Advancing Our Church

Published: December 01, 2019

This week we visit one of Changing Our World’s former clients, the Central Association of the Miraculous Medal. We visit with Mary Jo Timlin-Hoag, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Sheila McGirl, CFRE, Senior Director of Institutional Advancement. Kaitlin McTighe, Managing Director at Changing Our World, joins Jim Friend for this conversation.

Mary Jo is the first lay president and CEO in the 103-year history of the Shrine. She has held leadership roles at Aetna, GE Healthcare, General Motors, McKesson, MedScape, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She was also active through service on several charitable boards and a member of a number of professional societies. Mary Jo has a long connection to the shrine. When she was a child, her parents had a devotion to the Virgin Mary and brought Mary Jo regularly to a weekly novena. Mary Jo’s connection with CAMM has been reinforced over the years through her brother, Father John Timlin, C.M. Fr. John directs the formation at the Vincentians’ nearby De Paul Novitiate.

Sheila McGirl is a Fundraising Executive who has served the Church of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Camden since 2005. Sheila recently came to the Shrine from the Diocese of Camden, where she served as Associate Director of Development. She also served as Founder and member of the Board of Trustees for the Catholic Business Network of South Jersey.

The Central Association of the Miraculous Medal is dedicated to spreading devotion to Mary Immaculate and her Miraculous Medal. CAMM supports the promotion of this devotion in a variety of ways. Helping the formation and education of seminarians, providing care to the aged and infirm Priests and Brothers of the Eastern Province, and supporting programs that provide assistance to the poor.

The Miraculous Medal was revealed to St. Catherine Labouré in 1830. St. Catherine was a member of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. Her vision of Our Lady occurred in the motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity in Paris, France.

St. Vincent de Paul, the “Great Apostle of Charity,” was the founder of the Vincentian Order of Priests and Brothers. It was Father Joseph Skelly, CM, a Vincentian priest, who founded the Central Association of the Miraculous Medal in 1915.

St. Vincent de Paul and his beautiful legacy of charitable giving connect to the Shrine through the Miraculous Medal.

In March of 1915, Father Joseph Skelly, CM, established the Central Association of the Miraculous Medal. The original purpose of the Central Association was to spread devotion to Mary Immaculate by encouraging devotion to Mary under her title of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: November 24, 2019

Dr. Tim Uhl is a popular blogger and host for the Catholic School Matters Podcast and the Superintendent of Montana Catholic Schools. Today, Jim Friend talks with Tim about life, Catholic School leadership, and Catholic education. The two also spend a significant amount of time talking about podcasting. We learn how Tim began his podcast and the intellectual curiosity that guides his journey in podcasting. This is a little more of a relaxed conversation than an interview; we hope you enjoy this conversation. Also, we hope that all of our listeners enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving Holiday this week!

Dr. Uhl serves as the superintendent of Catholic Schools for Montana, serving 23 schools, 3900+ students, and two dioceses (Helena and Great Falls-Billings).  He has previously served as the principal of Holy Rosary Regional School in Tacoma and Catholic High School in New Iberia, Louisiana.  Tim is the founder of “Catholic School Matters,” a podcast about Catholic Schools.  He publishes a Montana Catholic Schools website full of great resources and a weekly newsletter “Catholic School Matters” with great information, too.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: November 17, 2019

Imagine if your job facilitated daily personal interaction with more than 500 of the nation’s top CEOs and corporate presidents, representing dozens of professional disciplines, in relaxed settings oftentimes, alongside their spouses, across more than 20 metropolitan areas in the United States and several foreign countries. Sound too good to be true? That is exactly what John Knowles does every day. Today, Jim Friend interviews John Matthew Knowles, who serves as Legatus Director for the Northeastern United States and international territories.

John Matthew Knowles

Mr. Knowles is the Director of the Northeastern US and International Chapters of Legatus. He is an accomplished advancement executive specializing in membership associations and higher education institutions. He currently works as Legatus Director for the Northeast and International, based in the greater New York City area. Prior to his work with Legatus, John served as the chief development and external affairs officer for private colleges in Florida. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from Western Michigan University, a Juris Doctorate of Law degree from Michigan State University, and a fellowship certificate in leadership from Michigan State University. He and his wife, Jennifer, live in eastern Pennsylvania and have a daughter who just turned one.

