In July, Phoenixville resident David Savage became the first executive director of The Papal Foundation, a Chester-based organization pledged to serve the Pope and the Catholic Church worldwide. J.F. Pirro, Main Line Today, covered the challenges Savage faces and the faith with which he intends to meet them.

His main goal is to raise the profile of the foundation.

“In the Catholic Church, it’s not a secret,” said Savage. “But still, most aren’t aware of the good work it does. There’s been a lot of volunteer leadership, but the staff is small — just four folks — so we’d like to go to the next level of success.”

The foundation distributed nearly $10 million last year. The aim is to grow that number, which will require vigorous fundraising.

“If we’re to raise money, more people need to know about us,” said Savage. “The vision is to distribute a billion dollars in the next seven years or so — an ambitious goal. But I’m Catholic, so I believe in the Holy Spirit doing great work.”

Some of the recent grants include a $45,000 grant requested by the Hijas de Jesús Sisters that helped build housing for 30 families in the Philippines.

“I’m amazed at the breadth of help the foundation offers,” said Savage.

Read more about David Savage and the Papal Foundation in Main Line Today.