CSAF president Rosales to lead advancement team at The St. Paul Seminary

By Joe Ruff

The Catholic Spirit

Fresh from helping the Catholic Services Appeal Foundation focus its mission as it financially supports ministries across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Tizoc Rosales is returning to the place he served for seven years prior to taking the helm at CSAF in 2021: The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul.

In mid-May, Rosales, 50, will be director of institutional advancement at the graduate-level seminary. While last there, he was part of the advancement team for both The St. Paul Seminary and St. John Vianney College Seminary. That team secured more than $40 million toward the seminaries’ joint strategic funding campaign.

“Tizoc was instrumental in our Joyful Catholic Leaders capital campaign, and he has a huge heart for our mission and connecting local and regional Catholics to it,” said Father Taphorn, rector of The St. Paul Seminary. “I’m thrilled that Tizoc will guide and serve our advancement team. His leadership will help us form the next generation of priests, deacons and lay leaders.”

Rosales said as he looks back on his professional and personal life, “I believe the Lord has been preparing me for this role all along. The seminary is special. It is an extremely vital mission in the Church right now to form joyful, Catholic leaders for our parishes and communities. I’m both thrilled and humbled to come back and lead our efforts in ensuring this crucial mission thrives for generations to come.”

In Tizoc’s two years as CSAF’s president, he successfully led the annual appeal while prayerfully discerning with CSAF’s board and other Catholic leaders four pillars to concentrate on as the nonprofit supports 19 Catholic ministries: prolife, or protecting and affirming the dignity of every person; archdiocesan efforts, including outreach ministry and the seminaries; Synod priorities of the Church, such as spreading the good news of Jesus; and Catholic education.

“I think Tizoc brought CSAF to a new level with a strategic plan,” said Karen Rauenhorst, a CSAF board member and parishioner of Holy Name of Jesus in Wayzata. “We’re continuing to be set for success.”

The seven-member CSAF board issued a statement April 24 that addresses Rosales returning to the seminary.

“While he will be missed at CSAF, his work in this vineyard will continue and will benefit the local Church and beyond,” the board said. There will be no disruption to the annual appeal that kicked off in February, the board said. Yen Fasano, board chair, will assume interim leadership of CSAF, with support and collaboration from Jean Houghton, director of the archdiocesan Office of Mission Advancement and former head of the Aim Higher Foundation in St. Paul.

In his own April 24 letter to CSAF supporters, Archbishop Hebda said Houghton agreed to assist the organization at his request. “I am grateful to both Yen and Jean for their willingness to respond so generously to this need,” the archbishop said. Additionally, the board has expressed a desire to begin a prayerful discernment process of evaluating CSAF operations and structures, in light of the organization’s recent strategic planning work, the archbishop said.

The archbishop also thanked Rosales, saying, “He has been a tireless laborer and partner in our Lord’s vineyard, and I look forward to what God has in store for him at The Saint Paul Seminary.”

Fasano, who has served on the CSAF board since 2014, said Rosales will be missed for his “steady leadership and the joy he brought to CSAF because of his Christ-centered leadership.” But Fasano said she is pleased he will continue to serve the local Church “in a very meaningful and fruitful way.”

Father Leonard Andrie, pastor of St. Therese in Deephaven, was recruited to the board by Rosales as the board sought the presence of a priest and a pastor’s perspective. He, Fasano and Rauenhorst agreed that prayerful discernment will lead the way.

“We need a little breathing time to decide how best to move forward. All of us are men and women of prayer,” Father Andrie said. “We will pray and talk to the archbishop. As I care for a parish, to make a decision, I talk to the people it will impact. There are so many people who support CSAF as well. It would be unwise to move quickly.”