FADICA News

Four key areas studied, eight characteristics identified Washington, DC (June 2, 2020) — Catholic parishes that are welcoming and missionary create real vitality in the life of the parish says a major new study titled, “Open Wide the Doors to Christ: A Study of Catholic Social Innovation for Parish Vitality.” The research was commissioned by FADICA, a unique peer network of philanthropists supporting Catholic activities, and conducted by Marti R. Jewell, D.Min. and Mark Mogilka, MSW, MA “Parishes with vitality send people out in service to others in the community, letting go of parochial barriers,” Dr. Jewell said. “Without denying the challenging realities for many parishes, what we also found was hope-filled parishes, whole communities excited about their parish and their future,” said Mr. Mogilka. “As parishes begin to re-open, we are pleased to be releasing the findings of this timely study,” said Alexia Kelley, FADICA President & CEO. “Perhaps one outcome from this period of pandemic could be that pastors and parish leaders equipped with the study’s findings might find life-giving strategies relevant to their own context,” said Kelley. FADICA’s member Working Group on Church Vitality focused on how Catholic social innovation might foster vitality in U.S. Catholic parishes.  In 2018, FADICA produced a groundbreaking study titled, Catholic Social Innovation in the Global Refugee Crisis.  This second study on parish vitality further articulates the concept of Catholic social innovation. FADICA’s working group chose to focus the research on best practices and innovation in four distinct areas: Welcoming, Young Adults, Lay and Religious Women in Leadership, and Hispanic Ministry. The research entailed a review of more than 200

FADICA’s research on efforts to combat human trafficking, Agents of Awakening: Review of Anti-Human Trafficking Activities at U.S. Catholic Colleges and Universities, was featured in an October story appearing in U.S. Catholic. From the article: “A 2018 report from Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities found that more than half of the 200 U.S. Catholic colleges and universities surveyed conducted some form of anti-trafficking work.”   Another FADICA-backed anti-human trafficking group released a new video chronicling its history. U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking thanked FADICA members for their encouragement and support as they launched. The USCSAHT participated in a meeting in Rome of Talitha Kum, the international network of women religious working to end human trafficking. An officer from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious who represented USCSAHT at the Rome meeting wrote that the group is “thriving thanks in large part to the vision of Margaret Nacke, CSJ, and the support and encouragement of FADICA! We’ve come a long way in five years. Thank you!”

On March 25, FADICA, the Gregorian University Foundation (GUF) and the Leadership Roundtable co-hosted a meeting with Fr. Hans Zollner, SJ, to learn firsthand about the Vatican’s ongoing work to address sexual abuse within the Church.  Fr. Zollner, a theologian and psychologist, is president of the Centre for Child Protection at the Pontifical Gregorian University and a key advisor to Pope Francis on sexual abuse.  He was also part of the organizing team for the February 2019 Vatican meeting of bishops on the Protection of Minors in the Church. At the New York City gathering, Fr. Zollner shared some of the critical next steps in the wake of that global meeting.   The Centre works to build a culture of safety within the Church, and educates and trains church personnel from around the world in safeguarding best practices — through both in person and e-learning programs.  Fr. Zollner described the importance of fully confronting the impact of abuse, a major goal of the February Vatican summit, and at the same time providing safeguarding training and adopting procedures protect minors.  The March gathering emerged from FADICA’s fall 2018 pilgrimage to Rome, during which FADICA members participated in a workshop at the Gregorian University on child protection organized by Fr. Zollner and his Centre and University colleague Sr. Karolin Kuhn.

FADICA’s Board Secretary Karen Rauenhorst (Mark and Karen Rauenhorst Family Foundation) received the first Aim Higher Foundation Award on Sept. 28. The award honors Karen’s national leadership in Catholic education and her commitment to its affordability for students in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. After leading the board of the Aim Higher Foundation since its inception five years ago, Karen was honored by the organization during its annual Night of Light celebration in Minneapolis. Karen also contributes her leadership and expertise through participation in FADICA’s Catholic Schools Affinity Group and in the Catholic School Philanthropy Working Group.

The sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults in the Catholic Church is an outrage. FADICA stands in solidarity with the survivors of sexual abuse and prays for the healing of all victims. We condemn the practices, cultures, and actions that have led to or allowed this abuse to occur. We call for immediate interventions to end sexual abuse and the individual and systemic practices which propagate them. As the Church, the people of God, we affirm that all Catholic organizations and individuals have a responsibility to be part of the solution. As such, FADICA recommits to participate by providing leadership to support the prevention and eradication of sexual abuse in our Church. In the coming months, our community will continue to identify solutions, examine best practices, and endorse actions to address this crisis. A number of FADICA members focus on child protection in their grantmaking and support their grantees – Catholic institutions and diverse nonprofits – in implementing high standards of protection for children and vulnerable adults. We commit to expanding the application of these and other effective models. We reiterate our prayerful solidarity with survivors of sexual abuse. As a community of Catholic philanthropists, FADICA commits to serve as a leader in ensuring the safety of children and vulnerable adults.

FADICA’s Catholic Social Innovation in the Global Refugee Crisis is receiving national and international attention for identifying 64 projects that are Catholic and socially-innovative in the field of refugee and migrant work and ministry. See press coverage including this article by the National Catholic Reporter.

Congratulations to Karla Delgado, FADICA’s student employee from Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School and participant in FADICA’s Philanthropy Leadership Intern Program (PhLIP), for recently receiving first honors in academics and excelling at her Corporate Work Study placement at FADICA.

Recent FADICA speaker Molly Burhans, the 26-year-old Founder and Executive Director of GoodLands, is on a mission to map the global Catholic Church and help local communities learn how to best utilize their land and prepare for natural disasters and combat social issues. By exploring which dioceses are more likely to experience famine or be harmed by rising sea levels GoodLands hopes to open the channels of communication for problem solving and collaboration.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a national Catholic organization that has served people in poverty for over 170 years in the United States. Steeped in the Vincentian charism and an ethos of innovation, the Society serves in 4,400 parishes across the country with 95,000 lay Vincentian volunteers and operates 450 thrift stores. It practices a person-centered approach through programs such as home visits and spiritual development for volunteers, while also utilizing systemic change approaches such as the Bridges out of Poverty and new re-entry initiatives. When Dave Barringer became CEO of the Society’s National Council in 2013, he was attracted to the Society’s unique fusion of tradition and social enterprise, where he felt his faith intersected with his business background and skills—and where he could practice his deeply held values of a personal, local, and faith-based approach in a national setting. In our interview with Dave, we asked him how the Society achieves this balance and to share with us other elements that make the Society unique.  On faith and Vincentian charism FADICA: What is your personal story of how you became involved with the Society? And why did you choose this as your work? Dave Barringer: I found the position of National Council CEO really interesting—it is an intersection of my faith and my business and nonprofit background. In talking about it with my family, I realized the Society is a culture in which I wanted to be, even though the position was in St. Louis and we lived in Washington, DC. It reinforces what I had already thinking about regarding

FADICA held its largest Annual Meeting and Symposium February 9 -11, bringing together over 100 FADICA members representing more than 35 foundations  in Santa Monica, Cali. in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the most diverse archdiocese in the country. Nationally recognized speakers from around the country engaged members through presentations, rich conversations, and innovative models in the fields of homelessness, Catholic education, immigration, human trafficking, and the next generation of Catholic philanthropy. Archbishop José Gómez welcomed and blessed FADICA members and provided a special session on the V Encuentro, which will create 20,000 new pastoral leaders as it discerns best responses to help the Hispanic Latino presence in the U.S. Church. Rev. Gregory J. Boyle, S.J. delivered an inspiring spiritual reflection on his life experience as founder and executive director of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world. Rosanne Haggerty of Community Solutions and Tiziana Dearing of Boston College’s Center for Social Innovation led a thought-provoking discussion on innovative strategies to end homelessness. FADICA Member Roma Downey of LightWorkers Media, Noel Diáz of El Sembrador Ministries, and Matt Meeks of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles inspired members with stories of their Catholic media vocation and visions for Catholic media. FADICA celebrated three Catholic philanthropists by honoring Kathleen McCarthy Kostlan, Robert Smith, and Sr. Sally Duffy, SC for their exemplary contributions to the Church.