Advancing Our Church

We’re back after our summer break with more episodes to advance the mission of our Church. Today, we kick off our new series entitled, +Increasing Generosity. The focus of our series is to share our experiences and best practices of Stewardship and Philanthropy with our listeners through conversations with our incredible team and with the occasional special guest.

This week, join Jim Friend, Thomas Farrell, and Fred Roberts for a conversation on how Catholic Schools, Colleges, Parishes, and Dioceses have successfully raised funds during this crisis.

We hope you enjoy this episode. Please leave us a comment below and tell us how we did or suggest a topic for discussion.

Thank you for your support!

Today’s Show

The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, H.R. 6800, passed the House on May 15, 2020, and in its current format, denies our Catholic Schools access to the proposed $200 billion budget for education funding putting our Catholic Schools at risk of closure. Join us for this panel discussion to learn more about this important topic and what you can do to help.

Click here for resources or click here to write to your legislator.

Our Panelists Include

* Mary Pat Donoghue, Executive Director of the Secretariat of Catholic Education for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops* Kevin Baxter, Chief Innovation Officer, National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)* John Schilling, President, American Federation for Children* Jennifer Daniels, Associate Director for Public Policy, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Funding Crisis for Catholic and Private Schools: Take Action!

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The Funding Crisis for Catholic and Private Schools: Take Action!July 23, 2020

Today’s Show

Catholic School resilience passed the test throughout the COVID-19 crisis through the care, compassion, and attention to the unique needs of every student. This episode is a recording of webinar number four of the “Advancing Our Church Through Challenging Times” series. Our panelists discuss a document that was created by three of our panelists on the unique value proposition of Catholic Schools. Click here for a link to the document.

Our Panelists Include

* Mary Pat Donoghue, Executive Director of the Secretariat of Catholic Education for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops* Dr. Timothy Uhl, Montana Catholic Schools* Dr. Brooke C. Tesche, Diocese of Allentown* Kevin Kijewski, J.D. , Archdiocese of Detroit Catholic Schools

Advancing Our Church Through Challenging Times

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Marketing Catholic School ResilienceJune 11, 2020

Today’s Show

We continue with session three of our series, “Advancing Our Church Through Challenging Times” with our host, Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend leading another experienced panel of experts on the topic of the financial and pastoral implications of re-opening parishes and schools in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. How are dioceses thinking about the metrics required for a successful 2020-21 financial plan? What additional funding strategies will be needed to create that plan for next year? These topics and more will be discussed in this podcast. This panel discussion aired live on our webinar on June 4, 2020.

Our Panelists Include

* Kevin R. Kiley, MSCM, CDFM, Chancellor and Cheif Financial Officer, Diocese of Fall River* Ashley Conley, Director of Parish and School Finance, Archdiocese of Baltimore* Matthew F. Manion, Professor and Faculty Director, The Center for Church Management at the Villanova School of Business* Gavan Mooney, President and Chief Client Officer at Changing Our World

Advancing Our Church Through Challenging Times

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The Financial and Pastoral Implications of Re-Opening Parishes and SchoolsJune 4, 2020

Today’s Show

We continue with session two of our series, “Advancing Our Church Through Challenging Times” with our host, Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend leading an incredible panel of Diocesan Foundations leaders. This week, the panel discusses how Foundations are providing service to donors, parishes, Catholic schools, and ministries in the COVID-19 crisis. What new services are they providing and what unique fundraising opportunities are available in this challenging climate? All this and more on today’s podcast. This panel discussion aired live on our webinar last week, May 28, 2020.

Our Panelists Include

* Patrick Grace, the Executive Director, the Catholic Community Foundation of Cleveland* Anne Cullen Miller, CFRE, President of the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota* Kimberlee Riley, President, and CEO at the Catholic Foundation of Central Florida* William M. McLean, Jr., Chief Development Officer and Interim Executive Director at the Hartford Bishops’ Foundation, Inc.

For more information and to register for next week’s final webinar in this series, click here. Our topic will be Catholic Education.

Advancing Our Church Through Challenging Times

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Today’s Show

Join us as we kick off our mini-series “Advancing Our Church Through Challenging Times” with our first session, “Engaging Young Adults.” The impact of COVID-19 has been felt by all ages, but how has the pandemic affected young adults? What will be the impact on Church engagement? Can we build a bridge between generations as we protect those who are most vulnerable? We discuss these questions and much more with our expert panel.

Our Panelists

Join our expert panel of ministry leaders for this critical discussion, featuring: Peter Blute, Vice President for the national office of Young Catholic Professionals, Paul Edward Jarzembowski, Director for Youth and Young Adult Ministries, Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Nicole Perone, Archdiocesan Director of Adult Faith Formation, Archdiocese of Hartford and Fr. Ryan Lerner, Chaplain of the St. Thomas More Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale University.

To sign up for our live webinar series, please click here.

Advancing Our Church Through Challenging Times

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Session One Recap:

Download the recap as a PDF

On Today’s Show:

How are pastor’s thinking about COVID-19 through the global pandemic? What are some of the best practices that are being developed in parishes to reach out to the faithful? Today, Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend talks with Fr. Don Zeiler, Pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Community in McKinney, Texas. Fr. Don talks about how his parish has adapted their services to meet the needs of their community throughout this crisis.

St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Community

In 1996 a new Catholic parish in McKinney was established with word came that Fr. Greg Kelly (now Bishop Greg Kelly) had been assigned as pastor. Regular weekend Masses began on July 28, 1996 meeting in various MISD schools. In December 1996 the community received its official name, St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Community. Fr. Don Zeiler was welcomed as the second Pastor of St. Gabriel during the Masses on January 20, 2008.

