A spirit of gratitude and fellowship filled Belle Haven Country Club in Alexandria Oct. 14, as donors, members of the Catholic Heritage Circle, pastors, Catholic school leaders and diocesan representatives gathered for the inaugural Catholic Foundation of Arlington Appreciation Luncheon.
The Catholic Foundation of Arlington connects the faithful with charitable giving opportunities that provide long-term financial support for the diocese. Through endowments and planned giving, the foundation helps sustain the church’s mission while providing donors with meaningful opportunities to support the ministries closest to their hearts.
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge opened the luncheon with a prayer, thanking the foundation’s board members, leadership, donors, pastors and school leaders for their faithful stewardship and commitment to the church.
Nicholas Buck, board chairman and a parishioner of St. John Neumann Church in Reston, emphasized the importance of building a lasting financial foundation for the diocese.
While the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal provides essential annual funding for diocesan ministries, Buck explained that endowments offer complementary long-term support, helping ministries plan for the future with greater confidence.
“All of us have a mission that we care about,” Buck said. “And I don’t know anyone who says that mission has enough resources. There’s always another need.”
For Buck, the foundation’s success depends not simply on the size of individual gifts but on the collective generosity of the faithful. “Whether you’re giving a dollar or $1,000, it really doesn’t matter the amount,” he said. “What matters is we’re all participating together.”
In that spirit of shared responsibility, St. Francis de Sales Church in Kilmarnock was honored as the first parish to reach its fundraising goal through the foundation’s endowment initiative.
With more than $139,000 raised for the parish’s long-term needs, Bishop Burbidge and Buck recognized Father Michael Orlowsky, pastor, for his leadership and his parishioners’ extraordinary generosity.
Father Orlowsky credited Bishop Burbidge’s investment — when in May he made initial contributions of $125,000 to every parish, mission and the four diocesan high schools, with the challenge of matching it by June 30, 2028 — with inspiring parishioners to respond generously.
“I think it really was the investment the bishop made,” Father Orlowsky said, explaining that it helped parishioners recognize the importance of establishing lasting financial support.
The luncheon also featured keynote speaker Matthew Spalding, vice president for Washington operations and dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government of Michigan’s Hillsdale College.
Reflecting on the nation’s 250th anniversary, Spalding explored the relationship between Catholic faith, the American founding and the enduring principles of religious liberty, human dignity and moral responsibility.
He described America’s founding ideals as an invitation to pursue something greater than individual interests, calling the nation an imperfect but worthy endeavor rooted in aspirations toward higher truths.
The event concluded with Bishop Burbidge thanking those present for their generosity, trust and faithful witness. He acknowledged the vital role donors and parish leaders play in sustaining the church’s mission and ensuring that future generations inherit a vibrant and flourishing Catholic community.
Thomas is diocesan deputy director of communications.
Find out more
To learn more about the Catholic Foundation of Arlington, go to catholicarlington.org.
