News From CCF-LA | April 18, 2022 |
|
Vocations Make
Our Communities Thrive
It’s the combination of passion and commitment that defines the word vocation. We see vocation in our parents and grandparents, our spouses, our teachers, our caregivers, our first responders, government and social workers, elected officials, and yes, our priests, brothers and sisters in religious life. In this newsletter, we want to recognize vocations because that’s the force that makes our communities thrive.
From the nurse that held a patient’s hand in their last moments of life to the doctor that helped bring new life into the world, from the teacher that kept a student from being bullied to the principal that struggled to balance the budget with more resources, from the parent responding to a child’s physical or emotional pain to a child helping an aging parent, these are all examples of vocation.
In our Church, we recognize the vocation to religious life as selfless, giving up other vocations to serve God and people in a spiritual way that leads to eternal life. Our religious leaders, including lay men and women, act with courage and compassion for our right to practice our faith.
As one of our board members likes to remind me, we are on the continuum of the circle of life. During that span of our lives, vocation begins to take on new meanings at each phase. Initially, we may think about vocation in terms of a career. When we find the career that truly fulfills us, we know we’ve found a vocation! Click here to read more...
Kathy Anderson
President and Executive Director
Catholic Community Foundation LA
|
|
Hospital Staff and Chaplains Give Unconditionally – It’s Their Vocation
I am Liam Nelson’s grandmother, Kathy McCaffery. Liam was born prematurely at a hospital in Ventura County while we were still very much in the middle of the pandemic, restricting our ability to be at the hospital. He was airlifted to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles a few days after his birth. The care Liam received at CHLA was extremely well-coordinated by caring and capable doctors and staff. The Child Life Team also stepped in to help my daughter and son-in-law cope at a very heart-wrenching time. The pandemic limited hospital visitors, but an exception was made so that my husband Jim and I (along with the paternal grandparents) could meet Liam, be there for his Baptism, and to say goodbye to our tiny grandson. I observed first-hand the time, effort, and emotional support the staff gave to their patients. Father Timothy Meier, a Jesuit Priest, supported our family through a very trying, emotional time in our lives. He was caring chaplain and knew what to say to help all of us.
Liam passed away later that day, and when I got home, I started thinking about the love and care all of these people put into their jobs. I’m sure many nights they go home and cry and pray for the patients. I wanted to show our appreciation to them and give something back. We were already involved as members of CCF-LA’s Development Committee and we had previously set up a fund to help with teacher’s expenses in the classrooms at Serra High School and another fund at our parish, St. Julie Billiart in response to the Called To Renew Campaign. But this was more personal. We decided to set up the Liam Nelson Memorial Fund to benefit CHLA. Click here to read more...
Kathy & Jim McCaffery
|
|
Priestly Vocations – A Response to God's Call
The joy of Easter invites us to the mission of spreading the good news with confidence that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. We are invited to recollect ourselves knowing that the Lord is present among us until the end of times. In order to reach all the corners of the world, this sign of God’s love requires the exercise of our priestly vocation both, baptismal and ministerial.
The words of St. Paul, “I became your father in Christ through the gospel,” express hope and assure the continual presence of the great gift that Jesus left us in the Last Supper. Throughout the centuries, thousands of holy priests have transmitted this abundant life, making it their own and enabling others to continue to await God’s gifts. In persona Christi captitis, a priest is the man of the future.
St. John’s Seminary mission is to prepare men as candidates for service as Roman Catholic priests in the United States and other countries. Click here to read more...
Very Rev. Marco A. Durazo
Rector St. John’s Seminary
|
|
Teacher's Vocation –
Developing Greatness in Their Students
A job is a means to an end, but a vocation is a continuous call to purpose. For many, finding a vocation takes trial and error, but it is often found when we listen to what ignites our spirit and, ultimately, lies in what God is calling us to do. My vocation is to affirm the innate value and gifts of others. Teaching for 8 years and being the Director of Activities at San Gabriel Mission High is where I live out this vocation.
I particularly like working with high schoolers because I can see their emerging sparks of passion, embracing their true identities. Unfortunately, teenagers may also face doubts or uncertainties. Sometimes they feel their gifts are not sufficient to accomplish goals. Through education of the whole person, I try to create lessons where students can be innovative, reflective, and collaborative. We delve into different perspectives and debates, expanding a broader understanding of our world. I want them to discover what they care about, embrace and develop their abilities, and know their voice carries an impact. A few years ago, I had a student in English who loved creative writing. In our discussions, I found out she had journals full of short stories. She felt invigorated every time she wrote and I encouraged her to publish her writings in local journals and student newsletters. In one of my geometry classes, I had a student who claimed she was bad at math, but didn’t realize the hardest problems are also the most exciting to figure out. She is now studying to be an engineer. Both of them had gifts and ambitions with so much potential to grow. Click here to read more...
