by Greg Mies
Savior Pastoral and Retreat Center in Kansas City, Kansas, recently had the opportunity to host a gathering for the foster care ministry of the archdiocese.
Although our role was primarily to provide the physical setting, the event offered a meaningful moment to reflect on how our mission at Savior intersects with the church’s pastoral concern for children in vulnerable circumstances.
The foster care ministry exists to encourage greater engagement from individuals and parishes in supporting children and families involved in the foster care system. Their work is rooted in a long-standing thread within Catholic tradition: the moral imperative to care for those who lack protection, stability or a consistent network of support.
Scripture presents this not as a peripheral concern but as central to living out the Gospel. The call in Isaiah to “defend the orphan and plead for the widow,” the affirmation in the Psalms that God “sets the lonely in families” and Christ’s own words identifying himself with “the least of these” form the theological backdrop for the church’s advocacy on behalf of children experiencing hardship.
For many children in foster care, issues of belonging, safety, and trust are not theoretical. They shape daily life. Catholic social teaching begins with the affirmation that every human person is created in the image of God, and from this dignity flows a responsibility to accompany and support children whose circumstances may obscure that truth.
Ministries like foster care help parishes and individuals understand how to put this teaching into practice, through awareness, relationship and consistent presence.
In this context, the mission of Savior Pastoral and Retreat Center — to provide an environment that is physically, emotionally and spiritually safe — took on particular importance. Hosting this gathering allowed us to apply that mission in a concrete way.
The value of a peaceful and orderly space may appear modest, yet such an environment can foster a sense of calm and predictability that is especially beneficial for children who may not often experience it.
Our contribution was not programmatic but foundational: creating the conditions in which the ministry’s work could unfold smoothly and with intention.
While the event itself was simple, it served as a reminder that hospitality, when rooted in the church’s understanding of human dignity, becomes a form of pastoral participation.
In supporting the foster care ministry’s work, even in a logistical capacity, we also support the broader mission of the archdiocese to stand with those who are most in need of care and stability.
