The Catholic Foundation of Northwest Pennsylvania is pleased to announce during its three 2024 grant cycles, 50 grants totaling $195,197 were awarded to support 46 projects. Funded by the Foundation’s Education Endowment, Faith Formation Endowment, and Catholic Social Ministry Endowment as well as endowments established by individuals to carry out their charitable goals, these grants support a wide range of projects and needs and will have impact throughout the thirteen counties of the Diocese of Erie.
The spring grant cycle included a $15,000 Education grant to Erie Catholic School System to hire a consultant to develop a strategic plan for the future of Catholic schools in the Erie Catholic School System, as well as send staff to the Partners in Mission 2024 Summer Institute Conference. “With more than 1,800 students relying on our schools to provide an academically rigorous faith-based education, strategic, data-driven planning is critical,” Nicole Reitzell, Vice President of Advancement, wrote in her application.
Three parishes received multiple grants for spiritual experiences and programs. Our Lady of Peace Parish (OLP) in Erie received three Education grants totaling $9,000. These funds will support spiritual direction training of an OLP parishioner, parish leadership team attendance an Amazing Parish training summit, and a pilgrimage around the Diocese of Erie and surrounding area for 16 parish youth. “We will grow in the understanding that the Diocese is bigger than our parish,” Sarah Beaver, Coordinator of Youth Ministry wrote in her application. Saint Mary Parish in St. Marys received two grants: a Faith Formation grant to purchase a Vacation Bible School kit and other supplies for the experience, and an Education grant to send Faith Formation students to Catholic Heart Workcamp in New Castle, PA. Saint George Parish in Erie also received two grants. A Faith Formation grant will help to send three staff members and their pastor to the Life Teen Catholic Youth Ministry Convention, and an Education grant which will support the purchase of a new sound system for the school cafeteria. This technology upgrade will enhance many parish and school activities and events at Saint George.
Saint Tobias Parish in Brockway received a grant supporting their Music & Mission Summer Kick-Off. This evening included music from the duo The Scally Brothers. Tara Starr, Director of Religious Education, wrote in her application that, while the event was for the whole parish to enjoy, youth were especially on their minds as they selected their entertainment. “All praise and worship opportunities are important to keep a parish vibrant and informed. We are looking for ways to keep the excitement of finding life in Christ ongoing. What better opportunity than bringing a young musically talented group to our rural church?” Epiphany of the Lord Parish in Meadville, a first-time grant recipient, received a grant to support their 2025 parish mission featuring presenter Father James Sichko.
Both Blessed Sacrament Parish in Erie, also a first-time grant recipient, and Saint Boniface Parish in Kersey received Faith Formation grants to update their religious education experiences. Blessed Sacrament Parish will use their funds to create a space for their middle school faith formation students with room dividers and new furniture. “We are looking to give our young people a physical space at Blessed Sacrament to match the progress we have made in religious education that allows them to explore their questions, dreams, and concerns in a less formal environment,” Jennifer Durney, Director of Religious Education, wrote in her application. Saint Boniface Parish will purchase faith formation curriculum books and OCIA handbooks.
Several parishes received grants for a variety of technology improvements including first-time grant recipients Saint Joseph Parish in Sharon, Saint John Parish in Tidioute, and Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Smethport. All will use their grant funds to upgrade and enhance their Faith Formation technology. Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus Parish in North East will use their grant to purchase a new sound system for their church family room where many faith formation activities are held, and Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish in Corry will use their grant funds to continue an in-progress upgrade to their technology for Faith Formation classes.
Catholic Social Ministry Grants are awarded to ministries and projects that embrace and align with Catholic social teaching and are answering the Gospel call to respond to needs within the community. In 2024, Anawim Ministries in Frenchville, a Catholic grassroots ministry whose members create a holistic and nonjudgmental environment where the exchange of culture, education, and training empowers individuals and groups, was a first-time grant recipient. Their grant will support their Circle of Care program, which connects those who can give with those who have needs. “We seek families that are falling through the cracks of existing support networks and who do not have basic household needs met,” Lisa McSkimming wrote in her grant application. “This focus constantly results in lives transformed, not just among the immediate recipients of these services, but just as profoundly among those who give and provide.”
