The development coordinator for Sacred Heart Parish has been selected to speak to Catholics from all over the world.
Nick Benes, who has served in his current role at the church for four years, was chosen to be a presenter at the 62nd annual International Catholic Stewardship Council Conference when it convenes in New Orleans, LA. The conference will kick off on Sunday, Sept. 15, and run through Wednesday, Sept. 18. His presentation will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
In his role as development coordinator, Nick’s main focus is Pre-K through 12th grade school fundraising. His presentation, “How I Thrived (And Not Just Survived) Year One,” will offer a perspective on the importance of faith in a career change. He will share his how-to guide for thriving, evidence of financial growth and the secret to success, as well as the importance of networking and tips for clergy and diocesan officers based on his experience.
“One piece of advice I plan on sharing is for everyone and that is to put God first,” Nick said. “This work is hard, but I don’t call it work. To me work is what I did on the family farm growing up. Here you’re getting twisted in a lot of different directions in not a lot of time, so it is paramount to keep God first in this work.”
A lifelong Catholic, Nick made his decision to shift career tracks in late 2020, leaving behind a full-time job as a sportswriter for the Norfolk Daily News to take on the role of development coordinator for the parish.
Nick said he had felt called to do “something more” with his life for a long time, a pull he feels came through time spent in prayer and Eucharistic adoration.
“I look back on my journey, and it was very much directed by the Lord to be here,” Nick said. “I’ve been part of this community for 10 years, and I always felt like God has been calling me to do more, do more, do more.”
Nick took on a volunteer role for various areas in the church. When the development coordinator position came open in late 2020, he decided to pursue the career change.
“The very first time I walked into this building as an employee as opposed to a volunteer, I felt like I was home. I felt like I was where God wanted me to be all along.”
Nick said he feels it is true that God equips those He calls with the skills they need. In his role at the church, he has been able to dig into his journalism background in many ways.
“I learned that I am much more of a people person that I thought I was,” he said. “I enjoy networking. I enjoy talking to people. I enjoy developing relationships with people. Looking back, that was part of my journalism experience I loved the most. I still maintain some of those relationships. But it’s a whole ’nother conversation when you can be somewhere and talk to someone about your faith and why it’s important to give back – not even just monetarily, but through your thoughts, your words, your actions and through everything you do.”
Nick said his presentation will reflect what he’s learned, what others have told him have worked for them and what he has found that has worked for Sacred Heart while working in stewardship development.
“There are many ways to accomplish the goals of stewardship,” Nick said. “Many people don’t know that you can give to your church without writing a check. You can give of your talents. You can give through so many different financial avenues that don’t necessarily involve taking money out of your wallet.”
While this year will be his first as a presenter at the conference, Nick has attended in previous years. He enjoys the opportunity to learn about how others are achieving their goals.
“One thing I’ve found is that even though I could be talking to someone from Seattle or St. Louis or Norfolk, Va., or Orlando, you can learn something from anyone,” Nick said. “To be able to have that opportunity the last few years has been an awesome experience. It really reinforces the work you’re doing.”
He learned only recently that he was on the schedule to be a presenter. In December, he pitched his presentation idea to conference organizers and completed the online form sent to him, but he did not receive official confirmation that he was on the schedule to present until early September.
“I hadn’t heard anything so I felt maybe in God’s mind it wasn’t my time to speak yet – that I had some more learning to do,” he said.
Nick said he’s okay with the abbreviated time to prepare because it gives him less time to overthink what he plans to say. But, he added, he knows he will always be learning, which is why he looks forward to the conference with such enthusiasm.
“My late grandpa, I remember meeting with him – it might’ve been the year he passed away. We were doing ‘Rediscovering Jesus’ at our parish, and I took him a book,” he said. “Here I am planning on having this discussion with my grandpa about faith, and he’s got the same book sitting there. If you’re in your mid-90s and you still feel like you need to rediscover Jesus – that’s when I learned if you stop learning, you stop growing. That’s when you stop growing to be the person God has called you to be.”
