Advancing Our Church

On Today’s Show:

Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend welcomes Msgr. Andrew Baker, Rector for Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland to talk about his success of recruiting 47 new seminarians to the University for the 2020-2021 Academic year in the middle of the pandemic. We discuss some of the challenges and opportunities for recruitment and fundraising for this national seminary.

If you like this episode, please listen to Episode #4 for more of Msgr. Baker and Mount Saint Mary’s University.

About Msgr. Andrew Baker:

Msgr. Baker was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Allentown in 1991. He has served in various parishes including as Pastor of the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Siena. Msgr. Baker has taught high school students, served as a Catholic university chaplain, as a faculty member of St. Charles Seminary, and on the Congregation for Bishops in Rome.

November 2020

Today’s Show

The Christmas Mass is a joyous time that will require special care and preparation this year as will our year-end giving strategies. Today, we welcome special guests Fr. Ron Bagley and Msgr. Louis Marucci to discuss creative ways to plan for a fulfilling liturgical experience in your parish this Christmas, and the importance of year-end giving to a healthy parish budget.

Our Guests

Rev. Ron Bagley, CJM, Pastor, St. Patrick Catholic Community, Carlsbad, California

Fr. Bagley has been an ordained priest for 43 years and a member of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudist Fathers). He has also worked for many years in the formation of lay and ordained ministers, including 12 years in the Philippines. He earned a Doctor of Ministry degree focusing on empowering shared ministry in parishes.

Rev. Msgr. Louis A. Marucci, D.Min., Pastor, St. Andrew the Apostle Church, Gibbsboro, New Jersey

Msgr. Marucci has been an ordained priest for 33 years and holds four Masters Degrees and a Doctorate in Ministry. His areas of specialty are in the fields of Medical Moral Theology, Organizational Leadership, Strategic Planning, Operational Administration, and Philanthropy & Development.

November 18, 2020

Today’s Show

How do we transform our parish communities in the season of Advent? What would it take for our parishes to be communities where divine mercy is experienced and shared? How do we engage our parishioners in this sacred season of preparation for the birth of Jesus? Join Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend and Anna Vallez with special guests Annie Sarlo and Fr. Boniface Hicks, O.S.B. for a stimulating conversation about the Pastoral Conversion Advent Conference 2020 scheduled for December 6-10, 2020.

About Our Guests

Fr. Boniface Hicks, O.S.B.General Manager, Programming Manager and an On-Air Host of We Are One Body® Catholic radio (WAOB®), Director of Spiritual Formation at Saint Vincent Seminary and co-author of a book with Fr. Thomas Acklin, OSB called Spiritual Direction: A Guide for Sharing the Father’s Love.

Annie SarloDeputy Secretary for Evangelization and Formation, Diocese of Allentown. Annie is an Apostle of Jesus Christ with over 27 years of experience in Catholic ministry, Annie has a contagious joy and passion for evangelization.

The Pastoral Conversion Advent Conference 2020Join Fr. James Mallon, Msgr. Brian Bransfield, Jonathan Reyes, Brandon McGinley, and many more as they teach and share their experiences towards the pastoral conversion of the parish. Mark your calendar for Dec 6-10, 2020!For more information visit https://www.pastoralconversionconference.com

Click below to view the entire discussion

November 11, 2020

Think twice before canceling that special parish event or activity! Parish and diocesan events/activities can not only raise money, but they also build community. Join us for a conversation on activities that lead to a more close-knit and committed parish community plus hear about events that have raised significant dollars during the pandemic.

This is the first of our Advancing Our Church: LIVE of Facebook series with Changing Our World co-hosts Jim Friend, Anna Vallez, and Fred Roberts. This week, our team is rejoined by Dave Baranowski, from the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and Mariann Gilbride, CFRE from the Diocese of Camden.

Join us each Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. (ET) on Facebook for our live conversation. View the entire discussion below.

