Grant Impact Story
Each year, the staff of Saint Mary Parish in St. Marys, as well as formation staff who serve the three parishes of St. Marys, are offered opportunities for spiritual formation within the parish and in the surrounding area. Wanting to go outside of their locale for once, The Defending the Faith Conference at Franciscan University in Steubenville seemed to be the right fit. In order to cover the cost of traveling to and attending the conference in Ohio, Bonnie Pearson, Receptionist at Saint Mary Parish, turned to the Catholic Foundation for a grant.
“Attending a Steubenville Conference would allow [the staff] to strengthen their commitment to the faith individually and as a team,” she wrote in her grant application. “A strong faith helps you to be the face of Jesus to many. We all know faith formation is lifelong so any opportunity to learn and grow is a huge blessing.”
The Catholic Foundation awarded Saint Mary Parish a grant to send their seven staff to the conference. It was a beneficial and worthwhile experience. “The event proved to build team strength in their relationships together along with becoming a more effective evangelizing force for the parish and faith formation for the three parishes of St. Marys,” Bonnie shared in her grant report. “We will use this experience to enliven our community through evangelization of the Faith Formation students and the St. Marys local Catholic community.”
Bonnie passed along thanks from the entire staff who attended the conference: “We are so very grateful for this grant to attend a team building event together outside of our local community. We learned, evangelized and enjoyed each other's company in ways that just aren't feasible in our work environment on a daily basis. We will remember this experience forever.”
How many parishioners would give five hours to grow in their understanding of the Mass? To keep momentum about the Eucharistic Revival continuing following a parish mission at Our Lady of Peace Parish in Erie, they wanted to offer a five-week program for all ages and all levels of the parish and school diving more deeply into the Mass and its importance to living a life of Christian faith.
To assist with costs for materials for this program, Mary Beth Whitman, Business Manager and Communications Coordinator for Our Lady of Peace Parish, sought a grant from the Catholic Foundation. “Our parishioners are longing for a better understanding of their faith,” she wrote in her grant application. “This program will not only increase the understanding and appreciation for the Mass as part of the Eucharistic Revival; it will help to build lay leadership in small groups and faith sharing opportunities that are essential to building a dynamic and vibrant parish community.”
Our Lady of Peace Parish was awarded a grant from the Catholic Foundation, and the program One Hour to Peace…from Mass to Mission was offered to the parishioners. Overall, the program was considered a success. There were a variety of time slots offered, for different ages, in large and small groups, as well as a one-day retreat, so everyone could feel welcome in attending what worked best for them.
“The flexibility was a big part of its success. We had a very positive response. We had over 460 people sign up and participate in some way with 85% completing all 5 weeks,” Mary Beth reported. “There has been an increased energy and participation at Masses.”
As a result of the positive participation, more small groups and other faith formation initiatives were launched in the parish, including programs for Lent, Christian music, and Catechism.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Catholic Foundation for their support of this program, we could not have provided the same level of programming on our own,” Mary Beth wrote in thanks. “This program has been a launchpad for our Adult Faith Formation and has engaged more than 100 parishioners who had never before participated in a faith formation opportunity at the parish, who are delving deeper and sharing the excitement of their experience with others.”
These projects were supported by grants from the Faith Formation Endowment of the Catholic Foundation. Your gift to the Foundation in any amount designated for this endowment increases our capacity to award grants for faith formation projects and spiritual programs throughout northwest Pennsylvania.
“We are so very grateful for this grant to attend a team building event together outside of our local community. We learned, evangelized and enjoyed each other's company in ways that just aren't feasible in our work environment on a daily basis. We will remember this experience forever.”