Easter Message

My brothers and sisters in Christ, we the faithful will proclaim to each other and the world for the next 50 days that: “Jesus Christ is Risen!” The words “He is risen!” remind us of the joyous news we celebrate at Easter, that Jesus our Savior has overcome death. Even though we cannot come together in community to celebrate, it is an indisputable joyful season for each of us as individuals and our Catholic community here in the Diocese of Phoenix. 

During these unsettled times, our thoughts and prayers go out to the many who have been directly affected by the COVID-19 virus. We at the Catholic Community Foundation are praying for those who are sick, those who have died and all the family members who mourn the loss of their loved ones. These times are so uncommon for many of us and have truly tested our faith in the Lord. We must remain resilient and faithful. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis reassures us in his 2020 Easter Urbi et Orbi message, that “we are not alone” and “not to be afraid”: “Christ is risen and remains with us through our suffering”. We, the team at the Catholic Community Foundation, have taken the Holy Father’s words of hope to heart. We continue to work diligently to fulfill our mission of support by using our financial capabilities to assist those who serve the neediest within our community.

Times such as these should help us realize that we must always be prepared for what lies ahead. I fondly remember my grandmother, who experienced many life-changing catastrophes, being passionate about saving money for a “rainy day”. The Foundation sees the importance of this philosophy, especially in our current times. There are many parishes and frontline Catholic agencies who are in dire need of financial assistance during this time of uncertainty and need our help as a community to continue their missions of Evangelization and works of mercy.

The Foundation’s solution to future uncertainty such as that in which we are experiencing, are the Forever Funds. Forever Funds are endowments designed to financially assist those “frontline” Catholic organizations who give so much to those most needy. These funds are suitably named: Care Forever – aiding those agencies who support the corporal and spiritual works of mercy; Education Forever - supporting needs-based and service-based scholarship awards to Catholic students; Life Forever – supporting those who protect the dignity of life from conception to natural death; and Vocations Forever – encouraging priestly, religious, and marital vocational programs. These endowment funds are designed to provide a predictable, sustainable flow of income to benefit agencies and the people they serve in perpetuity. Our Forever "Endowment" Funds provide a perfect means for those in any stage of life to come together to benefit current and future generations of the faithful. Whether you can give a little or give a lot, our Forever Funds allow you to support our community members at any financial level.

The Catholic Community Foundation is a true collaborator with faithful individuals and institutions to facilitate gracious giving, prudent investing and thoughtful granting. We are located within one of the fastest growing Catholic communities in the country which uniquely places us between the immense generosity of donors and the gratitude of grantees. 

The Catholic Community Foundation finds itself in the center of a tremendous financial need right now. We want to share our abilities, especially with those who are not yet familiar with us and our mission. We are striving to educate those in our community on how we can help individuals, parishes, schools, and nonprofit agencies save for the “rainy days ahead” through endowments so that future economic crisis won’t be as financially crippling as we are currently experiencing. Please read our newsletters throughout the year to learn more about the Foundation and how you can help our Faithful Community within the Diocese. 

He is risen, indeed! Happy Easter! 
Deacon James Carabajal