Thank you to two retiring executive directors

This month, the ballroom of the Cathedral rectory was the site for two very special retirement celebrations of archdiocesan executive directors. Some of the central ministries of the Archdiocese of Mobile report directly to me, but most are organized into five departments: Catholic Education, Catholic Social Services, Development/Stewardship, Financial Services and Legal Services. Each of these five departments has an executive director who oversees and coordinates the ministries of that department. Each of these executive directors is a blessing to all of us in our archdiocese. They help to build up the ministries throughout our parishes, schools and other ministries.
After many years of service, two of our executive directors will soon be retiring.
On Dec. 6, we celebrated with Mrs. Marilyn King who will retire at the end of this month. She has served in Catholic Social Services since 1996 and as executive director for Catholic Social Services since 2004. During her tenure, a new Catholic Social Services center for Mobile County opened on Florida Street in Mobile. A building for a new Catholic Social Services center opened in Jackson serving Washington, Clarke, Choctaw and Monroe Counties. The Catholic Social Services center in Robertsdale, serving Baldwin and Escambia Counties, was renovated and expanded to double its original size. A new Catholic Social Services center was opened in Opelika to serve Lee, Russell and Macon Counties. In addition, the Catholic Social Services centers in Montgomery, serving the River Region, and Dothan, serving the Wiregrass, continue their valuable ministries.
As important as these facilities are, it is the ministries to neighbor that are most important. Mrs. King has directed and overseen the numerous services provided: food and clothing, emergency help with rent and utilities, home repairs for the elderly poor, counseling for individuals and families, English language classes, adoptions, assistance to mothers with problem pregnancies, parenting classes, refugee services, pro-life programs, programs for children whose parents are in prison, assistance with basic needs for the elderly, food filled backpacks for students who do not have sufficient food at home, Christmas presents for children, programs for special needs adults in order to be active and to socialize with others and much more through her gifted and committed service.
On Dec. 13, we celebrated with Mrs. Michele Smith who will retire early next year. She has served as executive director for Financial Services for the past 12 years. For four years before that, she was a member of the Archdiocesan Finance Council—which advises me on financial decisions—a council she has chaired for the past 12 years.
She has been exemplary in organizing our finances—facilitating our first archdiocesan external audit. This was a major step to ensure accountability of and appropriateness for the use of archdiocesan money. She organized internal audits of parishes. She has become well-acquainted with property insurance, making certain that the 597 buildings belonging to our parishes, schools and other ministries are adequately insured. She has worked obtain medical insurance which can then be offered to the 1,907 employees of our parishes, schools and other ministries. She has worked with pastors, principals, and ministry directors to borrow money or obtain grants for construction of new buildings and repairs of existing facilities. She annually establishes budgets for each central archdiocesan ministry and has made certain that our overall budget is balanced—no small task. She has assisted pastors and principals to evaluate their spending in order to keep their ministry solvent. She has worked with the members of the investment committee of the Catholic Foundation, who oversees the investment of trusts and accounts in the foundation. These investments have been invested very well and provide important financial support, enabling ministries to serve the people of our archdiocese. She has done all this and much more throughout her dedicated and talented service.
It was an honor to have the opportunity to express gratitude for the efforts of these two wonderful ladies who are such blessings to us all. I pray God will bless them and that their retirements may be grace filled. Thank you, Marilyn, and thank you, Michele.