Published: 10 May 2017

$250,000 donation to benefit parish World Hunger Drive

CHARLOTTE — Monsignor John McSweeney is known for being direct. From upstate New York, he is a person of few words but long on action and making a difference in people’s lives. He is a pastor who gets things done, with the support of his staff and 10,000-plus registered families who comprise the nation’s largest Catholic parish.

To memorialize his efforts as pastor over the past 18 years, an anonymous donor has given $250,000 to establish an endowment for a cause dear to Monsignor McSweeney’s heart: the parish World Hunger Drive.

Each summer, St. Matthew parishioners form an army of volunteers who help collect literally tons of non-perishable food, then assemble and pack more than 300,000 meals that are shipped overseas to people in need. Agencies that benefit from the parish’s outreach include the Missionaries of the Poor, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte and Second Harvest Food Bank.

The Monsignor McSweeney World Hunger Outreach Program Endowment Fund will help ensure an annual funding source to continue this work at the parish.

“I was humbled by the endowment that is being placed in my name,” Monsignor McSweeney said. “I see that as a tremendous love of the donors for the poor, as I do myself. The hope is that those funds will be able to assist in those times of unique need for individuals.”

Mark Creasser, coordinator of the parish’s World Hunger Drive, calls the ministry an important outreach effort by the St. Matthew parish family to serve people in Haiti and Jamaica.

“Our parishioners feel blessed that we can assist the Missionaries of the Poor and others who are helping the people in these countries,” Creasser said. “Last year, our parishioners volunteered 4,000 hours in packing, collecting and shipping of eight 40-foot containers. We have shipped over 2.2 million pounds of food and materials (to Haiti and Jamaica through the Missionaries of the Poor) since we began the program in 2003.”

Judy Smith, of the office of development with the diocese, calls the endowment “a wonderful example of how a thoughtful and generous donor can make an impact where there is great need, and one that will last for many future generations.”

The anonymous donor explained the reasoning behind setting up this endowment: “Under Monsignor McSweeney, St. Matthew World Hunger Drive has served the poor internationally and locally since beginning 14 years ago. The endowment will ensure the Monsignor McSweeney World Hunger Drive continues on as St. Matthew parishioners put into practice, ‘An Attitude of Gratitude.’ ”

The endowment will be administered through the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation. Established in 1994, the foundation has grown to encompass 246 endowments and more than $43 million in total assets.

To date, more than 900 people have indicated that they are making gifts to the Church in their estates, anywhere from the thousands to the millions of dollars.

Endowments provide an ongoing source of support, as the principal funds remain intact and the recipient entity receives funds from the income.

Recent endowments include an estate gift last year to St. Barnabas Church in Arden – the largest endowment gift the diocese has ever received. Originally the endowment was estimated to be $3.6 million, but that figure has now increased to $4.1 million upon the estate being finalized, diocesan officials said.

Also, a couple from Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville recently donated a condo that was sold to generate an endowment of $403,000 for Immaculata School. That means the school will be able to use approximately $20,000 annually to help fund scholarships and provide other financial help to the school.

The Monsignor McSweeney World Hunger Outreach Program Endowment Fund was a cash gift.

“This endowment means that our program can continue for years to come,” Creasser explained. “It is heartwarming to see this incredible gift in the name of Monsignor McSweeney, who has been a great supporter of World Hunger Drive. We want to thank the wonderful people who made this gift possible, and ask that the good Lord bless them and their family.”
For details about establishing an endowment or providing an estate gift, contact Ray-Eric Correia, diocesan director of planned giving, at 704-370-3364 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter

Published: 26 April 2017

Love sewn into every stitch

CHARLOTTE — St. Vincent de Paul Church’s usually quiet Ministry Center Assembly Room was anything but quiet in April as sewing machines hummed and students began the annual “Quilts of Love” project.

Thanks to support from the pastor Father Mark Lawlor, the parish’s faith formation staff, donations from parishioners, an excellent team of volunteers, and the enthusiasm of faith formation students, 12 one-of-a-kind lap quilts were crafted over two Saturdays earlier this month.

The annual project serves both as a Lenten outreach program for the parish and as a way for students to earn service hours. Since the program began nine years ago, students have created and delivered more than 180 quilts to parishioners in the Charlotte area.

The quilts were blessed at the 11:30 a.m. Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 23, by Father Lawlor. Following the blessing, each quilt was packaged in a gift bag along with a bottle of holy water, a rosary, prayer cards, a handwritten “Story of the Quilt” by the student, a history of the project, a parish bulletin and other religious information. Students then surprised the recipients by personally delivering their quilts following the Mass.

Each nine-block lap quilt consists of a white 12-inch-by-12-inch center block bearing a Christian symbol drawn by the student. The students then select eight more similarly-sized blocks from a wide variety of colored and patterned cloth. Once the nine blocks are sewn together, a different cloth color and pattern are chosen to create a four-inch border around the perimeter of the quilt. To complete the quilt, a fleece backing is added to provide the warmth and weight of the quilt. To keep the quilt top and bottom from separating when laundering, the quilt is “tied” down at the four corners of the center block.

Quilts were delivered to parishioners in nursing homes, the homebound, people in rehabilitation or hospitalized, or otherwise identified by the parish to receive a quilt.
— Peggy Gibbons, Special to the Catholic News Herald

Pictured: St. Vincent De Paul students proudly display their newly-crafted lap quilts in front of the Ministry Center Chapel. Pictured are Jose Mata Esqueda, Nataline Suaris, Susan Morales, Jessica Garcia Lopez, Edward Haro, Jaime Alipzar, Emily Morales and Juan Dios Lopez. Not pictured are quilting team instructors Drenna Hannon and Imelda Panzer. (Photo provided by Peggy Gibbons)