On April 15th, 2019 a total of 31 Applications were official submitted for consideration for the second year of the St. John Paul II Fund grant process. The Grant Review Committee convened to discuss the review process and get to work. The Committee consist of five members and began with a prayer and introductions. Kelly Weldon is thrilled to have two Foundations in Faith Board Members, Lorraine Carrano and Susan Stone, along with Pam Arsenalt a retired Director of Religious Education (DRE) and Rose Talbot-Babey, Director of Faith Formation for the Diocese.
This years applications were made available online to parishes in the Diocese of Bridgeport who were interested in applying for funding that would enhance their Faith Formation programs. Bishop Caggiano encourages innovative approaches that will inject vitality into the way parishioners will encounter and deepen their faith.
According to Kelly Weldon, “The Grant Review Committee are taking their roles very seriously. Each application is being read and rated by all 5 members. We are looking for innovation but also listening to the needs of the parishes. Once the committee has completed the review process, a recommendation for funding will be made to the Foundations in Faith Board Members at an upcoming meeting.”
The JPII Fund has received requests for funds related to technology. Accordingly, the committee is embracing the parish interests in leveraging digital tools with this grant process. New in 2019 is the online application and the online final report with the ability to export data to evaluate and measure impact of the funding. Stay tuned to hear about the funded projects once the awards have been made.
