An initiative to re-engage Catholics across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is set to launch when Archbishop Nelson Pérez shares his pastoral letter with the faithful on Jan. 5, the feast day of St. John Neumann.
A team of experienced professionals has been working in recent months to implement a strategic plan that carries out Archbishop Perez’s vision for the Church in Philadelphia.
The Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI) has assisted as a key partner with the team. While CLI already works with a number of parishes in the Archdiocese to build evangelization and leadership skills, in the spring the organization will facilitate conversations with Catholics across the region about how to revitalize the local Church.
Dan Cellucci, chief executive officer of CLI, looks forward to working alongside Archbishop Pérez and the staff in the Strategic Planning Office to implement the pastoral plan.
“It’s really what is on his heart for the Church of Philadelphia going forward,” Cellucci said. “I just want people to really hear his invitation and be open to it and be a part of the conversation.”
Below are short bios of each staff member in the Strategic Planning Office.
Brian McCarthy, Chief Strategy Officer
Leading the Strategic Planning Office is Brian McCarthy, a member of St. Margaret Parish in Narberth, who oversees six staff members responsible for strategic operations, marketing and communications, and advancement. He began this position in September 2023.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, McCarthy was chief financial and commercial officer for Archaea Energy, a startup company founded in 2018 to develop renewable natural gas from landfill gas. The company grew quickly, and in 2022, BP acquired Archaea.
Following the acquisition, McCarthy began to discern his next career move. A few of his friends from the Penn Catholic Newman Community who became archdiocesan priests told him about the opportunity to the lead the Strategic Planning Office in the Archdiocese.
“I have the entrepreneurial background to build something from scratch,” said McCarthy, who studied physics and economics at Penn. “I have a lot of comfort with identifying problems and building teams to address them.”
McCarthy has been focused on bringing Archbishop Pérez’s vision for the Church in Philadelphia to life.
“The Archbishop wants to take the Church from crisis to hope,” he said. “He wants us to use our resources more effectively, and he wants to create a culture of missionary discipleship.”
McCarthy noted that executing the strategic plan will be a long-term process.
“The Archbishop wants a 20-year pastoral change of heart,” McCarthy said. “Eighty-three percent of Catholics don’t go to Mass, and we need to have an institutional urgency around that fact.”
One of the major initiatives will be creating missionary hubs across the Archdiocese, with the initial goal of establishing one hub in each county by the summer of 2025. These hubs will have up to five professional staff members, including trained missionaries who will serve in a specific geographic area.
Deacon James O’Neill, Director of Strategic Operations
A member of St. Christopher Parish in Northeast Philadelphia, Deacon O’Neill was ordained a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 2015 and is assigned to ministry in his home parish. He also worked at St. Christopher’s for eight years as parish services and religious education director.
With a background in international buying and selling of printing paper, Deacon O’Neill is responsible for identifying cost saving opportunities when purchasing office, school, and church supplies.
He noted that most parishes operate independently, a practice that limits the opportunity to leverage the large scale of the Archdiocese to generate savings, which a large enterprise should have.
Deacon O’Neill also will be ensuring that staff in parishes and the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center are using the best tools for managing the church in the 21st century and employing best practices.
The deacon joined the strategic planning office in August, and is preparing for implementation of the initial phase of opening one missionary hub in each county in the Archdiocese next summer.
“My hope is that we have a shift of pastoral mindset, rather than if we build it, they will come; to say we’ve got to step out of ourselves, step off our campus and get into the places where people are, and meet them where they are,” he said.
Christiaan Collins, Director of Strategic Marketing
Christiaan Collins, a member of St. Patrick Parish in Malvern, is responsible for implementing the marketing and communication plan that is part of the Archdiocese’s larger strategic reorganization plan. He joined the Strategic Planning Office in June.
Collins has collaborated with diverse stakeholders, clergy and parish leaders, and worked with internal communications and ministry leaders and external consultants to develop and implement marketing strategies aligned with the Archdiocese’s mission and goals.
“I’m responsible for managing the process by which we will rebrand the Church of Philadelphia and craft messaging that will resonate with both Mass-attending Catholics and those who are away from the Church,” he said. “Our goal is to tell the story of God’s love for all of us and highlight the good work Catholics are doing in the Archdiocese.”
