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In the Gospel, Jesus fed 5,000 with only five loaves and two fish. After the crowd was satisfied, there were 12 wicker baskets left over. God provides the abundance. In each episode of this podcast, we will explore, with pastoral leaders and development professionals, all the many ways God meets the spiritual and temporal needs of our parish communities, our Catholic schools and the diocesan church. And not only meets those needs but provides in abundance.
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Father James Burns, President of St. Mary's University of Minnesota, discusses the mission of Catholic higher education, emphasizing the integration of psychology and theology in priestly formation and the importance of donor relationships in sustaining Catholic educational institutions. He highlights the centrality of faith, human formation, and virtue development to the university’s mission, and how storytelling and authentic engagement inspire philanthropic support. Fr. Burns advocates for...
Dr. Eric Westby, Director of the Institute of Catholic Theology in Phoenix, Arizona, and longtime catechist, discusses the essential connection between catechesis and evangelization in the latest episode of Twelve Wicker Baskets. Dr. Westby traces his own journey into catechetics, inspired by mentors and shaped by decades of parish ministry and academic study. He explains the importance of the kerygma—the initial proclamation of the Gospel—as the foundation for catechesis, which deepens conve...
In this episode of Twelve Wicker Baskets, Dr. Dan Ryan, President of Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, discusses the transformative power of servant leadership in Catholic education and fundraising. With over two decades of experience in Catholic school leadership, Dr. Ryan has served in roles ranging from special education teacher to diocesan superintendent. Since 2017, he has led Dowling Catholic through strategic enrollment growth, expanded diversity initiatives and a ...
Fr. Matt Lowry shares his journey as chaplain of the Holy Trinity Newman Center at Northern Arizona University, where he has led explosive growth both spiritually and financially. He reflects on how his ministry—rooted in prayer, relationship and trust in God’s providence—has transformed from humble beginnings into a dynamic mission field for evangelization. Fr. Matt emphasizes the deep spiritual hunger among college students for beauty, tradition, and authentic encounter, and how presence, p...
Twelve Wicker Baskets welcomes Bishop James Golka of the Diocese of Colorado Springs for a rich and thoughtful conversation on gratitude, stewardship and Eucharistic living. Bishop Golka reflects on psalm 116 and the act of taking up the cup of salvation and calling upon the name of the Lord as a gesture of profound worship and thanksgiving—an invitation to live a life rooted in the Eucharist. Bishop Golka shares insights from his own pastoral journey and spiritual formation, shaped by years ...
As the Church entered a celebration of the Jubilee of Teenagers this week, Twelve Wicker Baskets takes time with Mark Hart, the Chief Innovation Officer at Life Teen International, a Catholic youth ministry active in nearly 2,000 parishes worldwide. Mark shares his personal journey from a "typical" Catholic upbringing to a life-changing encounter with Christ during high school, thanks to the Life Teen movement. That experience sparked his lifelong passion for walking with teens, helping them ...
An accomplished educator and musician hailing from his hometown of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Stephen Handrigan delves into the topic of openness to the journey set before each of us in life and in fundraising. With degrees in music and education, Stephen’s career spans leadership in Catholic and independent schools. This experience led him to the role that he currently holds as president and head of school at St. Bonaventure’s College in St. John’s. An independent, K-12 Jesuit Catholic school...
Fr. Bill Gurnee, pastor of St. Joseph’s on Capitol Hill, shares his journey from his beginnings in New York and North Carolina to Washington, D.C., inspired by a pivotal question about life’s purpose. St. Joseph's on Capitol Hill has a rich history. Founded in 1868 by German immigrants, it is now a diverse community of 450 families, including many Congressional staffers and young professionals. St. Joseph’s offers daily Masses, marriage preparation, and a welcoming environment for all, from t...
Luke attributes the Holy Spirit for planting on his heart from an early age the desire to do ministry. Growing up as an older sibling of eleven children, he learned leadership and responsibility early on. Led to a habit of daily prayer in college by FOCUS and the personal witness of a friend, Luke knew firsthand the importance of community, fraternal support, and individual invitation in coming to deeper discipleship. “Truth becomes transformation through relationship,” Luke said. God, reveal...
