Since 2019 more than $40,000 has been distributed through this program that meets a very specific need for ministries in our parishes and in the diocese: funding for innovative approaches or when an exceptional need such as financial constraints prevents the applicant from fulfilling the ministry’s mission.
So far this fiscal year, Foundations in Faith has awarded eight Mini Grants to a variety of ministries, serving the diverse needs of different communities of faith.
| Notre Dame du Perpetuel Secouers (Haitian Catholic Community), Stamford – Stars of Tomorrow Youth Group Steubenville East Conference | $2,000 |
| Catholic203 – Young Adult Midsummer Night Soirée | $2,000 |
| Office of the Guilds – Catholic Music Festival | $2,000 |
| St. Michael the Archangel, Bridgeport – Technology for Faith Formation Digital Content | $1,750 |
| The One – Steubenville Spiritual Fellowship Mission | $2,000 |
| Our Lady of Peace, Stratford – Liturgical Supplies | $1,750 |
| St. Andrew, Bridgeport – Tree Service/Grounds Safety | $1,750 |
| St. Mary, Stamford – Staff Laptop & Desktop | $2,000 |
As school ended and summer began, the growing youth group at Notre Dame du Perpetuel Secouers, led by Fr. Guy Dormevil, had set their sights on the popular youth conference Steubenville East, in Boston last summer and were all set to go. Until they realized that they gained four new members who had been going through the OCIA program and who they did not want to leave behind due to lack of funds. It was the end of the pastoral year and not much time left to fundraise, so they came to Foundations in Faith and we were able to ensure their entire youth group could experience an energizing conference filled with their Catholic peers from the New England region.
Not much later in the summer, it was the young adults of the Diocese of Bridgeport that sought Foundations in Faith to help them realize an ambitious—and elegant—event aimed at shifting the focus away from structured programming toward something deeply needed but often overlooked in Catholic young adult ministry: intentional space for faith-based friendship and fellowship. The Young Adult Midsummer Night Soirée was planned, and it became clear to organizers that their event, to achieve its goal, had to include all young adults across the many communities in our diocese. They also knew that the $55 (early bird) and $80 (regular) ticket price would be a barrier to many. As a result of our Mini Grant, more than 150 young adults prayed, ate, and hopefully danced the night away. They represented two dozen diocesan parishes, who brought their friends from Hartford, Manhattan, and as far as Illinois and Florida. Also in attendance, Fr. Ferry (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fairfield), Fr. Blawie (St. Pius X, Fairfield), and Fr. LaFleur (St. Mary, Bethel) prayed, ate, and danced the night away. And most importantly, a Mini Grant from Foundations in Faith ensured discounted and no-cost tickets were available for those who needed it.
In the current cycle, Mini Grants have also been responsible for helping parishes make their grounds safer as St. Andrew in Bridgeport needed to remove dangerous trees with falling limbs from their property with urgency. Mini Grants also upgraded technology in two parishes for both staff and faith formation programs (St. Mary, Stamford, and St. Michael the Archangel, Bridgeport), and brought Catholic music artists to play at the second annual Catholic Music Festival at St. Jude in Monroe over Labor Day weekend.
To us, the Mini Grant program serves as a constant reminder of the vibrancy of our Church, of our duty to respond to its needs and to one another.
