Traveling in a large semitruck filled with love, Catholic Charities USA’s People of Hope Museum hit the road in March to share real-life stories of faith with communities across the country. The traveling museum has already visited cities in New York, Connecticut and Vermont and will stop at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland June 2 and 3.
“Catholic Charities USA was looking for a way to better share all their amazing stories and their impacts,” said Andy Wayne, director of communications for Catholic Charities of Baltimore. “They came up with this idea of a mobile museum.”
Designed as an immersive storytelling experience, the museum invites visitors to watch first-person video accounts highlighting Catholic Charities’ services and hear directly from people who have benefited from them. The real-life stories were collected over the past year from Catholic Charities chapters across the country.
“The call for entries was in the spring of 2025,” Wayne said. “This is about the message of hope. The message of support and how we all help each other.”
A “poverty simulator” will give participants a glimpse into life on the margins by challenging them to make difficult choices, Wayne said. Visitors will also have the opportunity to share their own stories of hope and service.
“It is not just an objective experience. You’re not just watching.,” Wayne said of the museum. “It is more engaging, giving a different empathy for those living with various hurdles and challenges.”
The initiative, he said, is helping raise awareness both locally and nationally about poverty and helping people “understand what is needed.”
“I think it is a bold initiative by Catholic Charities USA, one that is finding success and impacting people” Wayne said.
The exhibit is free and open to the public. Staff members and volunteers from Catholic Charities of Baltimore are being trained as docents to guide visitors through the museum and answer questions. Because the museum will be parked at the cathedral, Wayne noted, there will be ample free parking and strong visibility.
“We are reaching out to a bunch of private schools and universities to bring groups,” Wayne said. “The general public can walk up and check out the museum.”
The museum also offers Catholic Charities of Baltimore an opportunity “to shine a spotlight on all the amazing work we do in the state of Maryland,” Wayne said. Among the featured initiatives is the Carolyn E. Fugett Intergenerational Center, the organization’s newest and largest endeavor. Open since May 1, the center on Poplar Grove Street in Baltimore includes indoor and outdoor basketball courts, classrooms for programs ranging from dance to art, office space for community programs and facilities for Early Head Start and Head Start services. The center also houses a food pantry, and museum visitors are encouraged to bring canned goods “to stock the shelves,” Wayne said.
To enhance the experience, Catholic Charities of Baltimore will also offer family-friendly activities, and a Kona Ice truck will be on site.
“People can have ice and engage with us,” Wayne said.
After Baltimore, the museum will travel to Cincinnati as part of its 21-state tour running through December 2026. In 2027, the museum will head to western states, and in 2028, it will revisit areas that were missed or requested a return visit.
The traveling museum will be at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen June 2, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and June 3, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome.
To schedule a group visit, contact Andy Wayne at awayne@cc-md.org.
Email Katie V. Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org
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