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 Peterborough Bishop Nicola De Angelis
Soon after offering this donation, Bill Griffiths died, but his generosity will live on in the construction of a library that will be part of the college, says Peterborough Bishop Nicola De Angelis.
The bishop, writing in his diocesan paper, Catholic Herald, praised Mr. Griffith profusely. “Bill Griffiths possessed a love for Christ and his church, which was manifested in his devotion to his wife and family, and his generosity to the church and Catholic education. May God reward him with eternal rest in the new and heavenly Jerusalem, our eternal home,” he wrote.
The bishop told the story of how the donation came about. He was visiting the Griffiths in December 2007 to thank them for their previous donation of $25,000 to help pay off the diocesan debt. That’s when Mr. Griffiths asked the bishop about his priorities for the diocese. De Angelis outlined three objectives for his new Good Shepherd Foundation: formation of new priests; caring for retired priests; and evangelization with an emphasis on postsecondary Catholic education.
Mr. Griffiths immediately zeroed in on the last objective. The bishop explained there was no Catholic college in the diocese. Plans for such an institution had been tentatively drawn up, but had not progressed very far. What is certain is that it would be a liberal arts college imbued with a Catholic spirit.
“When I showed him (Mr. Griffiths) an architectural sketch of the proposed college, he stated: ‘I will pay for the library.’ He said, ‘Our young people need a solid formation both in the social and religious field.’ ”
The bishop added that his benefactor died shortly afterwards, having just celebrated his 67th wedding anniversary with his wife. “I did go back to visit Bill, but only to bid him a final goodbye in St. Paul’s Church in Gravenhurst on the day of his funeral.”
Since De Angelis became bishop of Peterborough, a diocese of roughly 100,000 Roman Catholics in 66 parishes and missions, five years ago, he has worked to reduce accumulated debt. The diocese has now reached the point where it can begin to look forward.
The charitable foundation will channel donations to the three objectives cited above as well as ongoing pastoral needs of the diocese.
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