In this episode, Twelve Wicker Baskets host, Christopher Beaudet, shares a Christmas message of hope, allowing a story from a Civil War battlefield to be lesson for us all that Christmas is a joyful celebration of hope because it is about God coming to dwell among us; coming to dwell in our pain and suffering, in our fear and worry; coming to dwell with us in such a place as this. On behalf of everyone at the Steier Group, we wish you a very blessed and merry Christmas. Guest: Christopher Be...
Leisa’s leadership in helping parish communities to “look at one another from the perspective of gift and abundance” allows parishes to experience an invitation to enter more deeply into the life of the community. “Everyone has something to give. And not only does everyone have something to give, but everyone needs to give.” Gratitude is a virtue, requiring us to foster, develop and practice the habit of being grateful. Leisa reminds us that the perfect place to bring stewardship to life is a...
Steve Homiack advises pastors that, when it comes to addressing finances from the pulpit, “the best time to talk about money is when you’re not asking for it.” When people complain “all they do is talk about money,” it’s probably because talking about money from the pulpit is only done when people are asked to give it for a need; it’s always linked to an appeal. But the multitude of scriptural references and parables about money throughout the year provide opportunities to emphasize the spi...
A native of Ohio and a product of Catholic education, Colin Campbell knows very well the value and impact Catholic education has on a child, the character formation and critical thinking it instills, and the openness it creates to mystery and vocation in life. All Saints Catholic School, where Colin serves as President, partnered with the Steier Group to conduct a transformative campaign to allow the school to continue its charism of excellence in faith, character, academics and service...
With a history over 400 years, the religious sisters who belong to the Order of the Company of Mary Our Lady have a rich tradition of Catholic education inspired by the charism and vision of the community’s foundress, St. Jeanne de Lestonnac. St. Jeanne’s own familial and vocation experiences helped form her practical application of education in a time when education meant largely memorization of facts and was open only to boys. St. Jeanne de Lestonnac school, of which Sister Ernestine ...
Abriana Chilelli describes the beginning of Fire Foundation Denver as nothing short of providential. Just as Covid came on the scene, several parents of children with disabilities wrote in large numbers to the Archdiocese of Denver with the request for support to help them educate their children in Catholic schools, many of which were not prepared for special needs students. Soon, with Archbishop Aquila’s blessing, a group of mothers of special needs children organized to start Fire Foundatio...
After what he calls a “powerful, mystical experience” with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Robert “Bobby” Kloska’s life forever changed. The assurance he received that all would be well if he sought first the kingdom of God (Mt 6:33) has proven a calming guide through health struggles, disappointments, change of plans, and the various phases of his professional career. As Chief Partnership Office at Notre Dame Federal Credit Union, he is tasked with advancing a nationwide Catholic financial ecosyste...
Michael Hoffman has years of financial services and diocesan development experience and, in this episode, draws on that experience to share important tips for any diocese considering a capital campaign. “We knew we needed to do something… nothing was not an option,” Michael said of the diocesan financial needs at his previous position as the Director of Stewardship for the Diocese of Davenport. Priest retirement and vocations support needed long-term funding, but the third leg of the st...
“The Church is the hope of the world, and the local parish is the hope of the Church,” says Tom Corcoran, co-author of ChurchMoney, a book that is part of the Rebuilt series. Tom’s experience in helping his own parish to be a thriving, vibrant community of faith inspired him, along with his pastor, Father Michael White, to help other parish communities throughout the world to experience the same renewal. Tom encourages parishes to develop a model of ministry and to invite other into that visi...
After completing her M.B.A., Jennifer Baugh went through a soul-searching period while waiting to start a new consulting job, asking God to deepen her faith. She came to a new and profound realization of God’s love and the mission to share that love with others. Not long thereafter, Jennifer established Young Catholic Professionals (YCP), an apostolate that has grown exponentially, signaling that Catholic professionals in their 20s and 30s have a shared longing for encouragement and for a com...
Responsible for faith-based and secular non-profit markets at Innovest, Sarah brings to bear her rich experience of non-profit development, marketing, and business development along with her faith and sense of stewardship in managing clients’ investment portfolios. In this episode, Sarah explores how building a morally conscious investment portfolio is more than avoiding “sin stocks,” but requires a deeper due diligence to ensure funds are not applied to causes antithetical to the Gospel and ...
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