Blog

By Deacon Lou Leonatti

As a board member of Catholic Charities, it is a privilege to share with you the positive impact of our Charity and Mercy Grants.

These grants support local parishes’ Social Ministry Commissions to address diverse needs in their communities, especially for the vulnerable, regardless of faith affiliation.

Applicants can conveniently and easily apply for grants up to $5,000 online through Catholic Charities’ website.

Here are some examples of the positive impact of grants in churches across our diocese.

My home parish, St. Brendan in Mexico is one of the churches that has benefited from this financial assistance several times and has made a significant difference.

Our first grant was through our St. Vincent de Paul chapter.

When several Vincentians met with school counselors, we learned about our homeless student population and the number of youngsters who were “couch surfers.”

There was a need for beds.

With the help of a local business, we purchased new mattresses, box springs, bed frames, pillows, and linens.

This helped jump-start a program that now provides over 100 students and their parents with a place to sleep.

I will never forget the smile and joy on a little 4-year-old’s face when he saw his new bed.

Grown men can cry!

Our second grant met an immediate need in our community when our hospital closed.

The hospital had not paid wages to many employees for over 30 days, and it had let their health insurance lapse.

When Bishop McKnight called me to ask how Catholic Charities could help, we learned that several people were diabetic and could not afford to pay for their insulin.

Thanks to a grant, we paid for insulin bills and provided crucial support during a time of extreme necessity.

Our third grant assisted a Room at the Inn program.

When a medical office building became mostly vacant, our parish saw an opportunity to create a cold-weather shelter.

A Charity and Mercy Grant helped secure a water heater and stove, transforming the building into a warm and welcoming haven for the homeless. 

Our story is mirrored in parishes across the diocese.

St. Mary Parish in Shelbina is embracing change and new possibilities even in the absence of a resident pastor.

With an empty rectory on their grounds, the parish community came together with a vision to transform this space into transitional housing.

Their proactive plan was met with support through a Charity and Mercy Grant, facilitating the conversion.

St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Sedalia initiated a breakfast program to support the homeless during the winter season.

Catholic Charities recognized and aided their pursuit of providing warmth and sustenance through this grant program.

St. Peter Parish in Fulton is assisting a ministerial alliance program to provide a warm lunch for those in need.

The funds awarded will provide essential kitchen appliances to aid their mission.

The initiatives highlighted here represent just a glimpse of the profound difference that the Charity and Mercy Grants from Catholic Charities are making within our diocese.

Our aim is to strengthen the hands of each local parish, enabling them to extend their services to those who need it most. 

Please join us in this Mission of Mercy.

God Bless!