Inner-City Neighborhood Art House in Erie is also a first-time grant recipient. A ministry of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, the Art House provides classes in the visual, performing, and literary arts and environmental education to historically under-served youth. They also provide classes for adults and marginalized individuals from various organizations without such programming. Their grant will be used to fund teacher stipends to increase class offerings, as well as purchase a storage cabinet for the adult classes.
The Sisters of Saint Joseph Neighborhood Network in Erie has a mission to provide leadership and advocacy for residents while building partnerships with the broader community to develop opportunities for both personal growth and neighborhood revitalization. Their grant will be used to implement new projects including hiring an AmeriCorps VISTA and installing wayfinding signage and native pollinator plants around the neighborhood. Saint Patrick’s Haven in Erie, also a ministry of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, is a nightly refuge for homeless men. Their grant will purchase storage shelves, personal hygiene items, clothes, and food for the guests of the Haven.
Maria House Project in Erie is a drug and alcohol counseling and recovery facility for men. They also house men released from correctional facilities that need a new way of life. They provide care for not only the residents’ physical needs but also their spiritual needs. Their grant will be used to support a new monthly health education program centered on the body being a temple of the Holy Spirit, additional devotionals and spiritual books, and personalized religious medals upon program completion.
Catholic Charities Counseling and Adoption Services serves clients throughout the Diocese of Erie. Their grant will be used to fund advanced training for counselors, offset costs of providing low-costs counseling to clients, and improve accessibility to their services through offering bus passes to get to counseling and incentives upon completion of a treatment program.
The Diocese of Erie Office for Women Religious received a grant to support the work of Catholic Rural Ministry in Oil City. This grant will be used to provide financial assistance to meet basic needs such as rent and utilities and stabilize families who might be in crisis.
Prince of Peace Center in Farrell has a mission to strengthen families, build community, and reduce poverty. Their grant from the Robert M. Gallivan Charitable Endowment will support their new Q Academy program. This program will provide mentoring and educational support for young men in grades 7-12 who lack the presence and influence of a father figure in their home. Saint Elizabeth Center in Oil City is committed to the sacredness of human life and the betterment of society and does so by assisting those in need with securing basic necessities. They also received a grant from the Robert M. Gallivan Charitable Endowment in addition to a Catholic Social Ministry grant to purchase food and hygiene items for their food pantry as well as provide emergency financial assistance for those who may need it to avoid eviction or utility shutoff.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Erie, Inc. received a grant to support the 2025 Respect Life Conference. Elizabeth Slaby, Director of the Office of Social Justice and Life, said the conference will include multiple speakers and “provide an opportunity for individuals to be educated on life issues and connect with others who are interested in this topic or are already active in their parishes to build greater community.”
Several parishes in the Diocese of Erie will use their grants for a variety of projects. Queen of the World Parish in St. Marys, a first-time grant recipient, plans to create a comfort care room for terminal patients and their families at the Penn Highlands Elk hospital. “This project would provide the families not only a more comfortable place to care for their loved ones, but would also serve as an emotional refuge,” Jessica Weinzierl, business manager, wrote in her grant application. “Providing support to families in time of illness and grief aligns with our mission of service and work of God.”
Saint Joseph Parish in Lucinda is also a first-time grant recipient. Their grant will support the parish’s Walking with Moms in Need program, which provides basic necessities and resources to women who are pregnant or with young children. They will use the grant to purchase supplies such as diapers, formula, and baby clothes. Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Mercer will also use their grant to support their Walking with Moms in Need program, through the purchase of database software to more accurately track those they have assisted through this program and their food pantry.
Finally, Saint Boniface Parish in Kersey will use their grant toward the installation of a handicap entrance into the church building. Saint Boniface pastor, Father Kevin Holland, wrote in his grant application, “With this grant funding, more elderly will have the confidence that they can safely enter and leave Saint Boniface. Our hope is that more of our homebound parishioners will feel comfortable and safe enough to come and worship in their parish.”
“The community impact of our Catholic Foundation is evidenced in the work of our grantees,” comments Lisa Louis, executive director of the Foundation. “Our collaboration helps us to steward endowed funds to be used as donors intended, doing the work of the Gospel.”
The fall Education grant cycle awarded grants to parishes and schools seeking technology, spiritual opportunities, and other unique projects. Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Edinboro received a $17,900 grant to assist with costs associated with sending college students to the 2025 SEEK Conference, including housing and transportation. “Costs are a big roadblock for many students in the diocese, and we hope to remove this challenge so that each student can have the opportunity to attend the conference,” Christian Cappello, Team Director for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students Team (FOCUS) at PennWest Edinboro, wrote in his application. His team works with Our Lady of the Lake Parish to reach students in colleges across the diocese.
