Dear Friends in Christ,
Greetings from The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida! We look forward to engaging Catholic leaders like you each month to share news and provide information about how your generous gifts transform lives within the Diocese of Orlando.
We hope you enjoy this newsletter designed for Catholic leaders like you. If you have a Catholic story to share in our newsletter, or want to recommend newsletter topics, please email your story or ideas to Ralph Gerena at rgerena@cfocf.org. If you don’t want to receive this monthly newsletter, please click on the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of this email. May God bless you and your loved ones.
10 Years of Stewardship
$438.3 Million
Through the generosity of our donors, the Foundation stewards resources for the Diocese of Orlando. Since its founding in 2007, the Foundation has helped to raise more than $438 million*. This has provided our parishes, schools and Diocesan entities with the resources to offer health, housing and food assistance to people in need, faith formation experiences for Catholic children and adults, and necessary renovations and expansions of our churches and community centers. These resources also foster Catholic School education, prepare seminarians for the priesthood and support retired priests.
*Figure as of 04/30/18
Transforming Lives
“God has opened doors”
– Luis Gonzalez
Luis Gonzalez and Lourdes Cruz
Last September, when Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico with Category 5 winds, it effectively turned off the lights on the people and economy of this mountainous island with Catholic roots stretching 500 years. Many hotels – which are major tourism employers for the island – will remain shut until 2019. The result? Nearly 200,000 people including Luis Gonzalez and Lourdes Cruz left Puerto Rico in the last quarter of 2017 to find work in the U.S. In Central Florida, the married couple was on the verge of homelessness and preparing to live in their car. But a housing grant managed by Catholic Charities of Central Florida helped Gonzalez and Cruz—both of whom work —secure a one-bedroom apartment in South Orlando. Without timely housing assistance from the Catholic community, “we would have been sleeping in the car,” Gonzalez said. “God has opened doors.” Through its endowments, The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida provides vital support to 27 ministries including Catholic Charities. In response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria, The Catholic Foundation in November made two additional distributions to Catholic Charities of Central Florida totaling $67,000 for hurricane support. Also, the Foundation’s Board of Directors in November approved an additional $66,000 distribution to the Office of Schools for tuition assistance to displaced Puerto Rican students at nine diocesan Catholic schools.
Meet our New Leaders
See the “Our People” our web page at www.cfocf.org/who-we-are/our-people to learn more about them.
Kimberlee Riley, President
Kimberly Langlais, Vice President of Advancement
Dana SwansonWalker, Director of Data Management
Save The Date
September 8, 2018 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Diocesan Convocation: The Gift of Sacred Mystery
A day of reflection on the Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist
Rosen Shingle Creek 9939 Universal Blvd. Orlando
RSVP https://giftofsacredmystery.eventbrite.com
May 4, 2019
Statewide Stewardship Conference (Miami, FL)
More details to come
Planning Your Catholic Legacy
Please let us know if you have already included your parish, school or ministry in the Diocese of Orlando in your estate plan by clicking this link. We would be honored to include you in our Vivos Christi Society, which celebrates and honors those who have created a Catholic legacy for the future of our local Church through the beautiful gesture of a planned gift. To properly thank you, Bishop John Noonan would like to invite you to this fall’s annual Vivos Christi Society induction and reception. If you would like more information about ways to leave a Catholic legacy, please click this link.
Reflections on Stewardship
Jesus was the perfect steward, giving thanks just before he gave Himself for our salvation. In the Eucharist, we become one with Him and can follow his example, giving some of our time, talent and treasure to continue His work on earth.
In Memory of Albert Hackl
Please pray for the Hackl family. Mr. Albert Hackl and his wife, Christine, are known for their generous donations to our Catholic community. In our Diocese, they established permanent endowments to support Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Lake Wales, and for charity in Polk County, FL