News From CCF-LA | May 12, 2020
A Message from Archbishop Jos é H. Gomez

It is not easy to discern what God is asking of the Church in this pandemic.

Our churches here in Los Angeles have been closed for many weeks now. This is true for churches all over the country and all over the world, even in the Eternal City of Rome.

Our churches and schools might be closed, but the love of Christ has not been quarantined. It has been beautiful to see our Church rise to the challenge of this public health emergency—through our prayer and our works of mercy and service to those in need.

We are serving tens of thousands of needy people every day and educating tens of thousands of children. Our homes have become our domestic churches, where we especially feel the presence of God in our lives. And we have found new ways to use technology to bring us together as one family of faith.

Living out our faith through giving

When I received the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Catholic Church many years ago, we processed to the hymn, “They’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

This is truly the time to practice our Catholic faith by demonstrating our love for those in our communities and parishes who are suffering in this pandemic.
 
While many in our communities are fortunate to have a steady income, many are not so fortunate. As those of us who have been so blessed, we have not spent that income on gas, eating out, shopping in malls, going to sporting events, movies, and other entertainment. This leaves us uniquely able to give back to our parishes, local charities, and ministries that have outreach programs for people that need help with the basics—rent, utilities, food, healthcare—and even shelter.
 
Those of us with so much have also been allowed through the CARES Act to take an additional deduction in our IRS filings to aid in our philanthropy.

From Kathy Anderson, President and Executive Director
Update from New Philanthropist Program
Kara Duncan, Client Development Manager — CCF-LA has made an extra effort to support our clients’ philanthropic giving throughout the current pandemic, especially our New Philanthropist Donor-Advised Fund clients. We have embraced our role as partners in philanthropy by increasing communications that highlight both local and national organizations working to fight the devastation of COVID-19. Our staff continues to provide assistance remotely to connect our clients with causes and organizations they care about, and our role as a partner in philanthropy is becoming increasingly important as those on the margins are being further marginalized. 
Contact Kara to discuss the New Philanthropist Program at kduncan@catholiccf-la.org or (213) 426-1200
Voices of CCF-LA | The Latest From Our Blog
This past Sunday brought a much different Mother's Day for many across the nation. We remember during this month of May all mothers here and in heaven.

Our Development Director Timithie Norman shares some reflections from her home, which is now a hub of distance learning with two school-aged children and her husband a high school teacher. Plus, the newest information on how Catholic schools in L.A. are thriving and serving all distance learners.

Overwhelmed by your entertainment choices in quarantine? We've found a few resources helpful in finding quality and inspiring media for the whole family.

The newest member of the CCF-LA Team, Administrative Assistant Yessica Valdez-Vargas, reflects on both her journey to CCF-LA and how her training in Psychology informs her experience of quarantine.
Our Catholic Community in Action: Social Media Spotlight
During this time of shelter-in-place and social distancing, our clients are creatively using social media and other technology to keep our community informed, inspired, and faith-filled.
  • A silver lining of this move to digital is the growth in spiritual live-streaming, most especially from the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart. From their Facebook page, they stream morning prayer and Holy Mass starting at 6 a.m. and evening prayer at 5:30 p.m. Every Wednesday is a special holy hour for the coronavirus at 4:45 p.m., and every Sunday is a Holy Mass at 11:15 a.m.
  • The Catholic Education Foundation is hosting weekly “Coffee with CEF” videos with school and archdiocese administrators, students, and teachers. Stay up to date every Wednesday at 10 a.m. with the inspiring things still happening in our Los Angeles Catholic schools and how you can support the neediest of students during this crisis and beyond. Click here to learn more.
  • Parish Catalyst is preparing parish administrators for the lifting of stay-at-home orders with a free webinar: “Reopening the Parish,” on Tuesday, May 19, at 11 a.m. PDT. Participants will hear from four parish leaders around the country who are currently navigating the challenges of opening up Mass to parishioners again. Click here for more information.
  • The California Patrons of the Arts in Vatican Museums are offering a behind the scenes look at the art of the Vatican through YouTube videos released every Wednesday. Get a guided look inside the Sistine Chapel from your home! 
2019 Annual Statement of Accountability
We are proud to publish our 2019 Annual Statement of Accountability and hope you find the same inspiration and reflection on faith that we experience every day at CCF-LA.
Click the image above to read.
The Catholic Community Foundation of Los Angeles is committed to the prudent management of charitable investments to support the schools, parishes and ministries that help our neighborhoods thrive in faith. To join our mission to teach and sustain Catholic philanthropy, please contact our Client Development team at (213) 426-1187 or via email.
Catholic Community Foundation of Los Angeles CatholicCF-LA.org | (213) 426-1180