History of Enriching Our Catholic Future Capital Campaign
Newman Foundation, Inc. has a rich history of providing for the ongoing needs of Holy Spirit Parish and the University of Kentucky (UK). To meet the changing needs of the Catholic community in the 1980’s the Foundation established a Grants Program and Distinguished Speakers Series. The Grants Program has provided the Foundation Board with opportunities to fund projects at the local and diocesan level. Since 1984, the Distinguished Speakers Series has sponsored a forum for education and discourse by bringing in national and international speakers to Lexington.
In 2005, the Newman Foundation fulfilled a longstanding dream. The University of Kentucky now has a Chair in Catholic Studies thanks to a generous donation from Dr. Carol Cottrill and Tom Rolfes. In Fall 2007, Dr. David Hunter began his tenure as the first Cottrill-Rolfes Chair in Catholic Studies. Dr. Hunter’s wealth of knowledge and expertise in early Christianity are an excellent resource for students and members of the community.
The Enriching Our Catholic Future Capital Campaign was launched to build upon the successful establishment of the Cottrill-Rolfes Chair by establishing a $1 Million Research Endowment. This research fund will be used to support the Cottrill-Rolfes Chair in Catholic Studies to foster intellectual vitality by engaging faculty, students and the general public on the role of the Catholic Church by providing conferences, seminars, scholarly publications, professorships and a variety of student mentorship/outreach activities.
With the new Chair in place and pledges secured to meet the final payment to the UK in June 2011 for the Endowed Research Fund, Newman Foundation, Phase II of Enriching Our Catholic Future Campaign begins. Newman Foundation Inc. wants to continue the momentum by creating new programs and expanding current ones to meet the growing faith needs of students at the University of Kentucky and the Catholic communities where these students will eventually live. This vision includes:
Campus Ministry and Student Leadership
Catholic Campus Ministry is a training ground for developing strong leaders in our community and our Catholic churches. A program of enhancing faith development during the college years creates spiritual bonds for a lifetime. Over the years the Foundation’s level of support for Campus Ministry has grown as has the number of Catholic students, faculty and staff. Ongoing support, coordination, and cooperation will impact the Catholic community by offering students more opportunities to grow in their faith.
- Catholic Scholars Program: To develop students in the Catholic Tradition, the Newman Foundation will offer merit-based scholarships to qualified candidates. The recipients would be required to make a serious commitment to the study of the intellectual tradition of the Church. They would take classes at the Newman Center or from a professor of Catholic Thought at UK and serve in a ministry capacity at Holy Spirit Parish.
- Catechetical Institute: The Foundation will offer financial help for students who wish to prepare theologically, spiritually, and methodologically to be effective catechists for tomorrow’s parishes.
- Internships in Liturgy/Music, Religious Education and Student Outreach: The Foundation will prepare students for leadership positions in their future parishes through internships.
- Expanded Retreat programs and Expanded Service/Learning Trips: Newman Foundation aspires to offer retreats to all students including graduate students. Some examples of programs include attendance at the National Catholic Student Coalition and spring break trips for students to help build houses with Habitat For Humanity as well as minister to inner city poor and homeless in New York.
Ongoing Newman Center Campus Ministry Programs: Holy Spirit Parish provides opportunities for fellowship and worship to 6,000 students at UK. Programs in existence include: welcome activities, Catholic Action Center projects to assist the inner city poor of Lexington, and student meals after Sunday Mass.
Enhanced Catholic Initiatives
The Catholic Initiatives component is designed to meet the changing needs of the Catholic community in Lexington and across Kentucky.
- Distinguished Speakers Series – One existing program of the Newman Foundation that integrates personal, spiritual and intellectual development is a series of lectures sponsored by the Foundation, providing a forum for speakers of diverse backgrounds. The program seeks to bring outstanding theologians and/or philosophers to Lexington whose work encompasses a full range of Catholic thought. The program began in 1984 and part of the mission of the Newman Foundation is to attract speakers who complement, challenge and enhance the efforts of the Chair in Catholic Studies.
- Grants/Scholarships – The Foundation has an existing grants program that supports The Newman Center, Diocesan-wide projects, and those from other regions in Kentucky. The goal is to expand the financial resources available for supporting Catholic initiatives across the state. The Foundation grants have included ongoing support for Campus Ministry activities and programs of Holy Spirit Parish. Additional grants have been approved for Catholic Action Center, St. Vincent Mission, Theology on Tap, Health Ministries Programs, Birthright of Lexington and numerous staff support and workshop grants. The Foundation will offer scholarship opportunities to people in the Diocese of Lexington who serve in ministry roles (including deacons, clergy and laity) to participate in classes offered by the Chair in Catholic Studies at UK.
Foundation Sustaining Fund
The Newman Foundation’s role continues to expand based on the needs of the Catholic community. The Foundation’s success has been based on the strong leadership both past and present and the shared vision for the future. A Sustaining Fund is mandatory to provide the necessary financial support for day-to-day expenses for the Foundation, including staff salaries as well as overhead, benefits, supplies, postage, newsletters, equipment, utilities and other expenses. New positions may be added from the proceeds of this fund to provide additional staff to meet the increasing demands and workload of the organization. These positions would insure the continuation of fundraising activities as well as a continually updated donor database and contributor support network for the Foundation
