Petrus Blog

In 2019, Andrew Robison spoke with Jason Simon of The Evangelical Catholic on The Petrus Development podcast.  (To listen, click here!)  Since then, we’ve had a few things happen, global pandemic and such, and we wanted to circle back to Jason and hear how things are going now.

Last time, we talked about Jason’s journey to The Evangelical Catholic, how he built up programming as President, and how the organization has been transformed through philanthropy. 

This time, let’s start with what has changed since 2019…

1.) How have you built up programs at the Evangelical Catholic in the last 2 years? 

Since the pandemic ripped through communities, more and more Church leaders have come to see how essential it is to deeply form and equip laity for mission in the world. They see that we cannot depend on priests and professional staff to do all of the evangelization. We can't even depend on the facilities to host...

In this episode, Andrew visits with Kailash and Michael, the co-founders of Fidei, an email service created on the basis of shared Catholic values.  Andrew, Kailash, and Michael discuss how the technology we use in our daily lives intersects with our Catholic faith and how we can better align our values with the services we choose.

Show Notes

Background

Michael and Kailash met as RCIA participants in a California parish.  Both Michael and Kailash are entrepreneurs, and before they met, each started (and closed!) a variety of companies.  They each have a background in software development, and after meeting in San Francisco, the two decided to work together to start Fidei.email.  

Fidei.email

Kailash and Michael share that, in starting Fidei, they hope to offer an alternative way for consumers to think about the products they use online.  They feel very strongly that there are ways for consumers to align their Catholic values with the...

By Mary Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor

Clarence, the wingless angel: We don’t use money in heaven.

George Bailey: It comes in pretty handy down here, Bub.

From the movie It’s a Wonderful Life.

Note: I am not a lawyer, and the following is not legal advice—just my perspective and experience.

Less than half of the adults in the United States have a will or other estate planning documents. Actually, that’s not quite true. All of us have a will—either one created BY US or one created FOR US by our state government. Do you think your state government would distribute your property the same way you would? 

If you haven’t made your own estate plans, please get busy on this—especially if you have minor children. Maybe you think you don’t have enough assets to worry about, or you’ve listed beneficiaries for your bank accounts and insurance policies. You still need a will and perhaps other estate planning...

In this episode, Andrew visits with Mary Macuga, the director of the Catholic Foundation of the Archdiocese of Brisbane.  Mary has 22 years of experience in Catholic fundraising, and she and Andrew chat about the unique challenges of fundraising in different parts of the world and the universal need to be authentic and transformed in our fundraising.  

Show Notes

Background

Mary began her career in development at the Catholic Newman Center at Arizona State University.  During her years at Arizona State, Mary learned everything she could about fundraising, and she received her MA in Philanthropy and Development from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.  After her years fundraising for the Newman Center, Mary worked for a Catholic foundation in Phoenix, and eventually, she and her family made the move to Australia where Mary took the position as director of the Catholic Foundation of the Archdiocese of Brisbane.

The Catholic Foundation (Archdiocese of...

By Meghan Larsen-Reidy, Campus Minister, Diocese of Pittsburgh

My background is in ministry and not in development; however, the pandemic made it impossible to continue doing ministry without fundraising. There was a reduction in the funding source of my job’s budget, and in order for it to continue, I needed to begin fundraising. Suddenly the Petrus Development Conference, which had not been on my radar before Covid-19, seemed like the most logical event to attend in order to learn more. Although I was initially intimidated because of my lack of prior experience and knowledge of the other attendees, I was at ease after the first few sessions.  I was inspired to hear about the growth one ministry in particular had because of strategic fundraising.  The lessons shared were ones I could easily apply to my own situation. Throughout the few days, the talks varied between practical development strategies, inspiring stories of serious growth in ministries, and useful...

In this episode, Andrew visits with Mark Randall, the executive director of the Pontifical North American College (a.k.a the NAC).  Together, Andrew and Mark share about their fundraising adventures, and Mark offers advice for startup ministries and seasoned fundraising professionals.  

Show Notes

Background

Mark has a fun and varied background.  He began his professional career in the food and beverage industry in Chicago, after which he learned to be a chocolatier and started a gourmet food company.  After helping to start a software company, Mark applied for his first position in Catholic fundraising, and from there, he has raised money for several Catholic schools and ministries.  He is currently the executive director of the NAC in Rome.  

Pontifical North American College

The Pontifical North American College (the NAC) is a seminary located just outside the Vatican for the formation of diocesan priests from the U.S.  It was...

In this episode, Andrew visits with Kate Bryan, the founder and CEO of 1 Girl Revolution, an organization dedicated to telling the stories of women who are changing the world through their lives.  Kate is also the author of Living the Feminist Dream:  A Faithful Vision for Women in the Church and the World.  Together, Andrew and Kate discuss 1 Girl Revolution and how storytelling, purpose, and authenticity are essential to fundraising.  

Show Notes

Background

Born and raised in Detroit, Kate has a BA in Theology and her Master’s degree in  Public Affairs and Political Communication.  After receiving her degrees, Kate established a successful career in PR and media.  Three years ago, Kate moved back to Michigan and created 1 Girl Revolution.

1 Girl Revolution

1 Girl Revolution is a multimedia platform that highlights stories of everyday women changing the world through their lives.  Kate started 1 Girl Revolution as a...

 By Emily Ferril | Director of Development, Camp Wojtyla 

What’s in a conference? Working for a non-profit/mission-oriented organization, every dollar spent must be carefully thought about its potential ROI. Afterall, we must be good stewards of the resources our benefactors so generously share with our organizations to further advance our missions. 

The Petrus Development Conference is an experience that continues to bear fruit for me personally, professionally, and spiritually. As a first-time attendee of their live conference after tuning into their podcasts, webinars, blog posts, and virtual conference in 2020, it was well worth the wait to attend in person and reignite the encouragement and clarity in direction in the fundraising efforts at my organization. Whether you’re just starting out in the non-profit development field, or you’re a seasoned professional, or you’re in a parish or university setting, you’ll find...

In this episode, Andrew visits with Craig Miller, the president of FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students.  Together, Andrew and Craig talk about FOCUS, its ministry to college students, and the organization’s unique fundraising challenges.  They also discuss the tremendous growth of campus ministry in recent decades and note how that important trajectory might continue in the future.  

Show Notes

Background

Before entering the world of Catholic fundraising and becoming president at FOCUS, Craig worked in the tech industry in California.  He and his family left California and moved to Colorado where, at a parish event, Craig first learned about FOCUS’s ministry.  Craig soon changed careers and joined FOCUS in its ministry to Catholic college students.

FOCUS in 2022

FOCUS currently serves nearly 200 college campuses with physical teams of missionaries on campus.  They also have digital teams ministering to another...

By Mary Walker, Petrus Blog Contributor

One of my favorite Bible stores is that of Queen Esther. Her uncle urged her to go before her husband, the king, to plead for the lives of her people. Also, because she went to the king without being summoned, she risked being executed herself. Talk about a lot of pressure in that “ask!” To prepare, Esther, her maids, and her people fasted and prayed for three days. 

While the work we do in development is vital to the life of the Church, I don’t think any of us have risked our lives to meet our financial goals. And unlike Queen Esther, we probably didn’t humble ourselves with dung and ashes on our heads either! Yet, Esther’s story teaches us that a good cause alone, one that God no doubt supports, may not be enough to bring about his will. If we want to harness the power of God, the Bible tells us that prayer, fasting, and action are “tools” that impact outcomes. 

These tools...