2025 was a big year in the Catholic Church and for Catholic Extension Society.
The election of Pope Leo XIV drew worldwide attention, not just from Catholics but people of all religions and backgrounds. Catholic Extension Society’s close relationship with the pope, as a papal society, made this historic moment all the more important to us.
This year also marked our 120th anniversary. Catholic Extension Society was founded on October 18, 1905. Through wars, economic downturns, natural disasters, rapid technological advancements and significant population growth, we have been a present and adaptive missionary organization through it all. Today our work is just as vital as every.
Below are just a few photos showcasing our mission in action as we work to build up vibrant and transformative Catholic faith communities among the poor and in the poorest regions of America.
1. The election of an American pope
Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension Society, could not have been more shocked when he stood in St. Peter’s Square and saw a man from his own working-class hometown of Dolton, Illinois, come out on the balcony. Pope Leo XIV and Father Wall went to the same church and grew up in the same parish school, St. Mary of the Assumption.
It was a moment that proved what Catholic Extension Society has asserted for years in our work to build up Catholic faith communities in the poorest regions of our country: No corner is too small, no beginning too humble, for God to do something extraordinary.
Watch Father Wall reflect on this historic election of Pope Leo XIV below:
During the conclave, Father Wall reported from Rome, sharing his perspective and reflections to friends, followers and donors of Catholic Extension Society. He also prayed at the tomb of Pope Francis, sharing his love for the late Holy Father who championed the mission of Catholic Extension Society. Father Wall was also interviewed by WGN, ABC 7 Chicago, NBC Chicago and other media outlets. See his full coverage of the conclave and papal election here.
2. Their church was destroyed. But not their future.
The schoolchildren of Immaculate Conception parish in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, have endured so much. Their beloved, historic church collapsed on top of their school in an earthquake nearly six years ago. Their entire school campus is still in ruins.
Despite this, their future is bright. They know the destruction around them does not reflect their potential. That’s because these children have a principal, Carmen Alicia Rodríguez Echevarría, and a pastor, Father Melvin Díaz who are prioritizing them.
This dynamic pair received our Lumen Christi Award this year for their unrelenting drive to give the children of this community a safe place to learn and grow in faith. They found creative solutions to keep this parish and school not only functioning, but thriving.
Now through Catholic Extension Society’s Disaster Recovery Program, repairs at the church and school and finally underway.
3. He keeps the church doors open to welcome the stranger
As pastoral administrator, Deacon Tony Underwood wants to make sure God is always accessible in the former mining town of Bisbee, Arizona. He keeps the church doors open every day at St. Patrick Church, located across the street from the county courthouse. The church is a sanctuary for distressed families to come pray for intercessions.
Deacon Underwood, who was a finalist for our Lumen Christi Award this year, also serves the beloved St. Michael’s Mission, pictured above, in the nearby, rural community of Naco. He and a parishioner restored this beloved church so it can continue to serve families in this small desert town for years to come.
4. A joyous ordination day in Wyoming
Throughout his ordination ceremony this past May, Father Lee Noel’s smile lit up the church from the sanctuary where he stood to the packed choir loft. Bishop Steven Biegler later commented that he had never seen the cathedral so utterly full (standing room only) as it was on Father Noel’s ordination day. Catholic Extension Society supported his seminarian education.
The newly ordained priest’s joyful journey began 11 years ago at St. Paul’s Catholic Newman Center at the University of Wyoming—where Catholic Extension Society has supported campus ministry for nearly 40 years. Read about Father Lee Noel, a young, happy priest eager to serve the frontier.
5. Religious sisters deploy their degrees to serve the poor
In May, a group of religious sisters proudly threw their graduation caps in the air to celebrate their new degrees from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. These amazing women religious earned master’s degrees in integrated studies with focus areas in human services and pastoral care. Their advanced education is made possible through our U.S.- Latin American Sisters Exchange Program.
They are applying what they have learned in their ministries as they serve the poor and develop the human potential of tens of thousands of disadvantaged people.