Both The Epiphany of the Lord Parish in Meadville and Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus Parish in North East received grants to support their youth trips to Catholic Heart Work Camp. These grants will help cover the cost of registration, transportation, and, in the case of The Epiphany of the Lord Parish, group activities to build excitement before and during the trip. “I believe this project is important because of the transformative effect I have already seen on our kids in the past,” Sergio Cortes Lacayo, Director of Youth Faith Formation at Epiphany, wrote in his application. “As we transform more youth, we are able to reach more youth and provide a diocese-wide support system for their faith.”
Two schools will be able to provide retreat opportunities through the grants they were awarded. DuBois Central Catholic School in DuBois received a grant to support multiple retreat opportunities for all grades, including guest speakers, retreat masters, and a chartered bus for a pilgrimage to Saint Peter Cathedral in Erie. Villa Maria Cathedral Preparatory Catholic School System in Erie, a first-time grant recipient, received funds to assist with the cost of a NET retreat for high school students at Cathedral Preparatory School.
Several parishes received grants to assist with various faith formation activities. Saint Joseph Parish in Force received a grant to purchase new 2nd grade Reconciliation books as well as support the parish’s Formed.org subscription. Saint Francis Xavier Parish in McKean received a grant to purchase a subscription to the “Healing the Whole Person” video course which will be the basis for an eight-week spiritual study on healing and transformation. Holy Redeemer Parish in Warren will use their grant funds to purchase a subscription to Team Initiation, an organization dedicated to the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults and Youth (OCIA). This resource will support their OCIA team to better serve the Warren County Catholic Community.
All Saints Parish in Waterford will use their grant to purchase comfortable furniture for their education spaces so their youth can have areas that are less like a classroom and feel more like a community. Loveseats, cushioned chairs, and beanbag chairs will replace metal folding chairs, allowing not just youth but any other group that uses the space to become more “comfortable with Christ.”
Saint Mary Parish in St. Marys received a grant to cover the costs of training new presenters for their local Family Honor program, which has a focus on strengthening families through the teachings of Saint Pope John Paul II and the virtue of chastity.
Saint Gregory Parish School in North East will use their grant to purchase Boss Club’s Personal Finance Christian Middle School curriculum for 30 students in grades 5-8, to be taught over two semesters. “This project teaches students how to manage money in a way that honors God,” Sara Hurrell, social studies and math teacher, wrote in her application. “Although only these students will initially benefit from the course materials, it is our hope that the information learned in the course will be shared among family and friends, thus furthering the mission of the Church.”
Finally, Saint Jude the Apostle Parish in Erie received a grant to purchase materials to host a bible study in English and Spanish with its partner parish, Saint Stephen of Hungary. “This program will benefit both English and Spanish-speaking parishioners interested in deepening their understanding of the Bible in an inclusive, bilingual setting,” Father Ross Miceli, pastor, wrote in his application. “It supports those who may have felt excluded due to language barriers. The entire parish will gain from increased engagement, unity, and lay involvement in church activities.”
“The community impact of our Catholic Foundation is evidenced in the work of our grantees,” comments Lisa Louis, executive director of the Foundation. “Our collaboration helps us to steward endowed funds to be used as donors intended, doing the work of the Gospel.”
Click below for a complete list of grantees:
- 2024 Grants Awarded (297.275 KB)
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The Catholic Foundation has been blessed by generous donors who give with their heart in support of the mission of the Catholic Church now and forever. Thanks to these committed Catholics, the Foundation manages over 120 funds that provide grants and distributions to parishes, schools, and Catholic ministries in northwest Pennsylvania. The 2024 Catholic Foundation competitive grants were made possible through our Education Endowment, Faith Formation Endowment, and Catholic Social Ministry Endowment, as well as the Michael C. McCloskey Memorial Endowment, Robert M. Gallivan Charitable Endowment, Bishop Donald W. Trautman 'Feed My Sheep" Endowment, and Bishop Lawrence T. Persico Endowment for Pastoral Ministry. Donations in any amount designated for these funds increase our capacity to award grants for impactful projects today and for future generations.
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