Education 

Grants for Lay Ministry Formation and LMU Extension: Provides grants for lay ministry formation including but not limited to Religious Ed catechist certification, Catholic school teacher continuing education and assists clergy, religious and lay leaders with grants for the LMU extension master's program for Pastoral Theology.

Catholic Schools Tuition Assistance:  A Catholic education should be available to all families and this year, $1,000,000 in PSA grants will be provided for scholarships to assist more than 6,000 children who would not otherwise be able to attend Catholic elementary school. 

Parish Stewardship Education: Provides education and resources to help parishes and schools promote the stewardship way of life thereby helping to build and sustain ministries and financial resources throughout the diocese.

Outreach Ministries

Catholic Charities of Orange County: The purpose of this ministry is to utilize fiscal and human resources to strengthen families, reduce poverty and build communities, especially for those whose basic needs are most neglected. As an example of tithing, Bishop Brown commits 10% of PSA allocations to Catholic Charities of Orange County each year. For more information go to:  www.ccoc.org

Catholic Deaf Community:  Offers religious education, sacramental preparation and liturgy in American Sign Language to deaf children and adults. This religious and social support allows them to grow in their understanding of their giftedness and empowers them to become all they can be in our Catholic community and the world.

Office of Catholic Restorative Justice and Detention Ministry: Over 300 volunteers provide spiritual formation and sacramental life for our brothers and sisters who are incarcerated in 11 facilities throughout the County of Orange. In the past year 25,620 hours of services and 56,401 contacts were made in four languages. This ministry also works with parishes to form support groups to help restore relationships broken by crime including the victim, families, local community and the offender. 

Clergy Formation and Support
Diaconate Formation and Support:  The Diocesan Diaconate ministry encourages men to discern their calling to serve as Deacons in our Diocese thereby building up, healing and sustaining the people of God. Provides a four-year program of discernment, education and spiritual formation for men preparing for ordination to the diaconate and their wives, as well as continuing education and formation for those already ordained. There are currently 34 men discerning this vocation.  105 permanent deacons currently serve a unique role in our Diocese that provides vital assistance to our Bishops, parishes and the wider community. 

Priest Continuing Education: This ministry provides post-graduate education and well-deserved sabbaticals for our priests to enable them to fully develop their gifts and provides support for a vibrant ministry life.

Seminarian Education: Our priests are our link to providing the sacramental life for the faithful and pastoral support to all Catholics in the Diocese of Orange. This ministry provides seminarian education for men aspiring for the priesthood for the Diocese of Orange. 

Vocations:  Provides opportunities for men to learn about and discern their calling about the possibility of becoming a diocesan priest. The ministry provides mentoring and support to all seminarians currently on their journey.

Orange Catholic Foundation

Diocesan Mission and Parish Philanthropic Development:  Provides a safe harbor for philanthropic gifts through endowments, major gift programs, planned giving, the PSA and other important advancement efforts while nurturing a spirit of generosity throughout the diocese through stewardship formation and education. Services include parish and school development consultation.
 

Pastoral Services Appeal Administration:  Provides campaign planning, design, training, resources and management of the Pastoral Services Appeal.  Processes all pledges and payments, providing pledge redemption, online gifts, overall financial management and awarding of grants and distribution of parish rebates for the PSA.

See PSA Fund Distribution tab for distribution of funds by ministry.