Last month, during the 50th annual National Catholic Development Conference’s (NCDC) Conference and Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, Resurrection Catholic Missions’ Director Father Manuel Williams, C.R. received a very special appreciation award for his service as a board member and chairman of the national fundraising organization.

Father Manuel has been involved with NCDC since September of 1990 when he and fundraising staff from Resurrection attended the annual convention held that year in Orlando, Florida. For the past 28 years, he has served as co-chair of the annual convention, speaker, and presenter. This fall, Father Manuel concluded seven years on the NCDC Board of Directors, which includes two years as Chair of NCDC Board.

In 1968, a group of priests and religious met and formed the NCDC. Resurrection Catholic Missions of the South, Inc. and the other founding organizations recognized the need to coordinate their efforts in dealing with postage rates and regulations, charitable tax regulations, and other governmental and external policies as well as to support Catholic fundraisers in sharing information, best practices, and in spiritual development.

Today, under President and CEO Sister Georgette Lehmuth, O.S.F., the National Catholic Development Conference is a leading advocacy, professional, and spiritual development organization for hundreds of Catholic agencies in the United States. The NCDC Annual Conference and Exposition provides several hundred Catholic development professionals, laity, religious, and clergy an opportunity to enhance their spiritual lives and improve their professional competencies. This year’s conference and exposition drew in more than 500 Catholic fundraisers from across the United States and several countries worldwide.

We here at Resurrection are incredibly proud of Father Manuel’s honor and are already looking forward to learning and growing at next year’s NCDC Conference and Exposition in Nashville!

For more on NCDC, click here.