U.S. Ambassador Joe Donnelly
While in Rome, the Papal Foundation Stewards and their families visit with U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Joe Donnelly.
Papal Foundation Visits Rome
This article is by Hannah Brockhaus , Catholic News Agency
Rome, Italy - The Papal Foundation, a U.S.-based organization that provides funding for Catholic projects around the world, was in Rome, Italy last week for its annual pilgrimage and meeting with Pope Francis.
The foundation, founded 35 years ago in response to a wish from St. John Paul II, was in Rome, Italy with 40 stewards and their families.
Stewards donate their personal money to support projects specifically identified and requested by the pope, who is made aware of needs through his nuncios, or ambassadors, around the world.
The Papal Foundation examined the 141 requests for 2023 and will give the Vatican $9.5 million to fund 114 grants in 57 countries.
The foundation will also provide approximately $4.8 million in scholarships and humanitarian aid in 2023.
The group meet with Pope Francis on Friday April 21, 2023, to share with him the chosen projects and renew its commitment to supporting his desired charitable efforts.
“The foundation really looks for projects to fund in developing countries so that we can reach the most vulnerable and the poorest,” Dave Savage, the foundation’s executive director, told CNA in Rome.
The grants and scholarships support a variety of efforts, including many construction and renovation projects for schools, churches, seminaries, hospitals, pastoral centers, and orphanages in the developing world.
The president of the charity’s board of trustees, Eustace Mita, told CNA “This is the pope’s only pocket, if you will, that he can use as a resource for all these requests that he gets worldwide.”
On Tuesday April 18, 2023, members of the foundation were able to visit one of the grant recipients: the Casa Scalabrini.
The Casa Scalabrini, which has four centers across Italy, including in Rome, houses immigrants and refugees while helping them transition into integration in the country.
Another grant recipient is A Family of Families, an organization in Quito, Ecuador, that provides education, job training, food programs, and health care to about 400 struggling families.
EWTN News created a half-hour documentary about the work of A Family of Families that will be available to watch on the EWTN YouTube page later this week and will air on the “Vaticano” program starting the end of May.
Mita, the board president, said the Papal Foundation is partnering with media such as EWTN News to make the availability of the charity’s resources better known around the world.
“Probably the main reason,” Mita said, “is that even though we’re over 30 years old, the Papal Foundation has been very quiet in [its] philanthropy.”
“And the reason that we’d like to get it out now, and we partnered with media, is ... [so that] all the different countries that we serve know that the Papal Foundation exists, so that they can take advantage, we can get more grant requests, and really just get out to the people who need these grants the most all over the world.”
Executive director Savage said “sometimes people think maybe the foundation prioritizes what it wants to fund ... meaning our trustees or the laypeople [decide], but really, it’s what the pope wants. We don’t have an agenda.”
“The list comes from the pope every year and then we go through his list,” he added.
“Part of the reason why it’s called the Papal Foundation, in addition to the history, is it’s really the pope’s priority that we’re responding to.”
Philadelphian Joins Papal Foundation’s Board of Trustees
Cosmo DeNicola of Philadelphia was elected as a Steward of St. Peter to the Papal Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
The Papal Foundation has announced the election of three Stewards of St. Peter to its Board of Trustees and one of them is a Philadelphian.
In a Jan. 30 announcement from the foundation, Cosmo DeNicola of Philadelphia was named as a Steward of St. Peter to its Board of Trustees for a three-year term.
Established in 1988, the Chester-based foundation is the only one in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to fulfilling the requests of the Holy Father for the needs of the Church.
In his role, DeNicola will be instrumental in overseeing The Papal Foundation’s grant making and scholarship awards. He has also been elected to serve on the foundation’s Grants Review Committee.
DeNicola, a parishioner of St. John Baptist Vianney Parish in Gladwyne, is the Chairman of Cosmo DeNicola Companies. He grew up in the city’s Port Richmond section where he attended Mother of Divine Grace School followed by Northeast Catholic High School.
Others elected to the Board of Trustees include Paul Hill, Executive Chairman of The Hill Companies from Regina, SK, Canada, and Tim Ristoff, Chairman and CEO at TriVista Business Group from Ladera Ranch, California.