Ms. Melody Bueno,
Teacher/Director of Activities
San Gabriel Mission High
|
|
Answering the call to action....
1 Peter 4:10 Each of us should use whatever gifts we have to serve others.
|
|
A Heart for the World-
the Big Vocation of
Mission Doctors Association
With live jazz music streaming in the background, Bonnie Flaherty, President of the Mission Doctors Auxiliary and Elise Frederick, Executive Director of the Mission Doctors Association, welcomed viewers to the “A Heart for the World” Virtual Gala. Father Ed Benioff, Pastor of the Church of the Good Shepherd, offered the invocation. Funds raised this evening allow MDA to sponsor doctors and their families to provide medical treatment and train local health workers in Honduras, Tanzania, and Uganda and soon, Peru and Ghana. Two doctors who will soon start their three-year commitment in Ghana and Peru, expressed their gratitude for the training and funding to work and minister in areas of great need. MDA not only funds doctors and their families, but also prepares them spiritually and clinically for the three-year commitment. Since costs to serve each patient is $3, a donation of $300 would allow treatment of 100 patients.
In recognition of his support of the Mission Doctors and thousands of other mission Dioceses and organizations, Bonnie Flaherty presented the Monsignor Anthony Brouwers Award for Faith and Service to Monsignor Terrence Fleming, Executive Director of the Propagation of the Faith and Pastor Emeritus at St. Brendan’s Catholic Church. In just one example of his support, Msgr. Fleming helped MDA respond to the needs for funding for the Franciscan sisters in Cameroon to support two doctors during the COVID crises. Archbishop Gomez gave a heart felt congratulations to Monsignor Fleming along with Monsignor Kieran Harrington and the Mission Office staff members. The gala ending with videos of MDA doctors and communities around the world expressing gratitude to MDA donors and congratulations to Monsignor Fleming.
Maggie Byrne
Head of Development
|
|
From Operations – the Vocations of our people
CCF-LA employees are not just looking for a job, they want to live a life of service to others. When CCF-LA has a position to fill, we look for the most qualified candidate that has a strong desire to pursue a career in philanthropy with a Catholic dimension.
Catholic philanthropy is a vocation cultivated each day by a community of professionals that are dedicated to the mission of the Church. Each service to clients nurtures the fruit of Christian charity and allows our donors to impact the lives of thousands of members of our community each year.
Every employee has a part in maintaining and renewing our community of faith by providing clients with exceptional charitable fund and investment management services. Employees and interns support individual donor charitable giving at all levels, from working with donors to discern whether a faith-based investment strategy is right for them, to establishing short term and permanent funds for charitable organizations that support the mission of the Church.
Our employees are both well experienced in philanthropy management and have dedicated their lives to serving the CCF-LA community. They make giving easy, it’s all about the vocation of philanthropy management.
T. Matthew Hansen
General Counsel and
Senior Director of Operations
|
|
From the Desk of the CFO
In March, global equity markets largely recouped losses incurred in the early days following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. U.S. equities, as represented by the S&P 500 Index, closed the first quarter of 2022 down 4.6%, but was down more than 12% at its low on March 7th before staging a rally into month-end. The heightened market volatility during the quarter reflected fluctuations in risk sentiment amid a dizzying array of tail risks around inflation, the human toll of war and the effects of sanctions, and the impact of tighter Fed policy. Also, as expected, the Fed raised rates at its March meeting for the first time since 2018. The increase was 25 bps but, prior to the invasion in February, some had expected a 50 bps hike would be announced.
As for the pooled funds we manage, the Balanced Pool portfolio returned +0.22% in March and -5.79% for the first quarter of 2022. The Intermediate Fund pool returned +0.15% for the month and -3.14% for the year. The current yields on the STIF and Cash accounts remain at 0.02% - 0.05%.
Andrew O’Boyle
Chief Financial Officer
|
|
The Catholic Community Foundation of Los Angeles empowers charitable individuals and organizations across cultures and generations through professional philanthropy management solutions that allow clients to develop and sustain their philanthropy in support of Catholic values. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
