Location: Regency VII
Handouts:
Best Practices in Parish Stewardship
Drawing parishioners into a deeper relationship with the Lord and inviting them to make a conscious decision to support the mission of the Church with their time, talent and treasure is at the heart of stewardship. In this session, we discuss practical tools and strategies for promoting stewardship year round. We will focus on initial and subsequent steps of communicating stewardship, increasing parishioner engagement and how to conduct an annual parish stewardship commitment effort.
Speaker: Kerry Ann Tornesello
Associate Director of Development
Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina
Moderator: Sister Mary Brigid Callan
Director of Stewardship and Development
Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio
Kerry Ann Tornesello has been the associate director of development in the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina since 2014. Prior to this position, she was the parish manager of St. Therese parish in Mooresville, North Carolina, a 4,000 family parish in the northern suburbs of Charlotte. Her stewardship journey began 13 years ago when her pastor asked her to “find out more about stewardship and start a stewardship committee here.” Her diocesan responsibilities include traveling the 46 counties of the diocese promoting parish stewardship and meeting parishes where they are on their stewardship journeys; whether beginning the journey, getting back on the path, coasting, or speeding along. Ms. Tornesello also coordinates the $5.7 million Diocesan Support Appeal, three additional annual collections, and she supervises the support staff of the office of development. Ms. Tornesello holds a bachelor’s degree in English and business communications from DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree in education from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. She, her husband, and son have been active members of St. Therese Parish for 19 years.