Author Archives | Kenneth F. Hackett

Kenneth F. Hackett - who has written 18 posts on Catholic Exchange.


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What Would You Do for Peace in Sudan?

Posted on 02 October 2010

“What would you do?”
It is such a simple question.
What would you do if you knew that the child standing next to you on the sidewalk was about to dart out into traffic? You would stop her, of course.…

Community-Based Schools Bring Literacy to Rural Afghanistan

Posted on 01 September 2010

This time of year brings the end of summer vacations and a return to the routines of school. The rituals associated with Back to School season are familiar and reassuring: new clothes, school supplies, book bags and lunch boxes to…

Haiti Earthquake, Six-Months Ago

Posted on 10 July 2010

Six months ago the earth shook in Haiti for 35 seconds. Thirty five seconds that ended so many lives and changed many more. Let me share with you a story that is very typical of life in Haiti over the…

Blessed are the Meek?

Posted on 02 June 2010

I recently had the privilege of delivering the commencement address at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmittsburg, Maryland, just about an hour’s drive from Catholic Relief Services’ world headquarters in Baltimore. I’d like to share just a bit of what…

Our Mothers, Our Heroes

Posted on 06 May 2010

Our commemoration of Mother’s Day offers us an opportunity to acknowledge the great contribution of women in our lives. From our own mothers, who gave us life and nurtured us as we grew, to our grandmothers, sisters, wives, daughters and…

Haiti Quake Response Strengthens Parish Bonds

Posted on 03 March 2010

It comes as no surprise that the tragic earthquake in Haiti has attracted an enormous amount of media attention. In my own interviews, I’ve been asked by reporters how I account for the incredible and generous response of the American…

Fighting Global Poverty, Caring for Creation

Posted on 30 September 2009

As the summer was drawing to a close, we heard of the death of Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution, which lifted millions of people, mostly in Asia, out of hunger through the production of high-yield varieties of…

In Moldova, Helping Women in Jeopardy

Posted on 01 July 2009

Dear Friend,
The answer is: Moldova.
The question is: What is the most destitute country in Europe?
And the category is: Needless Suffering.
That’s how it might go if this were the game show Jeopardy. But life in a place…

For Father and Daughter, a Dream Come True

Posted on 19 June 2009

Not long ago, Aminata Yattara sat at home on a stool in the dirt, pounding millet and dreaming about the day she could toss the pestle and pick up a pencil. School dominated her thoughts on her way to pull…

Celebrating Mother’s Day by Supporting Families

Posted on 25 April 2009

The highly skilled professionals who work at international humanitarian organizations have developed our own “insider” language to describe the work we do. For example, many humanitarians refer to the people we serve as “stakeholders.” Others call them “beneficiaries.”
I prefer…