming with examples.

• Looking East blog
• Pilgrimage for Restoration blog
• Reform of the Reformer blog
• NCCL’s main website
• Pilgrimage website

Dedication to action for catholic restoration means NCCL offers an array of services to groups and individuals. We’re practically notorious for helping parents to keep sex-education out of Catholic classrooms — or their children out of those classrooms.

But get a load of what else NCCL does.

• helping Priests in trouble
• Operation Mission Stipends in support of priests & missions abroad offering the Church’s traditional Roman Masses, East & West
• bringing the traditional Roman Liturgy to one’s diocese, or improving current conditions
• introducing Latin Catholics to the Eastern Catholic Churches
• bringing charitable relief to Eastern Christians in Central & East Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia
• communicating – effectively, time & again – a no-compromise message to the Vatican and hierarchy on critical issues
• organizing the annual Pilgrimage for Restoration
• helping parents to begin home-schooling, and to persevere
• helping Catholics receive all the Sacraments without compromising Faith, or conscience
• consulting to resolve abuses in parishes and dioceses: with canon law when necessary
• leading laity to authentically Catholic priests and guides in the spiritual life
• helping parents navigate a Catholic course for children through today’s social ‘minefields’
• finding a parish where one can worship in peace
• promoting the Roman magisterium’s doctrine on modesty
• showing pro-lifers the connections between sex-ed and abortion
• training Catholics how to use the news media
• guiding converts and ‘reverts’ through crisis to tradition
• reproducing rare and out-of-print encyclicals and tracts & missals
• fielding questions and consulting on issues from A-Z
• networking with no-compromising Catholics and groups: putting tradition-minded Catholics in touch, across town and continents

The list goes on, but you get the picture — the Coalition is an ‘international office’ of action.

Please give generously of your prayers and alms.

There is never a charge for the help NCCL organizers give, freely. The apostolate sells nothing. NCCL is an apostolate, a charity and non-profit in the strict sense, relying on God to move benefactors like you to give freely and generously of your collaborations & alms. NCCL receives no gifts, grants, subsidies or miscellaneous support from other institutions.

Please, in your charity, be generous to help another generation of Catholics living through crisis to keep the faith. Donate, by clicking here, to participate in the apostolate’s charity to people just like you.