Texas Catholic Letters
March 5, 2009
Reverend Ernie Torres
Divine Mercy of Our Lord Parish
Mesquite, Texas
Dear Father Ernie,
Divine Mercy of Our Lord Parish has come a long way under your leadership. Since the opening mass on December 2, 2001 in a bank lobby, your parish has grown by leaps and bounds as new parishioners continue to register. Clearly, the demands on the parish facilities have increased.
While The Catholic Foundation often participates in the growth of a parish, I do not believe we have gotten a more keen perspective than we have from participating in the growth of Divine Mercy of Our Lord Parish. From the first grant the Foundation made to the parish in 2004 for the hiring of a faith formation director, the growth of the parish has been remarkable. It is not surprising that the recent grant request we received from the parish is for much needed classroom buildings to serve the more than 1,500 families of the parish. As always, the Spring granting cycle is very competitive with requests nearly three times the amount of funds available for distribution. The Distribution Committee is going to have a difficult time making final decisions because there are so many worthy requests such as yours.
Grants from the Foundation are never easy and have been a part of the growth in our Diocese for the last 53 years. Our benefactors want to be a part of the future of the Diocese, and The Catholic Foundation is privileged to be able to help them with their legacy and help parishes such as yours grow.
Sincerely,
Edwin M. Schaffler
President and Chief Executive Officer