Catholic Extension (also known as the Catholic Church Extension Society) is a national fundraising 501(c)(3) organization which supports and strengthens poor mission dioceses across the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. They provide funding and resources to dioceses and parishes through programs and services investing in people, infrastructure and ministries. This support is given based on need, passion and commitment to the growth of the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

faith.

History

Father

Francis Kelley Francis Clement Kelley (October 23, 1870 – February 1, 1948) was a Canadian-born Catholic bishop. He was the second Bishop of Oklahoma City, as well as an author and diplomat. He was a Catholic priest for 54 years, and bishop for 23 years ...

, a priest from

Lapeer, Michigan Lapeer ( ') is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporated from land that was formerly in Lapeer Township, though portions w ...

, first envisioned Catholic Extension in 1904. Through his travels, he discovered places and communities that were struggling to keep the Catholic faith alive and growing. The Archbishop of Chicago,

James Edward Quigley James Edward Quigley (October 15, 1854 – July 10, 1915) was a Canadian-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo in New York (1897–1903) and archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago in Illinois (1903� ...

, agreed to help Father Kelley launch this new organization. As a result, the Catholic Church Extension Society was organized on October 18, 1905. Temporary headquarters were established in Lapeer, Michigan, where a charter was granted to the society by the state of

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

on December 25, 1905. In January 1907, society headquarters were moved to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, and the president was transferred to that archdiocese. On June 7, 1907, Catholic Extension received its first papal approval by an Apostolic Letter of Pope Pius X addressed to the Archbishop of Chicago. Almost exactly three years later, on June 9, 1910, the Pope issued a brief by which the society was raised to the dignity of a canonical institution directly under his own guidance and protection. By the terms of this brief, the Archbishop of Chicago will always remain chancellor of the Society, and the president must be appointed by the Pope himself. The President's term of office is not more than five years. The board of governors has the right to propose three names to the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

for this office, and to elect, according to their laws, all other officers of the society. Mission dioceses generally are rural, cover a large geographic area, and have limited personnel and pastoral resources. Since 1905, the society has given more than $500 million to 94 mission dioceses across the country.Pronechen, "Catholic Extension Makes Faith Local", ''National Catholic Register'', October 13, 2016
/ref> Extension has been active in Puerto Rico for over 100 years, funding about 1,400 building projects.

Present day

In 2012, Catholic Extension approved a $56,000 two year grant to the

Archdiocese for the Military Services The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (formally the Military Ordinariate of Archdiocese for the Military Services of the United States) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese that provides the Catholic Church's past ...

to support a faith formation program for Catholics in the United States military. In 2018, Catholic Extension launched a Mission Immersion Program for pastors from various parts of the country, which allows them to experience circumstances pastors in poor areas of the country face. Large-scale raids conducted in August 2019 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement resulted in the arrest of 680 people at various food processing plants in the state of Mississippi. Extension set up "The Holy Family" fund to financially assist families without their main breadwinner because of detention or deportation. The fund will be managed by the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson The Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson is a diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Mobile, in the southern United States of America. Its ecclesiastical jurisdiction includes the northern and central parts of the state of Mississippi, an a ...

Leadership

* Chancellor –

Blase J. Cupich Blase Joseph Cupich ( ; March 19, 1949) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, a cardinal who serves as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Cupich was ordained a priest there in 1975. He was named ...

, Archbishop of Chicago * Vice Chancellor –

Gerald F. Kicanas Gerald Frederick Kicanas (born August 18, 1941) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, Diocese of Tucson in Arizona from 2002 to 2017. He served as the apostolic admini ...

, Bishop of Tucson * President – John J. Wall

Past presidents

* Francis Clement Kelley – Founder, President 1905–1924 * William D. O'Brien – President 1925–1962 *Joseph B. Lux – President 1962–1966 *Kenneth G. Stack – President 1966–1968 * John L. May – President 1968–1970 *Joseph A. Cusack – President 1970–1976 * Edward J. Slattery – President 1977–1994 *Kenneth J. Velo – President 1994–2001 *William R. Houck – President 2001–2007

''Extension'' Magazine

In April 1906, the society began the publication of a quarterly bulletin called ''Extension''. In May 1907, this quarterly was enlarged and changed into a monthly bulletin. Kelley served as the original writer, editor and publisher. Since then, ''Extension'' has developed to include a collection of articles illustrating the history of the Catholic Church in America. Now a quarterly publication.

''Lumen Christi'' Award

Every year, Catholic Extension's ''Lumen Christi'' Award honors an individual or group working in one of America's mission dioceses who demonstrates how the power of faith can transform lives and communities. The $1,000 award is accompanied by a $50,000 grant: $25,000 for the honoree and $25,000 for his or her nominating diocese. In 2018, the ''Lumen Christi'' was awarded to Sister Marie-Paule Willem, a Franciscan Missionary of Mary, serving in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, honored a lifetime of missionary work."Catholic Extension receives 48 nominations for annual Lumen Christi Award", Catholic News Service, August 21, 2019
/ref>

References

;Attribution *

External links

Catholic Church Extension Society (USA)
{{Catholic laity Christian organizations established in 1905 1905 establishments in Michigan Catholic charities Charities based in Illinois