Advancing Our Church

Faith in the Future Celebrates its 5th Anniversary

In 2012 the Archdiocese of Philadelphia signed an historic management agreement with the Faith in the Future Foundation granting oversight of 17 Catholic High Schools and four schools of Special Education.  Archbishop Chaput’s bold move engaged the laity in this first of a kind partnership that captured the attention of the entire country.   This episode visits Faith in the Future 5 years after the signing of the agreement giving us an update on the progress, the challenges and the road ahead.  

This is a very special episode because it gives me the opportunity to introduce my listeners to the Foundation for which I serve as the Chief Development Officer. Today’s show will give you background on how Faith in the Future was founded, the basic principles of the management agreement and the progress we’ve made to serve Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.  For more information about Faith in the Future, please visit our publications page. 

About Faith in the Future

Founded in April 2012 as an independent not-for-profit organization, Faith in the Future grew out of the recommendations of the 2011 Blue Ribbon Commission to confront the challenges of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. As a result of its historic management agreement with the Archdiocese, Faith in the Future has strategic and operational control of 17 high schools and four schools of special education, and oversees the Office of Catholic Education to serve as its operational arm in support of the schools. Now, 5 years later, a renaissance in Catholic Education has blossomed in the Philadelphia Archdiocese. With a solid track record and an early renewal on their management agreement, Faith in the Future makes plans to continue to build on its success and provide a high quality Catholic Education to every child that desires it.

More to Come!

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Parish Stewardship Committees

Today’s topic is forming Parish Stewardship Committees with our guest, Jim Kelley.  We invited Jim because he is an expert on the subject of Stewardship. Jim discusses the focus of Stewardship in a parish and the profile of someone who would join the committee. Jim explains their roles and responsibilities along with the “five M’s” of building a network of resources.  He outlines all of these ideas in a power point presentation that you can download by clicking here. 

About Jim Kelley

Jim is the Director of Development in the Diocese of Charlotte and the Executive Director of their Catholic Foundation. Mr. Kelley is the author of several books on Stewardship and a national presenter on the topic. Jim served as president on the board of the International Catholic Stewardship Conference.  Jim was the 2000 recipient of the Bishop Connare Award from ICSC. Because of the demand for his experience, Jim has traveled around the world teaching stewardship to parishioners in many different countries. You can reach Jim at (704) 370-3301 or [email protected]

In 1992 the United States Bishops published their pastoral document, Stewardship a Disciples Response. Click here to download the PDF.

Join us on the floor of the convention center for the 2017 Convocation of Catholic Leaders in Orlando, Florida.  I interviewed many participants of the gathering from all over the country.  It was exciting to hear the hopes and expectations of those who traveled to this unprecedented event. Participants ranged from vendors, students, volunteers, and many experts.  

This episode is an interesting listen because of the varied perspectives and views of those interviewed. In this episode, I become the “man on the street” who approaches participants with a microphone in hand. One constant in these interviews was the excitement and enthusiasm for our faith. 

About the Convocation: 

On July 1-4, 2017, the USCCB gathered leaders from Catholic organizations to discuss the challenges and opportunities for our Church. The conference assembled Catholic leaders for a strategic conversation on the topic of forming disciples and engaging the laity. Never before had such a gathering been 

This week we are joined by Michael Brough, Director of Strategic Engagement for the Leadership Roundtable.  The Leadership Roundtable promotes best practices and accountability in the Church. They bring expertise in the management, finances, communications, and human resources development. They are also a strong supporter of incorporating the expertise of the laity in the Church. Michael and I talk about the Roundtable’s work on many levels including dioceses, parishes, schools and Catholic organizations.

We will also talk about the Roundtable’s annual meeting at the end of June in Orlando which is a prelude to the USCCB’s Convocation of Leaders meeting to be held that same week.

Michael Brough works with senior Catholic executives and Church leaders to promote best practices in Church management and leadership. He developed Leadership Roundtable’s Catholic Standards for Excellence program. Michael is certified by the Center for Creative Leadership to deliver the Catholic Leadership 360 assessment and development tool.

Michael offers 26 years of professional ministry in the Catholic Church.  He has worked with and trained lay ecclesial ministers and priests in dioceses across the United States and twelve different countries. Michael has also served as a consultant to Catholic nonprofits, boards, foundations, and other institutions. Previously, he was executive director of RENEW International. Michael began his career as an educator in Catholic High Schools and for SCIAF (Caritas Scotland).

Michael received his MA in Social Anthropology from St Andrews University, Scotland and his Masters of Pastoral Studies from Loyola University, New Orleans. He has qualifications in clinical and pastoral counseling and education.

Michael is from Edinburgh, Scotland and now lives in New Jersey, with his wife and their three daughters.

Msgr. J. Brian Bransfield, General Secretary of the USCCB talks about the Convocation of Leaders

We are honored by our guest this week, Msgr. J. Brian Bransfield is the General Secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and we talk about the upcoming Convocation of Leaders to be held July 1-4 in Orlando, Florida. This summer, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will be convening an unprecedented gathering of key leaders from dioceses and Catholic organizations from all across the country in order to assess the challenges and opportunities of our time, particularly in the context of the Church in the United States. This has been an ongoing initiative of the Bishops’ Working Group on the Life and Dignity of the Human Person. The gathering will assemble Catholic leaders for a strategic conversation, under the leadership of the bishops, on forming missionary disciples to animate the Church and to engage the culture.