Today’s Show

On today’s show, we replay the October 27, 2020 webinar panel discussion called Advancing Our Parishes Through Challenging Times. During the conversation our panelists discuss ways that parishes and dioceses have successfully engaged parishioners throughout the pandemic; and how these Church leaders have adopted effective strategies for maintaining and improving crucial aspects of parish life, including communications, offertory, and outreach.

Our panel is moderated by Changing Our World‘s Anna Vallez and Fred Roberts with special guests Dave Baranowski, Director of Parish Stewardship and Leadership Formation in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Mariann Gilbride, CFRE, Director of Development for the Diocese of Camden, Rev. Msgr. Paul T. Dotson, Pastor of St. Lawrence Martyr Catholic Church in Redondo Beach, CA, Rev. Rex Hays, Pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Patterson, CA, and Rev. William Hoffman, Pastor of St. Philip Catholic Church in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

If you liked today’s conversation, please join us for Advancing Our Church: LIVE on Facebook in November and December on Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. (ET). Visit our AOC Facebook page to RSVP for this event.

Advancing Our Parishes Through Challenging Times

October 27, 2020

Today’s Show

Shawn Trahan, Senior Managing Director for Changing Our World talks with Msgr. Louis Marucci, about his very successful capital campaign at St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Gibbsboro, New Jersey, and his unique approach to fundraising. The two also discuss his role in the Diocesan Capital Campaign that Changing Our World conducted in partnership with the Diocese of Camden. Shawn Trahan brings over 20 years of fundraising experience in Catholic Philanthropy to this great conversation.

Rev. Msgr. Louis A. Marucci, D.Min

Monsignor Louis Marucci was born in Philadelphia, PA. He grew up in Gibbstown, NJ, and was educated at St. Michael Elementary School and St. James High School in Carney’s Point, NJ. He attended Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, New York, and was ordained on May 23, 1987.  He was named a Chaplain of His Holiness by Pope John Paul II on March 18, 2000, and given the title Reverend Monsignor.

Monsignor Marucci holds four Master’s Degrees and a Doctorate of Ministry.  He received a Master of Divinity Degree from Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, NY, the Master of Arts Degree in Medical Moral Theology from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, PA, the Master of Arts Degree in Philanthropy and Development from The University of St. Mary in Winona, Minnesota and the Master of Science Degree in Church Management from Villanova University in Villanova, PA. In addition, he earned the Doctor of Ministry Degree (Specializing in Medical Moral – End of Life Issues) from The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Monsignor holds the Vatican Diploma for Catechesis and a Certification in Catholic Social Teaching in addition to the Certification in Planned Giving. 

His areas of specialization are in Medical Moral Theology, Organizational Leadership, Strategic Planning, Operational Administration, and Philanthropy & Development.  He was appointed Pastor of St. Andrew the Apostle parish on June 14, 2010. Despite his paralysis, consequential to his diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (six months after he was ordained), he sees every challenge as an opportunity.  Monsignor Marucci loves to ski using adaptive equipment and has a passion for Music as a harpist.  In addition to his Pastoral Ministry at St. Andrew the Apostle, he serves as a consultant to several non-profit organizations assisting in Strategic Planning and the incorporation of “Best Practices” to establish Comprehensive Development Initiatives.

Today’s Show

How do you engage and train clergy to talk about Stewardship? What are the key ingredients to having that conversation with parishioners? How does a Sacramental Worldview come into play?

Join Changing Our World’s panel of experts today as they discuss empowering clergy with the spirituality of stewardship. Our host, Jim Friend participates on the panel with Changing Our World, Managing Directors Mary Doorley Simboski ACFRE, and Fred Roberts, and special guests Tomasz Kierul, Director of Development at St. John’s Seminary in Boston and Anna Schulten, Office of Development in the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. You can find out more about Anna by visiting her website at https://annaschulten.com

Don’t miss our bilingual parish webinar next week…

Today’s Show

In March 2020, Changing Our World‘s client, Chestnut Hill College, located in Chestnut Hill, PA, transitioned its Annual Scholarship Gala into the Hold Hope High Scholarship Challenge, an online event that exceeded all goals. On today’s show, guest Erin Wooley, MBA, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Chestnut Hill College presents the college’s success story as a workshop at the 2020 International Catholic Stewardship Conference. Listen to the audio version of the session or watch the entire presentation on video by scrolling down or clicking here.

