New Scholarship fund honors STM’s founding pastor When Mother Teresa visited St. Thomas More Parish in Allentown in 1976, she came at the invitation of a priest whose vision of Catholic service would eventually reach across the globe. Monsignor Robert J. Coll, the parish’s charismatic founding pastor, had launched Operation Rice Bowl a year earlier, asking families to sacrifice a meal during Lent and donate the savings to feed the…
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Catholic Foundation Welcomes 88 Inaugural Members of New Forever Society What if the most important gift you ever make is one whose full impact you will never live to see? What if that gift could educate a child 30 years from now? Help form a priest 50 years from now? Or sustain a Catholic ministry a century from now? For 88 inaugural members of the Forever Society, those possibilities are…
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Next week, October 19—23, 2026, marks National Estate Planning Awareness Week. This nationwide annual event, just like the Catholic Foundation’s estate planning workshops, reminds people about the importance of having a current and effective estate plan in place. What is National Estate Planning Awareness Week? While traditionally the third week in October has been designated as National Estate Planning Week, the Catholic Foundation encourages Catholics to organize their personal and…
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The Future of Our Faith Begins Now. Join us for the 2026 State of the Foundation Meeting and see how endowments are shaping Catholic parishes, schools, and ministries — today, tomorrow, and forever. Concord Advisory Group will reveal how our investment portfolio performed this year. Foundation leaders will share stories of how Catholic generosity is futureproofing the mission of the Church. Discover how donors like you are building a faith-filled…
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A few weeks ago, families of Immaculate Conception Academy in Douglassville received heartbreaking news. After years of faithful service, the school will close its doors at the end of this school year. No one ever wants to see a Catholic school close. Behind every closure are students, parents, alumni, teachers, and parishioners whose lives have been shaped by Catholic education. There are cherished memories, lifelong friendships, and faith journeys that…
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For more than seven decades, the legacy of the Pottsville Catholic High School Class of 1955 has remained woven into the fabric of Catholic education in Schuylkill County. Now, that legacy is poised to inspire future generations in an even more powerful way. The Pottsville Catholic High School Class of 1955 Scholarship Fund has officially been transferred to the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania as a permanent endowment fund, ensuring…
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The numbers are impressive. But the real story is what they make possible. In April 2026, the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania announced a record $1,326,995 in distributions from endowed funds supporting Catholic parishes, schools, and ministries throughout the Diocese of Allentown. Since 2016, the Foundation has now distributed more than $9.2 million, transforming generosity into steady, reliable support where it’s needed most. This year’s milestone reflects more than growth….
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As Thanksgiving approaches, we gather around tables filled with gratitude — for faith, family, and the blessings that shape our lives. This season of thanks also invites us to reflect on what truly matters and how we can give back in lasting ways. At the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania, we see this time of year as a moment to transform gratitude into generosity. By donating appreciated securities, giving through…
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Father Thomas Bortz, pastor of St. Ignatius Loyola Parish in Reading, Pennsylvania, is an avid baseball fan, having visited several major and minor leagues parks across the country. Fr. Bortz just has to walk out the back door of the rectory and be reminded of the challenge facing his parish’s regional Catholic school. In what amounts to a long outfield-to-home-plate throw away, sits a local public elementary school. While Father…
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Seasoned fundraising professional joins Catholic Foundation team as a Major Gifts and Planned Giving Officer The Catholic Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania welcomes Ann Marie Surovy as a Major Gifts and Planned Giving Officer. In this role Ann Marie is responsible for identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gift and planned giving donors and prospects with the goal of establishing or increasing endowment funds for Catholic Foundation partners. Ann Marie has…
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