Parma receives its largest grant yet from Catholic Home Missions

CHICAGO — The Eparchy of Parma has been awarded $145,000 from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions for 2019, the largest grant yet for the eparchy from this grant-making organization.

The eparchy submitted an application for the maximum permitted, $125,000, in its three usual project areas: Horizons and Horizons Press, $60,000; Byzantine Catholic Cultural Center, $40,000; and the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch, mission parishes and outreaches, $25,000.

The subcommittee returned with a decision that included an additional $20,000.

“As you may notice the amount is higher than your request,” wrote Subcommittee Chairman Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Anchorage in the grant acceptance letter. “The subcommittee recognizes that your diocese faces extreme financial and pastoral challenges. As such, please accept these extra funds to help aid you in your ministry.”

While Catholic Home Missions grants are to be used solely for the programs for which they are granted, each bishop is entitled to seek approval from the subcommittee to redistribute the funds. As a result, this year’s grant was approved for one overall program, entitled “Eparchy, Operations, Administration and Expenses.”

“The bishop’s request to consolidate the separately named programs in the original grant application into this one overreaching program was approved by the USCCB Catholic Home Missions office,” said Parma’s CFO Martin Kopmeyer. “These funds may be spent at the discretion of the bishop in the manner which best meets the needs of the eparchy.”

Of the monies granted, Horizons was allocated $30,000 for 2019. Last year, the eparchy received $125,000; of these, Horizons received the full amount it requested of $60,000.

The USCCB created Catholic Home Missions as a grant-making agency to financially assist dioceses, eparchies and religious organizations in their missionary and evangelical activities. Grant recipients are generally unable to meet the pastoral needs of the their faithful without outside help.

The grant monies were to be disbursed to the eparchy in two equal payments, one in January and one in July. Catholic Home Missions indicates that all funds are to be spent by the end of 2019.
 
As published in Horizons, Feb. 10, 2019.
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