The fundraising campaign, “Raising the Walls”, kicked off in the fall of 2013, led by Changing Our World. With input from parishioners and the Executive Committee and guided by the vision of Fr. Don for the church to be a teaching and evangelizing tool, the drawings and plans for our Permanent Worship Space were designed. The parish officially broke ground for the new sanctuary on May 15, 2016.

The new church home is now a reality! They dedicated the church and altar on February 23, 2019. The founding pastor, Bishop Greg Kelly celebrated the Mass, and it was a truly special moment for the parish.

Join Us for “Advancing Our Church Through Challenging Times”

On Thursday, May 21st at 11:00 AM EDT we will launch a webinar series to assist parishes, Catholic schools, dioceses, and Catholic nonprofits to advance their mission through the COVID-19 crisis. Our first session will be “Engaging Young Adults” The impact of COVID-19 has been felt by all ages, but how has the pandemic affected young adults? What will be the impact on Church engagement? Can we build a bridge between generations as we protect those who are most vulnerable? What are the long-range implications for our Church, and how long can we endure in a virtual environment? Join our expert panel of ministry leaders for this critical discussion, featuring Peter Blute, Vice President, Young Catholic Professionals, Paul Edward Jarzembowski, Director for Youth and Young Adult Ministries Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Nicole M. Perone, Archdiocesan Director of Adult Faith Formation, Archdiocese of Hartford. Register Now

Catholic Schools are leading the way through COVID-19 with the use of technology, training, and support. Today, Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend talks with Bill Brannick, the Director of Technology for the PreK – Grade 12 in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Bill discusses how his team prepared for homeschool learning and then quickly transitioned to this new reality after the stay at home order became effective. Learn how the Archdiocese has been making steady progress over the years to improve educational technology, provide learning support and coaching for their teachers, and how some benefactors have gotten involved in recent months.

About Bill Brannick

Professional Goal: To leverage technology to provide the effective and efficient delivery of enhanced student learning outcomes, innovation, and student creativity while also streamlining the day-to-day operations of the 122 elementary schools, 17 high schools and 4 schools of special education.

Experience

* Business/Technology teacher at Monsignor Bonner* Assistant Principal at Monsignor Bonner overseeing sports and extracurricular activities* Acting Principal of Monsignor Bonner.* The principal of Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School. Strong focus on technology in the classroom* Launched the first 1:1 iPad program in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Schools

Education

* BS – Communications (minor in Business), Penn State University* MA – Educational Leadership, Neumann University

Personal Note: Bill is an avid (four for four) Philadelphia sports fan and a previous 10-year Eagles season ticket holder. Married since 2011 to Dana, with whom he has three children, Will, Layla and Luke

Archdiocese of Philadelphia Catholic Schools

As America’s first Catholic schools, their background spans many momentous periods throughout the history of the southeastern Pennsylvania region.

Late 1700s    The first AOPS Catholic school is established at St. Mary Parish in Philadelphia, the second church built in the city.

1830-1851    Bishop Francis Kenrick begins the first push for a wider network of Catholic schools.

1851-1860    St. John Neumann calls for and oversees the opening of 17 elementary schools in Philadelphia.

1890        The first Catholic high school for young men is established.

Click here to learn more

On Today’s Podcast

Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend welcomes Melodie Whitenbach to the podcast this week. Melodie is the Executive Director for the Barbara and Patrick Roche Center for Catholic Education at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College. Melodie talks about how she got interested in a career in Catholic Education, her recent trip to Rome to dialogue with other Catholic School leaders, and her plans for the Roche Center moving forward.

About Melodie Whitenbach

Melodie Wyttenbach, Ph.D., serves as the Executive Director for the Roche Center for Catholic Education and is a faculty member for the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. Melodie’s professional leadership experiences in the Catholic sector include serving as an Assistant Professor and Academic Director of the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program for the Alliance for Catholic Education at the University of Notre Dame, as President of Nativity Jesuit Academy, and Director of Mission Effectiveness for the NativityMiguel Network of Schools, in Washington, DC. Melodie presents nationally on topics such as Catholic School Governance and Effective Board Management, Strategic Planning, Development and Enrollment Management Strategies, and Making Schools Culturally Competent for New and Existing Latino Families. She recently published a text with Dr. Mickey Fenzel of Loyola University Maryland, titled Responding to the Call for Educational Justice: Transformative Catholic-Led Initiatives in Urban Education. Melodie serves as the Chair for the Catholic Special Interest Group with the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and is a member of the Leadership Development Advisory Council for the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). Melodie received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, her Masters degrees in Educational Administration from Marquette University and Education from Mount Mary College. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Saint Louis University in Environmental Science.

Today’s Podcast

Holy Week 2020, during a COVID-19, crisis has sparked new creativity and a missionary spirit in parishes across the country. Today Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend talks with two missionary disciples who oversee two of the largest dioceses in the country.

Archbishop Nelson Perez is the new Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (Feb 2020). Archbishop Perez talks with us about his first couple of months in Philadelphia and both his surprise and happiness to be called to lead his home diocese. Archbishop Perez also speaks about a new virtual Lenten Retreat, which has been held nightly in service to parishes. Archbishop Perez recently transferred from the Diocese of Cleveland.

Bishop John Barres just completed his third year as Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Bishop Barres talks with us about his new pastoral letter, The Great Week, which you can download here and how it is being used by other dioceses to serve the faithful’s spiritual needs during this time of quarantine. Bishop Barres also talks about how families can use this time of quarantine to draw closer and deepen relationships.

FORGING FORWARD

Don’t miss Changing Our World: The Podcast this spring for continuing coverage of the webinar series FORGING FORWARD, a virtual philanthropic conference designed to bring you nonprofit experts from around the country who are leading through the COVID-19 crisis.

Please sign up for the live FORGING FORWARD virtual conference every Friday.