About Legatus

Legatus is the world’s only membership organization for Catholic CEOs, founded in 1987 by the iconic entrepreneur Tom Monaghan, best known as the founder and longtime owner of Domino’s Pizza, today the largest pizza company in the world. Thirty-one years since its founding, Legatus serves more than 5,000 owners and senior managers of large private enterprises across nearly 100 local chapters.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: November 10, 2019

On today’s podcast, Jim Friend talks with Julianne Stanz, Author of a new book entitled “Start with Jesus.“

Julianne’s challenge: “Take a moment and ask yourself: does every activity in my parish point more deeply to Jesus?” Julianne’s new book aims to help parish communities make sure the answer to this question is a resounding “Yes!” Serving parishes in her diocese as the Director of New Evangelization, Stanz has recognized a practical and motivational way to restructure a parish’s mission – to start with Jesus.

Start with Jesus is a book about people, processes, and culture rather than an emphasis on quick fixes or unsustainable efforts. Julianne’s approach aims to help regular people transform parishes from the inside out by growing in a relationship with Jesus Christ through individual and group experiences, thus transforming our parish communities.

Julianne begins our interview today by talking about her life and career in Evangelization. She serves as a consultant to the USCCB’s Committee on Evangelization with Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire). In 2017, Julianne served as Emcee for the National Convocation of Catholic Leaders in Orlando, Florida, and offered the keynote address at the International Catholic Stewardship Conference in 2018. Julianne is a wonderful storyteller with a down-to-earth, real-life experience that has been transformational for parishes around the country.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: November 03, 2019

Today we finish our coverage of the 2019 International Catholic Stewardship Conference with an interview with Msgr. John J. Bracken. Msgr. Bracken stopped by our booth at ICSC this year, and we had a terrific impromptu interview about his life as a priest and his career not only as the Vicar General for the Diocese of Brooklyn but also as the very first Director of Development. He has been a priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn for over 52 years. Msgr. Bracken is a bit of a legend because he literally created the job of a Development Director right at the time in history when the Bishop’s pastoral document, Stewardship: A Disciples Response, was published. Monsignor talks about his career, his calling, and the nature of Stewardship. Please enjoy this interview with our host, Jim Friend.

A native of Richmond Hill, he attended St. Benedict Joseph School; Cathedral College, Brooklyn; St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore; and St. Louis University. He served as an assistant at St. Francis de Sales, Belle Harbor, 1967-77. Msgr. also served at St. Teresa, Woodside, 1977-80; and Our Lady Help of Christians, Midwood, 1980-84. He was the Episcopal Vicar for Queens North, 1984-91; and director of the diocesan Development Office, 1991-2009. He was named Vicar General for Temporalities in 2004. In addition, he has been the administrator of Holy Name parish, Windsor Terrace, 2009-10. Msgr. Bracken was the administrator of Our Lady Help of Christians and administrator of St. Mary Star of the Sea-St. Gertrude. He also served as a member of the Priests Senate and a member of the Diocesan Board of Consultors. He was on the board of directors for the Office of Pastoral Communications at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: October 27, 2019

Join us for interviews at the 2019 International Catholic Stewardship Conference (ICSC), held on October 6 – 9 in Chicago. Changing Our World was proud to sponsor this 57th annual gathering with over 800 participants from around the world. The conference attendees convened to talk about Catholic stewardship, leadership, and advancement. Today’s episode features interviews Manny Aguilar, Shaun Riedell, Andy Gaertner, Msgr. Carlos Quintana Puente and J.J. Gonzales.

Mission of the International Catholic Stewardship Conference

The International Catholic Stewardship Council promotes and supports Catholic teaching on stewardship by providing education and resources for dioceses, parishes, and institutions of the Roman Catholic Church.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: October 21, 2019

Jason Morrison & Mark Freund are accomplished leaders in Catholic Education. On today’s show, hear their thoughts on the evolving models of Catholic education and the dynamics of remaining competitive in today’s marketplace. Changing our World‘s Gavan Mooney, President, and Chief Client Officer, and Kaitlin McTighe, Managing Director, interview these two experienced leaders in Catholic Education.

Jason Morrison

Jason is the Diocesan Secretary and CEO for Catholic Education in the Diocese of Scranton. He is responsible for managing the Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System. His primary responsibilities include financial stability, Enrollment, and Development. Mr. Morrison is the former VP of Operations for the Healey Education Foundation, where he served schools across the United States, implementing Boards of Limited Jurisdiction, Advancement programs and addressing sustainability issues for Catholic schools. Jason is the former Secretary for Stewardship and Development for the Diocese of Scranton and the Executive Director for the Lackawanna Bar Association. Jason holds a BA in Business Administration from Villanova University and an MBA from the Erivan K. Haub School of Business at St. Joseph’s University.

