Women’s group distributes $96,000

The Women’s Giving Circle of the Diocese of Baton Rouge recently ended its 2023 giving season by celebrating its opportunity to join in the mission of critical ministries with a Mass and grant awards presentation luncheon.

The WGC is an initiative striving to create a community of philanthropically-minded Catholic women dedicated to raising awareness of the needs in the diocese. Designed as a giving circle, the group leverages a pool of funds to have a greater impact on the organizations they select. Its patron saint is St. Katharine Drexel, and its theme is “Give, Bless, Pray.”

This year’s giving season focused on ministry to youth.  By supporting these ministries the WGC stated that it “joins in Jesus’ command to love one another.”

During the course of three gatherings, women prayed, socialized, ate and learned about potential grant award recipients. During the course of three rounds of voting, the group chose its award recipients.

The last gathering began with a Mass con-celebrated by Bishop Michael G. Duca and priests of the diocese at Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center in Baton Rouge. An award presentation luncheon followed at neighboring White Oaks Estate.

Bonnie Mart, WGC co-founder, opened the awards presentation by proudly noting that this year there were 177 women in the group. The generosity of the women resulted in the circle distributing $96,000 among five ministries to youth.

The recipients included Vagabond Missionaries, $23,000; St. Gerard Redemptorist Elementary School in Baton Rouge for its summer tutoring program, $21,000; Metanoia Manor, $20,000; The Life of a Single Mom, $16,000; and Gardere Initiative, $16,000.

Looking ahead to next year’s WGC season, Mart said, “My prayer is the giving circle is here to stay as part of the Diocese of Baton Rouge and one day our daughters and granddaughters will be standing up here (as future leaders of the group).”

Mart urged the women to invite their friends to join the circle for next year’s giving season.

“I look forward to the future and I just can’t wait to see what God has planned for us in the future,” said Mart.

The grant award recipient representatives expressed thanks for the funds.

Deacon Michael Parker, deacon assistant at Holy Rosary Church in St Amant and representing Vagabond Ministries, said the ministry introduces inner-city teens to Jesus.

“Often times in the church, what we do is we make sure that we’re getting spiritually fed inside those walls, but it’s time for us to go outside of the walls to bring people in,” Deacon Parker said. “Literally we’re doing one of the best things (as the deacons announce) at the end of Mass, ‘Let us go forth and announce the Gospel of the Lord, glorifying the Lord by our lives.’ ”

We have a great way of starting a great mission and a great team of missionaries who will go out into the community and minister to those who are literally just waiting for Jesus to come and be a light in their life,” he said.

The ministry will be introduced in the Diocese of Baton Rouge beginning July 1 in the geographic boundaries of the mid-city area of Baton Rouge, which he noted include the boundaries of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Our Lady of Mercy Church, St. Agnes Church and St. Francis of Xavier Church.

“We’ll be in those areas trying to go into the public high schools and different neighborhoods and areas where people are waiting (for us),” Deacon Parker said. “They’re in community, but they don’t know what the church has to offer. So sure enough, we will bring them in.

“I’m super excited about this, I can’t wait. It’s going to be a great thing for our city, for our land,” Deacon Parker said.

For more information about WGC visit diobr.org/womens-giving-circle.