The Catholic Church of Philadelphia is focusing a key new office on fostering a culture of missionary discipleship, prayerful gratitude, and charitable service for its 1.5 million Catholics, all through a greater sense of stewardship.
The goal of the new in-house Office of Stewardship and Development (OSD) is to fuel evangelization and renewal through improved stewardship strategies that align with Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez’s vision of “One Heart and One Mind”— unifying development efforts across the Archdiocese.
“Our job is to support the entire ecosystem of advancement across the Archdiocese by improving collaboration, coordination, and providing centrally shared resources for those entities,” said Sheila Rizzo, who will take on the role of Chief Stewardship & Development Officer within the OSD.
“I think of the new office as a central hub for advancement that connects many areas of the Church’s mission, like the different wheels and spokes of a bus—a framework for sharing with each other, bringing clarity, and expanding as we grow.”
The OSD, in partnership with Prenger Solutions Group, is framing out a new, unified, and comprehensive donor database that aims to bolster stewardship at every level of giving.
“Technology is at the center of this transformation,” said Rizzo, “helping us improve processes and engage donors in more meaningful, authentic, and personal ways, with an emphasis on stewardship.”
The new office not only seeks to provide each area of the Church with clean and accurate donor data, but also to support each ministry working within the local Church to deliver a more coordinated, intentional, and transparent experience for those who give their well-earned treasure to the Catholic Church.
“When I first started, I heard repeatedly from donors and prospective donors that they are receiving too many overlapping and uncoordinated requests,” said Rizzo. “We’re changing that by bringing greater coordination and a strategic approach that communicates with intention, gratitude, and a focus on building lasting relationships.”
“It’s going to allow us to communicate in a much more coordinated, and donor-centric way to avoid inundating people with repeated asks without one hand talking to the other.”
New digital experiences for area faithful will also contribute to the effort, through the new Catholic Church of Philadelphia website.
“The website serves as the digital front door of the Catholic Church of Philadelphia,” said Rizzo. “It’ unites all ministries and appeals under one vibrant and inspiring message of faith, generosity, and community.”
The OSD will collaborate with both Catholic Charities of Philadelphia and its new Director of Philanthropy, Ellen Mansfield, as well as Stephen Burns, the new Director of Advancement for Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, on best practices for donor outreach, engagement, internal processes, and overall stewardship.
OSD is also teaming with Prenger on both the Seminary Annual Appeal and Catholic Charities Appeal to reimagine these efforts in a more strategic and donor-centric way, engaging donors with meaning, nurturing relationships with care, and keeping mission at the center of every interaction.
They will focus on storytelling, clearly demonstrating impact, and using data effectively to help donors see the positive difference their generosity makes in the lives of the people the Catholic Church of Philadelphia serves, while strengthening alignment with the development efforts of the Office of Catholic Education.
The OSD’s team will initially include Rizzo, Terry Norton-Wright, Chief of Staff, and Emma Gaughan, Donor Relations Coordinator. The office aims to add professional expertise in planned giving, leadership-level philanthropy, data analytics, and marketing support.
Their goal is to create a solid framework that strengthens donor outreach and lays the groundwork for a comprehensive campaign planned to launch in 2026 that will support strategic priorities to grow and sustain the Catholic Church of Philadelphia.
“The most important thing to me is making ensuring our donors feel deeply appreciated for their generosity— whether through time, financial contributions, or other acts of support,” said Rizzo. “Every gift creates a profound ripple effect, touching countless lives across our communities.”
The planned comprehensive campaign will fuel a historic advancement effort within the Catholic Church of Philadelphia. It aims to bolster parish life, drive support for and growth of Catholic schools and Parish Religious Education Programs as vital onramps for parish engagement, launch and grow the new Missionary Hub initiative, and ensure comprehensive care for the well-being of priests serving throughout the Philadelphia region.
“It’s all about invitation, encounter and inviting people back,” Rizzo said about the efforts the campaign will empower, “meeting them where they are, reaching someone who might not feel part of a community, who might feel lonely, who might feel in the dark, connecting them with people, programs, and resources that can help them rediscover their faith and connection to Christ within the community of the Church.”
The initial steps of the campaign involve the current planning study led by the Steier Group. It is compiling insight from clergy, lay leaders and key stakeholders to prioritize, shape and refine the areas of need and growth throughout the Catholic Church of Philadelphia.
All this is meant to help advance Archbishop Pérez’s pastorally centered vision for the Trust and Hope initiative, guiding the transformative renewal of the Catholic Church of Philadelphia into the second half of the 21st century.
“We are taking a step back, looking at things more strategically, helping each other, and working together as one team,” said Rizzo, “to advance this mission for the Catholic Church of Philadelphia and build a structure that will sustain that mission for generations.”
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