Tom Codd, chairman of The Catholic Foundation, center, presents a grant award to representatives from the Holy Family Quasi Parish in Van Alstyne, including, from left, Bob Helmberger, building campaign manager; Father Salvador Guzmán; Janis Hicks, business manager; and Father Arthur Unachukwu. (Courtesy Photo)
By Cathy Harasta
The Texas Catholic
Father Salvador Guzmán didn’t hesitate to describe his feeling when Holy Family Catholic Quasi-Parish in Van Alstyne received its first grant from The Catholic Foundation on April 18 during the foundation’s spring grant ceremony at St. Mary of Carmel Community Center.
“We felt like we won the lottery,” said Father Guzmán, who oversees Holy Family, which is located about 18 miles north of McKinney and is a mission of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in McKinney. “It’s a sign the church is growing in this part of the country. Right now, some of our people have to stand during Mass.”
The grant, which will go toward expansion of Holy Family’s sanctuary and parking lot, was one of 21 grants that totaled $687,559 presented to churches, schools and other non-profit groups that serve the Diocese of Dallas.
“This grant put us in the category of being able to go ahead with expansion,” said Janis Hicks, Holy Family’s business manager. “There are so many needs in the diocese, so we all were so happy to hear we got the grant. We’re on a growth spurt. We’re made up of so many little towns like Melissa and Anna. We have new people coming all the time.”
Grants for tuition assistance, educational programs and upgrades for buildings and technology reflected key needs in this awards cycle. The foundation awards grants twice a year to support organizations, programs and ministries that serve the Dallas-area Catholic community.
To see a complete list of grant recipients and read other reactions to the awards, pick up an April 26 print edition of The Texas Catholic.
