The Valley Catholic November 19, 2019 | Page 4

4 COMMUNITY November 19, 2019 | The Valley Catholic Legacy of Faith Major Gifts Campaign for the Diocese Exceeds $21 million By Joe Naylor, Chief Development Officer, Diocese of San José On October 22, at the home of Dan and Charmaine Warmenhoven, both Bishop Oscar Cantú and Bishop Patrick McGrath presented recognition awards to the donors who collectively contrib- uted over $21 million to the Diocese’s Legacy of Faith Major Gifts Campaign. The evening began with an opening prayer given by Monsignor Eugene O’Donnell, who shared how God has kept the legacy of faith alive by sending good shepherds for the local church of San José. During the Legacy of Faith Major Gifts Campaign that began over two years ago, Bishop McGrath met with over twenty major supporters of the Diocese. The focus of the campaign was to meet the growing needs of the Dio- cese and ensure that the Diocese’s future will remain vibrant and flourishing. The campaign focused on four areas: • Our Future - Nurturing the Next Generation of Catholics Through More Accessible Religious Educa- tion and Faith-Based Development: Providing tuition aid and training endowments, and supporting school infrastructure. • Our Formation - Sharing the Joy of the Gospel and Celebrating our Bishop Emeritus Patrick J. McGrath, left and Bishop Oscar Cantú join Rita and Joe Krackeler at the Legacy of Faith event. Bishop Emeritus Patrick J. McGrath, left and Bishop Oscar Cantú join Anne and Steve Milligan at the Legacy of Faith event. Charmaine and Dan Warmenhoven join Bishop Emeritus Patrick J. McGrath and Bishop Oscar Cantú at the Legacy of Faith event. Faith to Ensure a Thriving Future, Together in Christ: Supporting leader- ship and faith formation, and Youth and Young Adult Ministry. • Our Faith - Preparing Young Men to Answer the Call of the Lord, and Supporting Those Who Have Given a Lifetime of Service: Supporting vo- cations to the Priesthood and Priests Retirement. • Bishop Patrick J. McGrath Endow- ment Fund - Leaving a Legacy of Com- passion, Inclusion, and Commitment to Our Vibrant Catholic Community: Providing resources for Lay Leadership, Family Life, and Clergy Leadership. The co-chairs for this successful cam- paign included Monsignor O’Donnell, Charmaine Warmenhoven, and Paul Gentzkow. The committee was com- prised of Bishop Oscar Cantú, Bishop Patrick McGrath, Father Ritche Bueza, Howard Graham, Joe Krackeler, Anne Milligan, Father John Poncini, Father Thuc Si Ho, John M. Sobrato and Father Walter Suárez. During the reception, Bishop Mc- Grath thanked everyone for their sup- port during his 20 years of service to the Diocese and for their tremendous generosity to the campaign. He shared that “I believe in the importance of endowment to invigorate and sustain ministry. As we grow our local church, the key to our vibrancy will be the strength and contribution of lay lead- ers, families, and clergy.” Bishop Cantú shared his commit- ment to stewarding the funds and ensuring that they are utilized to help the Diocese continue to thrive. Regard- ing the funds for vocations, he said, “A culture of vocations plants seeds of pos- sibilities – religious priests and sisters, lay ministers, and stronger families.” He thanked Ron and Ann Hallagan for establishing the Guardian Angel Program (GAP) which, this year, has provided tuition assistance enabling 79 children from Transitional Kindergar- ten to eighth grade from 15 parishes to attend our Catholic Elementary Schools. The evening ended with Charmaine and Dan Warmenhoven thanking ev- eryone for their attendance and com- mitment to the Diocese. Charmaine commented, “We are so blessed to have so many talented and generous lay lead- ers who are so supportive of the min- istries and programs of our Diocese.” If you would like more informa- tion on how you can support the Legacy of Faith Major Gifts Campaign, please contact Joe Naylor, Chief De- velopment Officer, at [phone] or [email protected]. Catholic Charities’ Annual Caritas Celebration Bishop Oscar Cantú presided over Holy Mass for Catholic Charities’ Annual Caritas Celebration at Saint Christopher Parish on November 5. Attendees included Claire Collins, 10-year Caritas Society member and Program Coordinator for the Refugee Foster Care Program (shown with Bish- op Cantú). Caritas members celebrating their thirty-year milestone included Ted Biagini and Carolyn Silberman, Genevieve and Dick (not pictured) Rolla, Bernice Comfort (not pictured) and Laura and Salvador Liccardo. The Caritas Society, founded by Bishop DuMaine in 1985, provides foundational financial support for the work of Catholic Charities in Santa Clara County. Since its founding, Cari- tas members have contributed more than $29.3million to help Catholic Charities alleviate, prevent and reduce poverty. For information, call Alison Po- etsch at [phone].