Mark Freund

Mark Freund, is the Executive Director of the Christian Brothers Conference Office for Lasallian Education. He oversees activities designed to serve ministries in the Lasallian Region of North America, including developing formation programs, fundraising, and representing the mission to the Catholic Church, to educational, civic, and governmental entities, and to business and philanthropic organizations. Mark is a lifelong Catholic and native of Baltimore, Maryland. He formerly served as principal of Pope John Paul II High School in Boca Raton, Florida. He brings more than 30 years of experience as a teacher and administrator in Catholic schools. Mark is a graduate of Calvert Hall College High School, a Lasallian school in Towson, Maryland. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Towson University in Towson and a master’s degree in education from Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: October 13, 2019

Debbie Leaverton serves as Director of Parish Stewardship for the Orange Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Orange in California. The Diocese serves a growing English, Vietnamese, and Spanish-speaking population with over 3.2 million Catholics. The Diocese serves the largest population of Vietnamese in the United States.   

Today, Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend talks with Debbie about a variety of initiatives in the Diocese of Orange, including Debbie’s work with assisting pastors to adopt stewardship as a way of life in their parish. Debbie describes how she serves parishes in stewardship, planned giving and capital campaigns.

Debbie describes the interesting backstory of the construction of the new Christ Cathedral that was just dedicated on July 17, 2019. The Cathedral is now open to the public. The Cathedral will be open for tours during the 2020 International Catholic Stewardship Conference (ICSC) in Anaheim next fall.

About Debbie Leaverton

Debbie started with the Diocese of Orange in 2001 and then moved to the Orange Catholic Foundation in 2008; and is responsible for directing the annual Pastoral Services Appeal and the Parish Stewardship Education ministry.

Debbie leads the annual diocesan Stewardship Renewal process that takes place each November, provides consultation to parishes for capital campaigns, electronic giving and coordinates formation opportunities to help parishes embrace Christian Stewardship as a way of life. She first began working for the Church as a volunteer catechist for elementary, youth ministry, and Confirmation. She served on her parish’s Pastoral Council and started her parish’s Stewardship Committee in 2005. Debbie’s background includes training and development, project management, and sales and marketing. She served on the Board of the International Catholic Stewardship Council for seven years and firmly believes that Christian stewardship is the living of our faith as Disciples of Christ. She is inspired by working with parish leadership and seeing the impact Stewardship formation can have on parishes, increasing the engagement of all parishioners and revitalizing the life of the parishes.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: October 06, 2019

This week we tackle many common fundraising questions that our consultants are asked often. Jim Friend is joined by a talented group of Changing Our World fundraising consultants, including Brandi Holys, Diana Curren, and Ray Witkowski, for this informative roundtable session. Some of the questions the group discusses include:

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: September 30, 2019

Meet David DiNapoli, the Director of Development for the Diocese of Portland in Maine. On today’s show, Jim Friend talks with David about his role in the Diocese and some of the challenges and opportunities that he is pursuing as he leads a development office that covers 33,215 square miles with a population of 279,159 Catholics. David’s office oversees the Annual Appeal and Planned Giving, and he provides support to the 55 parishes and the Catholic School system in the Diocese.

We begin our show today with an interview with Brandi Holys. Brandi is a Senior Director with Changing Our World who is currently assigned to a $70 Million Capital Campaign for the Diocese of Green Bay. Brandi shares some stories about her career and what she does for fun.

About David DiNapoli

Prior to taking the lead Development position with the Diocese of Portland, David DiNapoli served as a Director for Changing Our World, conducting Capital Campaigns and studies with a number of Diocese and Archdiocese as well as other nonprofits.  Prior to that, David served as a consultant designing & implementing a strategic planning process for all parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago. In the Archdiocese of New York, David provided professional stewardship education and fundraising services to Archdiocesan parishes & effectively lead numerous campaigns in the areas of increased offertory & capital campaigns. In the beginning of his career, David worked in executive management within the hospitality industry, where he oversaw the complete renovation efforts of an organization in addition to managing the entire staff.

David holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville and was fortunate to study abroad in Austria. During his college years, David participated in missions in the jungles of Ecuador.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.