Impact Stories

Clergy members are the heartbeat of any Catholic community. Ask a Catholic friend about priests that inspired them, comforted them, and brought them joy over the years. The stories and memories flow freely.

In 2021, the Catholic Foundation initiated its Catholic Social Ministry Grant opportunity to support ministries and projects that embrace and align with Catholic social teaching and are answering the Gospel call to respond to needs within the community. One such ministry is Catholic Charities Counseling and Adoption Services (CCCAS).

When John “Jack” Potosnak reflects on his mother’s life story, he has immense gratitude for the Catholic ministries that shaped and guided her through difficult early years. To honor that support, and to help fuel a strong Catholic community for the future, Jack established the Helen Potosnak Memorial Endowment in the Catholic Foundation.

Catholic schools pursuing technology upgrades were grateful recipients of $56,200 in grants from the Catholic Foundation. These grants from the Education Endowment made a significant impact on Catholic schools in 2021 as demand for upgraded technology in classrooms and urgent remote learning needs were fueled by the pandemic.

John and Rose DeMarco are surely smiling from heaven as their son, Dale, says that everything about him was passed to him by his parents. The DeMarcos were faith-filled and practical people. Dale’s father was a full-time, blue-collar worker and his mother worked part-time when she wasn’t busy looking after her two sons.

Immaculate Conception Parish in Clarion is dedicated to providing opportunities to carry out their mission of “Inviting People to Christ, Uniting People with Christ, Igniting People for Christ”. Knowing that many of their parishioners could not attend Mass in person for a variety of reasons, they seized the opportunity to apply for a Catholic Foundation Education grant.

Admiration for Monsignor James "Fr. Pete" Peterson and Bishop Lawrence Persico inspire gifts to the endowments bearing their names and supporting causes important to them.

It’s wonderful to imagine the number of students’ lives Fr. Joseph Gregorek touched during his long career as a college professor. Now, as he is planning his Catholic legacy, Fr. Joe is ensuring that the breadth of his life’s impact will expand in perpetuity through designated endowments in the Catholic Foundation.

Saint Michael Parish in Greenville is known for providing life-long faith formation activities to the rural community it serves. Finding a way to keep in touch with a parish of over 1,250 families and provide Catholic faith resources to groups all at different stages of their faith life was challenging. A Catholic Foundation 2019 Education Grant enabled the purchase of a subscription to Flocknote/Word on Fire ENGAGE, an online communication and faith formation resource. Little did they know what a blessing it would become.