$71,700 In Foundation Grants Awarded To Catholic Organizations In 2021

Stay tuned to see what our grants accomplish for the Church of Eastern Montana!

Grant Guidelines 2021 Grant Impact Report

 

In July of 2021, the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana awarded more funding than ever before in our grant program! Seventeen different Catholic parishes, schools, and organizations throughout the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings received a total of $71,700 in grant funding!

With these grants, improvements will be made to youth ministries and religious formation programs; parishes with outdated equipment; churches in need of repairs or handicap accessibility; and many other projects. This is all possible because of the generosity of donors who give to the Greatest Needs Endowment or Parish Assistance Endowment at the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana.

We and our grantees are so thankful to our donors. It is an honor to put your gifts to good work throughout our diocese!

Your grant will help us introduce many more to our apostolate and ultimately to Christ. Please accept our deepest appreciation! – Roy Brown, Executive Director of Billings Catholic Radio

Congratulations To Our 2021 Grant Recipients:

Parishes

Immaculate Conception Church (Fort Benton)

Immaculate Conception Church (Wolf Point)

Mary Queen of Peace Church (Billings)

St. Ann Cathedral (Great Falls)

St. Anthony Church (Box Elder)

St. Bernard Church (Billings)

St. Gabriel Church (Chinook)

St. Joseph Church (Hardin) and St. Mary (Custer)

St. Leo the Great Church (Lewistown)

St. Margaret Mary Church (Big Sandy)

St. Mary Church (Rocky Boy)

St. Raphael Church (Glasgow)

St. Thomas the Apostle Church (Harlem)

 

Catholic schools and other organizations

St. Mary Catholic School (Livingston)

Billings Catholic Radio (Billings)

Emmaus House (Sidney)

St. Vincent de Paul (Billings)

About the Parish Assistance Endowment

Allie Russell of Holy Family Parish, Glentana, launched the Parish Assistance Endowment in 2015 with her first gift. In an article published in The Harvest in 2015, Allie said, “It is an honor to be able to help the churches. Some of them are really in need and I am glad to do what I can.” She said that coming from Glentana, which is a very small, rural parish, she understands how difficult it is for some small parishes to make ends meet. She thought it would be nice to begin an endowment where the distribution each year could help any parish in need. And she hopes others in our diocese, who may come from more financially secure parishes, would join her in giving to the Parish Assistance Endowment to help out other folks in our own diocese.

“As a long-time member of the Board of the Foundation, it is very exciting and rewarding to see how the Foundation is helping parishes, schools, and other Catholic organizations in our diocese through the new grant program. For many years, through generous gifts of many donors, the Foundation has steadily grown larger and is now able to give back to many of the same parishes, schools, and Catholic organizations which helped to grow the Foundation to where it is today.”
– Gale Kreitzberg, Board Chair, St. Pius X Parish, Billings

“As a new member to the Board for the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana I’m really excited about the awards given to our Grant recipients. It’s easy to feel like a small fish in a big pond in much of Eastern Montana but the Foundation’s new grant program allows for great work to be completed throughout our diocese, no matter how big or small a Catholic organization may be. “
~ Rachel Howard, Board Member, St. Joseph Parish, Plentywood

kathy

“This grant makes all the difference in the world to our very small parish in Red Lodge. Because of the grant, we are able to bring the amazing ministry of Casting Nets to our area. We all understand that our young people are leaving the church at an alarming rate. We are called to be disciples, and we have to act. This conference is geared toward our young people and parish mission. Without this financial assistance, we could never have accomplished this great work that God calls us to do.”
~ Kathy Serrat, Youth Minister, St. Agnes Parish, Red Lodge

jose

“Mary Queen of Peace Parish is very grateful for the grant from the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana. It allowed our parish to purchase permanent liturgical books for our parishioners. In this Glory & Praise publication we recall Pope Francis’ desire for making the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time as ‘Word of God Sunday.’  These permanent liturgical books will bring into focus the Word of God and our parishioners will truly benefit!”
~ Fr. José Marquez, Pastor of Mary Queen of Peace Parish in Billings 

You Are Invited To Help Build This Important Grant Program

Your gift (of any amount) for either of the following permanent endowments at the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana will help greatly to ensure the continuance and growth of this new grant program to perpetually benefit the Catholic Church in our diocese:

  • Greatest Needs Endowment
  • Parish Assistance Endowment

Depending upon the amount of your gift, it may also qualify you to receive the 40% Montana Charitable Endowment Tax Credit in 2020. For more information about utilizing this substantial tax credit in your gift planning, please contact Judy Held, Foundation President, at (406) 315-1765 or [email protected].

To make an online gift, visit our DONATE page or mail to:

Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana
PO Box 1345
Great Falls, MT 59403

Non-cash gifts are also always welcome (i.e. appreciated stock and mutual funds, land, real and personal property, etc.).