Read about our donors and the impact they are having on our community.
Mary McCarthy shared her earthly blessings the same way she lived her life -- in faith, with purpose, and making impact. Later in life as she planned her legacy, she described faith as a spark that lights the way for people to look beyond themselves. Today, years after her death, Mary's endowments continue to light the way for the Catholic ministries that meant the most to her.
When Michele Smith, religious education leader at Saint Callistus Parish in Kane applied for a Faith Formation grant with the Catholic Foundation of Northwest Pennsylvania in 2019, she never imagined that a global pandemic would alter her plans for implementing a parish-wide faith-formation plan. With the GIFT program already on her radar, Michele decided to adapt it for use with her elementary religious education students.
Faced with limited resources to lead thirty diverse schools that educate over 5,000 students, as Superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Erie, Jim Gallagher has an important job at a critical time for Catholic education. Today one of his key supporters is someone he’s never met.
Inspired by legacy gifts from thoughtful donors, and with an eye for the future, the Catholic Charities Legacy Endowment has been established by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Erie, Inc. Bequests from longtime supporters of Catholic Charities, Msgr. William Biebel and Mark Kulyk, seeded this endowment which now offers an open invitation for others to follow their lead.
Last year $55,000 was distributed from the Catholic Foundation’s education endowment to augment the Bishop’s Tuition Assistance Program which helps ensure Catholic education remains affordable for families.
John Brady's involvement and faithful service over the years at Saint Thomas Parish in Corry was rewarded with a scholarship from the Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish Memorial Scholarship Endowment fund held at the Catholic Foundation.
Through the Fox and Cenedella Endowment established in 2012, Dr. Stephen Cenedella continues to give generously to Saint Patrick Parish in Franklin. Because of his foresight and generosity, annual grants designated for Saint Patrick are available to the parish every year.
Saint Callistus Parish in Kane used their 2019 endowment distribution to meet an unexpected parish need.
St. Catherine of Siena Parish, DuBois received a $1,470 Catholic Foundation grant in 2019 to help provide faith development, faith sharing and continuing education for parishioners in the eastern vicariate interested in furthering their faith.