Donor Stories

While managing multiple church buildings was sustainable for a time, the eventual decision to sell Mount Calvary Church prompted a deeper reflection. Father McCormick and the parish leadership were committed to honoring the spirit and legacy of a parish community that had flourished for nearly 75 years.

As he approaches his 75th birthday, Father Tom Brown is reflecting on his life in priestly ministry. With both gratitude and hope for the future, through his estate plans he established The Reverend Thomas E. Brown Endowment for Clergy Health and Welfare as well as The Reverend Thomas E. Brown Endowment for Missionary Priest Service.

In 2017, as he approached the fifth anniversary of his ordination as bishop of the Diocese of Erie, The Most Reverend Lawrence T. Persico marked the milestone not with a celebration for himself, but with a gift for the future of the Church. 

For Mike and Lisa Lewis, joining in the mission of the Catholic Foundation included their recent decision to establish the Michael and Lisa Vavala Lewis Family Endowment for Saint Joseph Cemetery through the Foundation. 

With their faith at the center of their personal and family lives, Dr. Jeff and Katy McGovern found establishing an endowment through the Catholic Foundation a natural extension of their active participation in the Catholic community. 

Dr. Stephen Cenedella established the Cenedella Family Endowment through the Catholic Foundation to benefit Saint Patrick Parish in Franklin, a community central to his family's life. The endowment ensures that the generosity they shared during their lifetime will continue blessing the parish for generations.

Jeannie McGinley established the Michael C. McCloskey Memorial Endowment in memory of a good friend with a mutual interest in music.

The Sisters of Saint Joseph Neighborhood Network recently established its own endowment to support carrying out its mission.

Yvonne Gralak’s life experience and natural talents tell a beautiful story of faith that has led her to establish the Yvonne Gralak and Dorothy Chiodo Endowment for the benefit of Saint Joseph Cemetery in Force.