Then the boy meets other students at the dance who have different-color shadows like he does.
One student says to the boy: “There’s more than two colors our shadows can be. I was too scared before but blue is not me. I know from outside, blue fits like a glove, but my shadow’s yellow, which to me feels like love.”
The apology
In Catholic Charities’ statement to CNA, Painting said: “Our purpose, rooted in our Catholic faith, is to restore dignity and independence to individuals and families in need, particularly the poor and vulnerable.”
“We achieve this through service, advocacy, and community building. For over three decades, we have worked with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families to provide resources to victims of child abuse,” she said.
Painting said that Catholic Charities was chosen for a state grant to provide and sponsor “youth mental wellness and bullying, suicide, and substance-abuse prevention initiatives.”
“On June 17, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton participated in a book reading at a public library as part of this grant program. We understand that, during this event, a book was read that addressed a gender-related topic,” she said.
“While this is a vitally important state program — and one which Catholic Charities is uniquely qualified to execute — our contract clearly states that we will not administer or host any content that may go against the teachings of the Catholic Church or its values; for any such topic, the curriculum is to be delivered by another community-based mental health organization,” Painting said.
Painting called the contract “an important boundary” and added that “we are working to determine how those lines were blurred during this event.”
“We are deeply committed to serving the community and remain focused on helping those in need while ensuring all future activities align with Catholic values and teachings,” she said.
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