Reverend Monsignor J. Brian Bransfield is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was elected general secretary of the USCCB during their Fall General Assembly, November 17, 2015.  Ordained in 1994, Msgr. Bransfield holds a doctorate in moral theology from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. He is the author of several books, most recently Life Everlasting: The Mystery and the Promise.

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Let’s talk about Stewardship!

Meet Jim Lanahan, Director of Development for the Diocese of Camden. In my conversation with Jim we talk about implementing Stewardship and Development in a diocesan setting. Jim Lanahan brings a life-time career to fundraising. He has served in the Diocese of Camden for the past 17 years.

What is Stewardship? How do we relate to our donors, board members and parishes the importance of adopting a spirituality centered around the 1992 Bishop’s Pastoral document, Stewardship: A Disciples Response? Making a connection between our faith and our need to give is at the heart of being a good steward.

Jim and I begin our conversation around team building and a program we both used called Strength Finders by the Gallup Organization.  We talk about staff development, organizing around your annual development plan and how the Holy Spirit can play a role to inspire our work.

We are so grateful to you for your prayers and support of Advancing Our Church.  Please leave a voicemail using Speak Pipe.  We’d love to hear from you. Please help us by retweeting our show or repost our episode on Facebook.  Please follow our show on Twitter @AdvancePodcast or join our Facebook Group.

Interview with John Foster, Class of 2012

This week we continue our two-part episode of the 2011 merger that created Berks Catholic High School.  We interview John Foster, a 2012 graduate and a member of the first senior class.  John was a Junior at Reading Central Catholic High School when he heard the news that his school would merge with Holy Name High School.

John participated as part of the student council and the transition team to form Berks Catholic. As the President of the Inaugural Senior Class, John’s has an impressive perspective on the transition and his role.  John’s 16-year formation in Catholic education inspired him to stay active and become an advocate for Catholic schools.  John and his classmates will celebrate their 5-year class reunion this summer.

Six years ago, as a member of the transition team, John spoke out as an advocate for the new Berks Catholic High School and even then he was a student who stood out among the crowd.  See YouTube Video Part One and Part Two of John’s witness for Berks Catholic back in 2011.

Read an article by WFMZ about Berks Catholic’s exciting expansion project.

Our story today is about the successful formation of Berks Catholic High School in Reading, Pennsylvania (Diocese of Allentown), a co-ed high school formed in 2011 through the merger of Reading Central Catholic and Holy Name high schools. Both of the former high schools had proud traditions and tremendous legacies. But the new school exceeded all expectations and defied the odds.  In this episode, I interview Tony Balistrere, Principal and his colleagues Nicole Smith, Admissions Director and Fr. Gene Ritz, the school’s Chaplain as we discuss why they now have an enrollment that exceeds the combined enrollment of the two previous schools combined.

Tony and I begin by discussing the early days of the transition team, the formation of the school, how the school has remained successful through enrollment and development and the work of the board of directors.  Tony’s insights on how to connect alumni from the two previous schools with the current mission of Berks Catholic has proven very successful in raising over $5 million for their capital campaign less than five years since the merger. 

Berks Catholic High School centers on four pillars: God, Family, Academics and Fun. As a vibrant Christ-centered community, the dedicated Administration, Faculty, and Staff provide a challenging academic environment for a diverse population of young men and women. Through Christian principles rooted in the Catholic tradition, they strive to positively impact students spiritually, intellectually, socially, physically and emotionally, so they can live productive lives of service in this world and attain eternal life.

Next week, we interview Mr. John Foster, Berks Catholic class of 2012.  John served as a member of the Berks Catholic Transition Team during the merger, and he has some great insights as he and his former classmates get ready to celebrate their 5-year reunion. 

“The Priesthood is the Love of the Heart of Jesus”

Interview with Msgr. Andrew Baker, S.T.D., Rector and VP, Mount Saint Mary’s University

St. John Vianney said “The Priesthood is the Love of the Heart of Jesus.” This week, Advancing Our Church travels to Emmitsburg, Maryland, the home of the Seminary at Mount St. Mary’s University. Our latest episode features Msgr. Andrew Baker, the Rector of the Seminary and a Vice President of the University. 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.

Msgr. Baker shares with us his philosophy and strategy for running a seminary that receives seminarians from all around the United States. We talk about marketing, fundraising and how we can all encourage vocations.  No surprise, it’s all about relationships.  I worked with Msgr. Baker just a few years ago when we both served in the Diocese of Allentown and I talked with him about how he managed to run such a successful debt reduction campaign while he was pastor of the Cathedral in Allentown. Stick around for that story because Msgr. Baker offers some great thoughts on his role as pastor which can be applied to any leader who is thinking about a fundraising campaign.

“The Priesthood is the Love of the Heart of Jesus”

Interview with Msgr. Andrew Baker, S.T.D., Rector and VP, Mount Saint Mary’s University

St. John Vianney said “The Priesthood is the Love of the Heart of Jesus.” This week, Advancing Our Church travels to Emmitsburg, Maryland, the home of the Seminary at Mount St. Mary’s University. Our latest episode features Msgr. Andrew Baker, the Rector of the Seminary and a Vice President of the University. 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.

Msgr. Baker shares with us his philosophy and strategy for running a seminary that receives seminarians from all around the United States. We talk about marketing, fundraising and how we can all encourage vocations.  No surprise, it’s all about relationships.  I worked with Msgr. Baker just a few years ago when we both served in the Diocese of Allentown and I talked with him about how he managed to run such a successful debt reduction campaign while he was pastor of the Cathedral in Allentown. Stick around for that story because Msgr. Baker offers some great thoughts on his role as pastor which can be applied to any leader who is thinking about a fundraising campaign.