MORE INFORMATION

Name: Anita Kilcran

Parish: Our Lady of the Valley, Phoenix

Role with the Campaign: Parish campaign cabinet co-chair

What does the campaign mean for Our Lady of the Valley?

When our church was built in 1973, it was designed as a multipurpose building. In the late ‘90s it was converted to a permanent worship space. Parishioners have long expressed the desire for more social and meeting space. Funds that come back to the parish from the “Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante” campaign will help us design and build that space. For that, we’re very grateful.

How funds help every parish and mission.

Related

Physical upgrades to allow parish pair to better welcome future Catholics

Parish history

How did you get involved?

Our pastor stopped me one day and said, ‘I don’t know if you’ve heard about this ….’ We set up a time to meet and together went over the information in the campaign packet.

While I agreed to co-chair the campaign for our parish, I really understood very little about it. It was only during a presentation to both pastoral councils, when we saw the campaign video with Bishop [Thomas J.] Olmsted, that I was so convinced of the campaign’s value.

It was perhaps the first time that I had heard the bishop speak so passionately about people’s needs. That was when I saw the need and the value of real sacrificial giving. I wanted to be a part of it.

How does this campaign speak to evangelization and discipleship?

I know that the Church does that through our Catholic schools, and there is great value in that. But when we go out to the streets, we are the face of Christ to people. The Francis Fund will touch people’s hearts. This is our chance to say, ‘come and see.’ I give because this is my Church. This is my bishop asking. This is God’s voice right now. If we trust in the Lord and place that trust in Him, He will always take care of us.

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