February 2019 Dear Friends in Christ Blessed are you: Our Catholic Appeal 2019 has begun! Each year, The Catholic Foundation partners with our pastors and generous donors like you on a campaign to share the Lord’s blessings with every parish, ministry and school in the Diocese of Orlando. This month, the Appeal launched and we were busy serving and connecting with our community in various ways: We sponsored five Deanery lunches to support the Appeal, held two Planned Giving seminars, and conducted a focus group to learn how to better serve our Catholic community. We look forward to continue partnering with you to make 2019 another blessed year in our Diocese.
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord. – Jer 17:7
To make a gift to Our Catholic Appeal (OCA), please click here. To learn more about OCA, please click here.
The OCA video can be viewed in English by clicking here. The OCA video in Spanish is here.
In the community: Our Catholic Appeal Deanery Luncheons 
The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida recently sponsored five lunches to partner with pastors and parish staff throughout the Diocese and prepare for OCA 2019. The efforts were led by Rosie Camous, Administrative Coordinator for Development & Events; Marta Sweeney, Director of Annual Giving; and Kimberlee Riley, the Foundation’s President.
- Deanery 4: Jan. 29: St. John the Evangelist (Viera)
- Deanery 2: Jan. 30: Annunciation Catholic Church (Altamonte Springs)
- Deanery 5: Feb. 1: St. Peter Catholic Church (DeLand)
- Deanery 1: Feb. 5: St. Paul Catholic Church (Leesburg)
- Deanery 3: Feb. 6: Church of the Resurrection (Lakeland)
In the community: St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church (Wildwood)
We welcomed more than 120 people on Feb. 8 at our Planned Giving seminar at St. Vincent de Paul. Topics included:
- Catholic End-of-Life Medical Care
- Health Care Surrogate
- Catholic Funeral Rites
- Funeral Preparation
In the community: Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church (Deltona) We welcomed 43 people on Feb. 26 at our Planned Giving seminar at Our Lady of the Lakes. Topics included:
- Wills & Estates
- Financial Planning
- Catholic Legacy Planning
In the community: St. Andrew Catholic Church (Orlando) As part of a broad strategic-planning process, The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida is studying ways to better serve Catholics throughout the Diocese of Orlando whose primary language is not English. Per this effort, Foundation staff this month held a focus group and surveyed more than 40 St. Andrew parishioners in Creole. To learn more about this community effort, please click here.
In the community: Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Metro Orlando Catholic Foundation staff hold a member plaque at their orientation meeting at the Hispanic Chamber. The Foundation this year joined the Hispanic Chamber as part of a broader strategy to build community partnerships. 
Upcoming Events: Statewide Stewardship Day (Miami) Saturday, May 04, 2019. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hilton Miami Downtown 1601 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, FL 33132 
For more information or to register for the Statewide Stewardship Day, please visit: www.adomdevelopment.org/statewidestewardshipday June: Investor Conference: We are pleased to invite you and your colleagues to our 2019 Investor Conference on June 12 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Celebration. Our expert speakers will share perspectives about:
- 2019 economic outlook
- Faith-based investing and social screening
- Family philanthropy
We invite:
- Donors who wish to live their faith through philanthropy
- Pastors, parish staff and finance council members responsible for stewarding the gifts of parishioners
- Professional advisers interested in providing additional value to their philanthropic Catholic clients
We will have one more investor event in 2019:
- October 10 at St. Teresa of Avila in Titusville
To RSVP for the Investor Conference, please click here. Or you can call Betty Torres at 407-246-4889. Thank you! 