They are among over 150 remarkable, change-making sisters who have participated in this program in the last 10 years.
6. He is the new vice president of US bishops. The poor are his priority.
In November, Bishop Daniel Flores was elected as vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Catholic Extension Society knows him well. In addition to shepherding the Extension-supported Diocese of Brownsville for 15 years, he is also a longtime board member who prioritizes the poor, the immigrant, and marginalized. Brownsville is one of the most densely Catholic dioceses in the country and also one of the economically poorest.
Bishop Flores’ pastoral leadership is grounded in his experience with and advocacy for the poor. In fact, just a few weeks before his election, we captured a photo of him blessing a new building called Plaza Amistad (Friendship Place), built in the very poor community of Donna, Texas. Catholic Extension Society helped construct this center, which was created with neighborhood input to provide for the health, education and spiritual care of the people.
“The poor deserve beautiful things,” he said.
Read more about the election of Bishop Flores here.
7. She used to be homeless. Now she guides those still struggling.
Christina Kihn’s lowest point in her life has always stuck with her as she ministers with compassion to every individual she encounters at the Center of Charity in Alpena, Michigan. Kihn, a military veteran, was once homeless herself, and came here for help.
The Center of Charity operates out of All Saints Church, a parish that Catholic Extension Society supports. The ministry offers anyone in need the same warm shelter, meals and life-changing resources she once depended on.
She was named a finalist for this year’s Lumen Christi Award for empowering the homeless to know God is always by their side.
“God gave me the Center of Charity to really work His mission,” she said.
8. A Catholic church’s presence at the rodeo transforms this Montana community
Any longtime attendee of the Wolf Point Wild Horse Stampede will say that you don’t go to this rodeo without stopping in town for a “Catholic Hamburger.”
Townspeople and visitors alike absolutely love these burgers, regardless of religious affiliation. Immaculate Conception Church has been running the stand since 1936 as a fundraiser for the parish. Dozens of volunteers prepare, grill and sell the burgers in what has become a high functioning and fast paced, yet always joyful operation.
Wolf Point, located in eastern Montana on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, is one of the most rural towns in America. In a town that has endured economic hardship, Immaculate Conception provides charitable outreach that makes a positive difference. Watch footage from the rodeo and Catholic Hamburger Stand here.
9. She has saved hundreds of children’s lives in the Ozarks
Sister Anne Francioni, SSND, began Whole Kids Outreach (WKO) in 1999 to serve families throughout 8,000 square miles in the rural Missouri Ozarks. These families experience high rates of food insecurity, teenage pregnancy and infant mortality rates. WKO’s mission is to empower families through programs in homes, at the three WKO campuses and in community outreach service. The ministry has now served over 200,000 families!
Their summer camp program, Camp Whole Kids, provides parents an opportunity for childcare so that they can continue to work, and their children can have fun and learn in a trusted, loving environment. Sister Anne was a finalist for our 2025-2026 Lumen Christi Award. Read our story about WKO and Sister Anne, who the kids lovingly know simply as “Sis.”
10. Big-city priests see the other side of the Church in America
In May, pastors from Chicago area-parishes joined Catholic Extension Society on an immersion experience to personally witness the work of the Church in Wyoming, the least populated state in the country. The trip was part of our Mission Immersion Program for Pastors, which invites pastors from urban areas to broaden their hearts and minds through personal encounter with the vibrant faith communities served by Catholic Extension Society
In this land of wide-open spaces, the pastors found faith-filled, tightly knit communities bound by love for God—and a Western spirit. They met priests who drive extreme distances to celebrate Mass at their parishes. Above, they met parishioners of St. Edward Mission and the priest serving the mission, Father Eugene Inobeme, who has to drive nearly 100 miles to reach three churches.
Since the program began roughly eight years ago, more than 505 pastors from 85 dioceses around the country have joined us to see the Church at her best.
Catholic Extension Society works in solidarity with people to build up vibrant and transformative Catholic faith communities among the poor in the poorest regions of America. We rely on the generosity of donors to fulfill our mission. This Christmas season, please support our mission by donating today!
