June 12, 2014 - New Catholic Health Foundation of Greater Boston, Inc. Makes First Grants*

http://catholiccommunityfund.org/

(Braintree, MA- June 12, 2014)……The Board of Directors of the new Catholic Health Foundation of Greater Boston, Inc. (“Catholic Health Foundation”) has approved the organization’s first grants.   Forty-seven (47) grants totaling $684,521 have been made in nine health-related categories.

Board President Kathleen F. Driscoll said, “The Catholic Church has a vital role in the health and well being of our communities.  We serve those most in need without regard for ability to pay or their station in life.  The creation of the Catholic Health Foundation provides an opportunity to continue carrying on Christ’s healing ministry.  We were pleased with the number of applications received, seeking a total of over $1M in funding. While we weren’t able to meet the dollar number requested by each applicant organization, the board was able to award something to each of the organizations that applied for funding.”

Patricia Kelleher Bartram, Executive Director, said, “This is only the beginning for the CHF contributions to health care. A priority will be supporting parish collaborative health-related programs and ministries.  These are so important in the lives of their parishioners and the community.”

Forty-one (41%) percent of the funds went to 27 Catholic schools around the Archdiocese, while 32% of the funds went to health care organizations, 14% to social service agencies, 12% to new health-related programs of RCAB Central Ministries, and 1% to parishes.   Awards range from $361 to $100,000.

Examples of the types of programs and projects these funds will support include $25,000 for expansion of Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide training programs in Brockton and South Boston with Catholic Charities of Boston, $2,000 toward the purchase of school medical equipment at Saint Raphael School in Medford, $40,000 to the Little Sisters of the Poor of Greater Boston, Inc. for patient equipment for St. Joseph Unit, benefitting cancer patient, and $20,000 to Signature Healthcare/Brockton Hospital for funding a part-time hospital chaplain, one fluent in Haitian Creole or Cape Verdean Creole, supporting cancer & other patients. 

HISTORY AND BACKGROUND: On February 4, 2013, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a cy pres judgement approving the transfer of charitable endowment funds from the former Caritas Christi Health System/Steward Health Care to the newly created Catholic Health Foundation. The purpose of the Catholic Health Foundation is to provide health care and health care services and financial support to organizations that provide health care and health care services consistent with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church within the Archdiocese of Boston.

The transfer of $10.12M in funds from Caritas Christi/Steward was completed on October 1, 2013. A Request for Proposals was issued in mid-February 2014 with a deadline for proposal submissions of April 15, 2014.

RECENT BOARD APPOINTMENTS: Recently appointed by Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley to the board of directors of the Catholic Health Foundation were: 

Janice E. Healey, OSA, Oral Health Program Coordinator at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health since 2001. She is a board member of the Better Oral Health for Massachusetts Coalition and the Oral Health Excellence Coalition. Previously, she was involved in health research at Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, RI. Early in her career she was a dental assistant and oral surgery assistant in private dental practices. A native of Missouri, Ms. Healey is a graduate of the Boston University School of Dental Medicine Oral Surgery Assisting Program. She and her husband, James P. Healey, president and trustee of The Yawkey Foundation, are parents to three adult children and reside in Sharon, MA where they are parishioners at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish.

Rev. Arthur T. MacKay, OD has been parochial vicar at St. Paul Parish, Wellesley since November 2012. Previously, he served as pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption, Marshfield, and as parochial vicar at St. Charles Borromeo, Woburn. and at St. Catherine of Siena, Norwood. Father MacKay is a member of the class of 2008 of Blessed John XXIII National Seminary. He was ordained by Cardinal O’Malley on May 24, 2008. Prior to becoming a priest, Father MacKay was an optometrist. After graduating from Boston College with a double major in chemistry and biology, he earned his Doctor of Optometry degree at New England School of Optometry (OD, ’79). He was Chief of Optometry Services at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, NY. He is one of about 100 optometrists in the world who achieved the Diplomate in Low Vision distinction from the American Academy of Optometry. Before his ordination, Father had been active as a transitional deacon at St. Joseph the Worker, Hanson, where he also served in the parish’s food program.

RE-ELECTED AT BOARD MEETING: At its recent meeting, the board of directors voted to re-elect as its officers:

Kathleen F. Driscoll, PRESIDENT

John E. Straub, TREASURER

F. Beirne Lovely, Jr., Esq. SECRETARY

Francis J. O’Connor, Esq., ASSISTANT SECRETARY

For more information, visit http://catholiccommunityfund.org/