Pastoral Funds & Ministries
Established to nurture and reinvigorate the diocesan approach to life-long formation as well as enhance pathways of discipleship for parishioners, seminarians and priests who journey in growing closer to God and sharing the 'good news' about our Catholic faith. Foundations in Faith focuses on Pastoral ministries that prioritize the importance of evangelizing and reaching out to our brothers and sisters. We strive to be compassionate and advance the dignity of all especially the most vulnerable in our Catholic parish communities; our youth, our elderly, our differently-abled and the oppressed.
St. John Paul II Fund for Religious Education and Faith Formation
The St. John Paul II Fund supports the work of faith formation, young adult ministry, and parish religious education programs throughout the Diocese of Bridgeport through parish and program support grants.
St Charles Borromeo Fund for Vocations and Seminarians
The St. Charles Borromeo Fund supports young men discerning and pursuing a call to the Catholic priesthood. These grants are available to support Redemptoris Mater Seminary, Diocesan seminarians, and the Diocese of Bridgeport Office of Vocations.
St. John Vianney Fund for Retired Priests
The St. John Vianney Fund supports the needs of retired clergy in the Diocese of Bridgeport. Grants from this fund support organizations like the Catherine Dennis Keefe Queen of the Clergy Priests Retirement Residence.
St Elizabeth Ann Seton Fund for Catholic Schools
The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Fund provides financial resources to keep tuition costs and increases low at Catholic schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport. Grants from this fund are exclusively available to the Diocesan Office of the Superintendent.
St. John Bosco Fund for Special Needs in Catholic Schools
The St. John Bosco Fund supports the needs of students with learning disabilities and other specialized educational needs at Catholic schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport. Grants from this fund are exclusively available to the Diocese of Bridgeport Office of the Superintendent.
St. Catherine Center for Special Needs Fund
The St. Catherine Center Fund supports the emotional, educational, and spiritual needs of students with disabilities whose needs cannot be met in a mainstream school setting. Grants from this fund are exclusively available to the St. Catherine Center for Special Needs.
St. Therese Fund for Evangelization
The mission of the St. Therese Fund for Evangelization is to support the creative and exciting work of sharing our Catholic faith. In these efforts, the fund supports bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ into our daily interactions and seeking to convert individuals and society with the Gospel itself.
Lourdes Fund for Pastoral Care
The mission of the Lourdes Fund is to support Pastoral Care services at three nursing homes previously owned by the Diocese of Bridgeport: St. Camillus Center in Stamford, St. John Paul II Center in Danbury, and St. Joseph Manor in Trumbull. By supporting the spiritual and faith formation needs of the elderly, the pastoral care teams can provide peace and comfort to the residents through Masses, visits, Bible studies, and more.
St. Francis Xavier Fund for Missionary Parishes
Mission: The St. Francis Xavier Fund provides resources -- both financial and human -- to partner with pastors to build long-term sustainable parishes. This fund strives to alleviate the financial burdens of urban churches that exhibit strong leadership, are pastorally vibrant, and reflect outstanding Missionary outreach. The goal is to empower Pastors to focus on nurturing and growing their ministries and furthering the work of evangelization and renewal, while ensuring that facilities are functioning to meet the future needs of the parish.
The fund also builds bridges between pastors, parishes, and parishioners to better appreciate and cherish our Diocese's diversity.
Intent: The We Stand with Christ campaign intended for financial resources to find their way to every parish regardless of how much capital an individual parish raised. The St. Francis Xavier Fund was created to invest in parishes that raised less capital. Those investments would often go beyond "bricks and mortar."