About Chestnut Hill College

Established in 1924, Chestnut Hill College (CHC) was founded by the Sisters of Saint Joseph as a Catholic, four-year, liberal arts institution for women, and became co-educational in 2003. Sister Carol Jean Vale, Ph.D., the longest-serving college president in the Greater Philadelphia Area, has boldly led CHC through several transformational times in her 27 years at the helm.

Today, the College’s undergraduate population is a microcosm of the global society, comprised of roughly 60 percent women and 50 percent racial and ethnic minorities. Last Fall, CHC welcomed one of its largest undergraduate classes in more than a decade, with students coming to campus from 11 states, including Virginia, California, and Texas — as well as 14 countries, including Argentina, Tanzania, Korea, and New Zealand.

Providing a values-based education and creating educational opportunities for students from all backgrounds is in the College’s DNA. And while CHC may be small in size, with just over 1,700 students, they have a global footprint. Students graduate ready to lead successful careers and live meaningful lives, and oftentimes, the outcome is a catalyst for positive change in society.

How does a college basketball career turn into lessons about life and faith, and why doesn’t God play Zone Defense? On today’s podcast Jim Friend, Managing Director at Changing Our World goes one on one with Jeff Balistrere, author of the popular book, “God Doesn’t Play Zone Defense” available on Amazon.

Jeff Balistrere was born into a coaching and teaching family. He played college basketball under coaching legend Jim “Bow Tie” Phelan at Mount Saint Mary’s University, where his team made the NCCA and NIT tournaments. After basketball, Jeff continues to enjoy a business career in information technology for both start-up and Fortune 500 companies. Jeff, his wife Margot, and children live in Vienna, VA. For more information about Jeff and his book, please visit his website.

This session was recorded on video using Facebook Live. We invite you to view the recording by visiting the Advancing Our Church Facebook page or by clicking on the link below.

In early 2020, Changing Our World began partnering with St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in East Patchogue, NY on a parish-wide capital campaign in support of improving the accessibility of the church hall and performing capital improvements. On today’s podcast, Shawn Trahan and Joe Jennings from Changing Our World join Jim Friend to discuss the very successful campaign and how the parish adapted to this crisis.

Description

Parish leadership and volunteers were all eager for the church to improve parish facilities, which had been a topic of discussion for many years. The onset of the COVID-19 virus nationwide made it necessary to shift plans for outreach to parishioners, which began to be conducted virtually over the phone and computer video; these were followed by a direct mail appeal, and in-pew solicitations once in-person Mass was reinstated. These creative approaches made it possible to share the details of the projects and invite all families to join the effort, and to raise more than $100,000 in a few weeks. Even better- as of August 2020, St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church has surpassed 107% of its $300,000 challenge goal!

With enthusiasm and excitement of the parish’s recent success, Father Martin Curtin stated, “These are extraordinary times. Our parish waited for 18 years to attempt to make our place handicap accessible. Changing Our World said they could help us address our immediate needs, but it seemed to be a stretch, considering we had just gone through a change in parish leadership, then had to shut down our church due to the health pandemic. Yet, when we relaunched our campaign efforts, our parishioners could not have been more generous, and we exceeded our goal! The Holy Spirit confounds our expectations, and we give thanks that it moves in St. Joseph the Worker.”

For more information about parish campaigns, please visit our website at www.changingourworld.com or listen to one of our other podcasts about “Preparing for a Parish Campaign“.

Questions or ideas for the show? Please contact Jim Friend.