Collins said a comprehensive communications campaign will begin on Jan. 5 when Archbishop Pérez releases his pastoral letter. The campaign will include radio and TV commercials, email newsletters, billboards, and paid social media ads.
“We want to get the message out that God is love, and the Church loves (people) as well, and the light is on and the door is open, and please come home,” he said. “My hope is the missionary hubs will help revive the Church of Philadelphia by serving those in need, encouraging people to come back to Mass, and helping the dedicated priests, religious, and lay people in their ministries.”
Megan McNichol, Executive Assistant
Megan McNichol, a member of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Springfield, Delaware County, is supporting the work of the Strategy Office as executive assistant to McCarthy. She joined the staff this past June.
“I’m working closely with everyone on the team … to keep everything unified and moving forward, (and) making sure everybody knows what everyone else is doing,” McNichol said. “It really takes all of us to make sure that the mission is successful.”
She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Ursinus College and initially worked on television and movie projects in the Philadelphia area. She was an assistant to director M. Night Shyamalan and a producer’s assistant for Gordon Gray who produced “Invincible,” a movie about Philadelphia Eagle Vince Papale.
McNichol’s career in the film and music industry took her to Los Angeles where she worked for Marvel Studios and Interscope Records.
She grew up in St. Francis of Assisi Parish and comes from a large Irish Catholic family. McNichol said she felt the pull to return to the Philadelphia area during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s great to work here and feel like you’re giving something back and hopefully moving the needle a little bit on a larger scale with faith and just the Archdiocese in general,” she said. “I go to Mass every Sunday, and I’m probably one of the youngest people there, so I want to see families come back to church.”
In helping to launch Archbishop Perez’s strategic plan, McNichol has utilized her TV and film experience to assist with the production of videos that will accompany the forthcoming pastoral letter.
The initial phase of the plan includes the opportunity for Catholics across the Archdiocese to attend consultation sessions in spring of 2025.
“I hope that people are willing to come and engage because the Church is willing to listen,” she said.
Sheila Rizzo, Director of Strategic Advancement
Sheila Rizzo, a member of St. Joseph Parish in Ambler, is responsible for directing a comprehensive advancement strategy that will grow and sustain the mission, programs and services of the Archdiocese and the new strategic plan.
She joined the staff in early September and has been working on fostering relationships with the many diverse communities across the Archdiocese in addition to local donors, partners, parishes, vendors, programs, and entities.
Rizzo earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Villanova University and has held marketing communications roles in the pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing industries. In addition, Rizzo has managed donor relations and development for nonprofit organizations.
“My true passion has always been in the nonprofit sector, particularly donor relations,” she said. “That’s really where my heart is, nurturing and stewarding relationships to support an organization’s mission.
“My faith has always been the primary source of strength and guidance in my life, so I feel like this position is a perfect match for what I’m good at doing and what I’m passionate about. It’s such an honor to serve the Church of Philadelphia in this capacity, and without a doubt, it’s the most important job I’ve ever had.”
Lou Becht, Strategy Office Manager
A member of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Ambler, Lou Becht joined the staff in late July
He has been visiting parishes and talking with pastors and priests and getting their feedback on Archbishop Pérez’s strategic initiative.
“The building of relationships and rapport with everyone is what will help to drive this initiative,” Becht said. “Listening to people and getting their feedback is making a difference across the board.”
Becht, who has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in education from Cabrini University, and a doctorate in education from St. Joseph’s University, taught high school for 12 years in the Archdiocese and worked as an academic success coach for the University of Delaware.
He also has been a church organist and vocalist for 35 years.
“I’m helping Deacon Jim with some of the operations work, and I’m involved with some of what Christiaan’s doing with the pastoral letter and the different videos and materials that will accompany all of that,” Becht said. “It’s neat for me to not only connect with other people on the team, but also connect with staff in the (Archdiocesan) Pastoral Center. It’s amazing the amount and the breadth of work the people at the Pastoral Center are doing.”
Becht also will be involved in the consultation sessions and the formation of the mission hubs in the Archdiocese.
“I hope we can get as many people as we can to engage with this and have an openness to receive this new way of thinking about an outward facing missionary discipleship and what that means for the parishes and the individuals themselves,” he said. “There’s an energy and there’s an excitement, and I believe we have some good momentum moving forward.”
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