Cardinal Dolan and Catholic Financial Life
I remember walking into John Borgen’s (CFL Vice President) office back in 2014. He pulled out a devotional that he just had printed up. “Things like this are a win-win!” he said. “It’s something that I can give my members that both builds relationships and grows their faith!” He shared with us their mission and how they were founded by caring for widows after the civil war and how that care has evolved.
John was showing us around home office in Milwaukee while we talked about ways to collaborate. “We’re building relationship for the long-term,” he told us. That’s not a profound concept, but coming from youth ministry, it was different from what we were used to. In youth ministry, we get teens for a limited amount of time. They graduate and often move on. We were used to trying to learn the names of the new freshman and finding out what was new and trendy at the moment.
Long-term. It was true. That was the beginning of a long-term relationship between our ministry and Catholic Financial Life. We became members. They sponsored tours so that we could get the bus. We bought life insurance. They invited us to conferences.
I have to say that they are the real deal. I was impressed with John that day in his office. I was more impressed when Fidelity was born. I had just seen a go-fund-me campaign a funeral for a child with her same condition. It reminded me of our life insurance policies that I have for our other children. I emailed my broker, Joe. “Fidelity has Prader-Willi Syndrome,” I told him. “I’m not going to bother to send over her personal information, because it is likely non-insurable. Can you just look it up and let me know.”
Joe responded to me quickly, “It considered an uninsurable condition, but we just launched a program that will allow her to have coverage.” That was another example that proved to me that their mission was not the bottom line, but to care for and protect families.
They have history, 150 years of history, to be exact. That is how they get to have multiple Archbishops and a Cardinal there for Saturday evening Mass. It was an honor to play music at Mass with Cardinal Dolan and the Archbishops, but it was an even greater honor to be a part of the greater community of Catholic Financial Life. It was so fun to see so many familiar faces of CFL members who have hosted concerts in the past and supported our ministry in so many ways. We look forward to many years to come! Happy 150 years!
