CV NEWS FEED // The Pulte Family Charitable Foundation has announced the launch of The Catholic Initiative, a Vatican-approved nonprofit model that will shift ownership of Catholic churches and schools to a dedicated nonprofit, ensuring that parishes can continue their Catholic missions.
A March 9 press release from The Catholic Initiative explains that the innovative model guarantees long-term restoration and maintenance through its 20-year lease program. It also guarantees that parishes have a permanent right to use their properties as Catholic institutions and creates an endowment fund for operational needs, maintenance, and priest support.
The project responds to parish closures and bankruptcies occurring across United States dioceses. Since 1995, 2,600 parishes and 2,000 Catholic schools have closed, “representing not just the loss of physical spaces but community hubs central to parishioner life,” the Initiative explains.
The Initiative is taking on three flagship projects: fully restoring and creating an endowment for the historic Basilica of St. Anne in Detroit, Michigan; gaining ownership and creating an endowment for Chicago’s oldest Catholic all-girls high school, Josephinum Academy of the Sacred Heart; and raising an endowment for the Catholic campus ministry, Bulldog Catholic, at University of Minnesota Duluth.
Bulldog Catholic’s founder, Father Mike Schmitz, who is also the host of the “Bible in a Year” podcast, is on the board of advisors for The Catholic Initiative.
“I was deeply inspired by the vision and innovation behind The Catholic Initiative,” Fr. Schmitz said. “This model isn’t just about financial support, it’s about unleashing the full potential of Catholic churches, schools, and parishes. Many Catholic communities are vibrant and alive with faith, they just need the resources to thrive for generations.”
Kevin Doyle, CEO of the Pulte Family Foundation and president of The Catholic Initiative, also explained the importance of the project.
“Our goal with The Catholic Initiative is to build a model that will transform lives for generations to come,” Doyle said. “We hope we can shift the conversation for priests and parishioners — from one of constant fundraising to one of renewal, sustainability, and the needs of the community.”
William J. Pulte, a devout Catholic, master builder, and philanthropist, founded the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation seven years ago.
The organization, The Catholic Initiative explains, “is guided by the belief in the inherent dignity of all persons and works to meet the basic human needs of the most marginalized members of the human family, including socioeconomically disadvantaged youth; the aged; persons with physical, emotional, and mental disabilities; and those with the fewest material resources.”
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