CFU celebrates "An Evening of Gratitude'

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SALT LAKE CITY — “Thank you.”

That phrase was repeated over and over again by the speakers at the Feb. 18 “Evening of Gratitude” hosted by the Catholic Foundation of Utah, held in St. Vincent de Paul Parish’s Holy Family Hall.

“Tonight is an evening of joy, appreciation and thanksgiving,” Bishop Oscar A. Solis said in his opening remarks. “We have been through trying times, but God has blessed us and provided us the grace and wisdom, courage and the strength to weather some obstacles and other challenging circumstances of the past, including the pandemic. Thank God for the continued success of the Catholic Foundation of Utah,” which is “one of the essential instruments of our diocese and the Church’s mission of evangelization in the Beehive State.”

The CFU manages more than 450 endowments that benefit parishes, schools and numerous other concerns within the diocese, including support for seminarians and priests’ retirement. Last year, beneficiaries collectively received more than $1 million in distributions from those endowments, said Howard Lemcke, president of the CFU Board of Trustees.  

The CFU has a leadership role in helping provide the diocesan parishes, missions, schools and other entities with the financial means to support their various ministries, Bishop Solis said as he thanked the CFU donors and benefactors for contributing to the mission of the Church in Utah.

Nevah Stevenson, who is in her first year as the CFU executive director, noted that those present at the dinner represented “a microcosm of the community that nourishes our diocese,” including not only the CFU donors but the bishop, priests of the diocese and students from the three Catholic high schools.

When she talks to those who establish endowments or who donate to existing endowments, they always say they give from a sense of gratitude, Stevenson said. “Every time I talk to a donor, the person will talk about what they’re grateful for, and why they want to give back.”

She then expressed her own gratitude. “Thanks to you and thanks to so many others, we’re building a secure future for this diocese,” she said.

Howie Lemcke, president of the CFU Board of Trustees, began his remarks by thanking those present for all they do for the diocese “and for recognizing that the Catholic Foundation of Utah is a vehicle to help you get to your goals for what you intended to do for the diocese.”

Those who establish endowments may specify who the beneficiary is; for example, among the more than 450 endowments administered by the CFU are those that benefit the Good Samaritan Program, others that offer scholarships through the various Catholic Schools, some that benefit Catholic Community Services of Utah, and still others that benefit individual parishes and missions. If an endowment doesn’t exist for a specific purpose desired by a donor, one can be created.

However, some people aren’t aware of the CFU, and the foundation needs to be better known in the diocese, Lemcke said, and asked those present to educate others about funding endowments. He closed by saying, “Thank you for all showing up over the years. … Thank for all you do and have done.”