“Our mission is to support projects the Holy See deems most important around the world,” said Dave Savage, Executive Director, “whether it be to educate and prepare leaders or care for the most vulnerable, young and old.”
Eustace Mita, President of the Board of Trustees of The Papal Foundation, said “We are delighted to have Paul, Tim, and Cosmo join our Board of Trustees. Their diverse expertise and rich experiences in business and serving their communities will provide insight on how our organization can best support the poorest of the poor communities around the globe.”
Since its inception in 1988, The Papal Foundation has allocated more than $200 million to more than 2000 projects selected by Popes Francis, Benedict, and Saint John Paul II, as well as scholarships that enable lay and religious leaders to study in Rome.
“As members of the Catholic Church, we are called to love our neighbor, and that means all people, Catholic and non-Catholics, around the globe,” said Savage.
To learn more about the new Board of Trustees for the Papal Foundation, visit https://www.thepapalfoundation.org/foundation-board-elects-new-trustees-officers/.
Steward Families Gather for Washington DC Annual Meeting
Washington, DC - Stewards, family, friends and Papal Foundation staff on Monday after Mass with Archbishop Timothy Broglio and Bishop Joe Coffey in the Archdiocese for the Military Service’s chapel.
The Stewards of Saint Peter gathered in our nation’s capital December 4-6 for fellowship, to join in prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist and to conduct important fiundation business. The Willard Intercontinental Hotel, which was adorned in Christmas Decorations, was once again host to the event.
The meeting kicked off Sunday night with a beautiful Mass at Saint Matthews’s Cathedral and continued with more than 30 Stewards, friends, and Foundation staff at a delicious dinner at Mastro’s where conversations around each table focused on how so many Stewards have made overseas mission trips in 2022.
Monday began with Reconciliation and Mass hosted by Archdiocese for the Military Services in their beautiful chapel. Our host for the morning, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, recently elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, held a Q & A session during which Stewards askes a wide range of questions.
Upon returning from Mass, Stewards were treated to a luncheon presentation by Majorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, in which she provided a post–election and post-Dobbs analysis of the state of the pro-life movement’s efforts to build a culture of life throughout the country.
For many of the Foundation’s Trustees, the luncheon was followed by Investment committee and Grants Review committee meetings. But many Stewards took advantage of an optional tour of the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the campus of The Catholic University of America.
Dinner at the Willard included an update on the Foundation’s activities from yours truly, but the highlight of the evening was a moving presentation by Steward and Mission Fund committee chairman Jim Towey, who spoke about his many years of friendship and work with Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Jim recently published a book about his times with Saint Mother.
Tuesday kicked off with Gospel refection lead by Eustace Mita, followed by Mass celebrated by Father Aquinas Guilbeau, O.P., University and Director of Campus Ministry chaplain for Catholic University.
Following Mass, a breakfast buffet followed and Brian Burch, president of Catholic Vote, provided Stewards with an analysis for the 2022 Senate and House election results, along with a preview of what’s ahead for issues of interest of Catholics.
A group of stewards then took part in a tour of the Saint John Paul II Shrine, while another group of Stewards participated in Development committee meetings before heading over to the Apostolic Nunciature for the Board of Trustees meeting. The Board meeting was followed by a beautiful joyous reception and dinner, hosted by the Papal Nucio, Archbishop Christophe Pierre. Foundation President Eustace Mita served as a master of ceremonies and Foundation Vice Chairman Rob Neal offered a toast to the Holy Father.
The Board of Trustees elected Stewards Paul Hill, Tim Ristoff and as Cosmo DeNicola Trustees to three-year terms, and also approved the annual slate of officers and committee members.
It was wonderful to see so many Stewards of Saint Peter together, and Jim, Jane, John, Sharon, Ian and I were blessed to be with them too!
We are grateful to Archbishop Christophe Pierre and his team for their generous hospitality throughout the day and into the evening on Tuesday!
The excitement at our meeting in Washington provided so many reasons to feel blessed this Advent season!