Tithing Into the Future

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. “We have always taught our children about the necessity and value of tithing,” Jeff explains. “This Catholic legacy is a concrete expression of that teaching.” 

Katy and Jeff established The McGovern Family Endowment to provide general support for retired clergy and retired religious in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. They describe this charitable giving as their “humble support for the priests and consecrated of our diocese who have given so generously.” The McGovern’s’ perspective on legacy giving is second nature to them when they say, “There are so many others who have come before us. We only stand on their shoulders.” The endowment they established is a gift for today and also for the future, always designated to support the men and women religious in northwest Pennsylvania. Through this fund the McGovern’s’ tithing will extend not only beyond their lifetimes but also those of their daughters.

 What is their hope for the future of our Catholic community? In faith and with trust, Jeff states matter-of-factly, “We know that the gates of hell will not overcome the church (Mathew 16:18) but we hope and pray that this community will remain vibrant and grow for generations to come.”