by Joe Bollig
joe.bollig@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — No one has to tell Bill Maloney how to find the archbishop’s office in the chancery. As Yankees great Yogi Berra said, for him it’s “déjà vu all over again.”
On Oct. 30, Maloney became executive director of the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas and the director of the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development. He succeeded the retiring Lesle Knop. They will work together during a two-month transition period.
Maloney served as associate director of the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development from 2003 to 2006.
“I see a lot of new faces and some friendly familiar faces as well [in the chancery],” said Maloney.
Maloney and his wife Patrice have three adult children. They’ve been members of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Overland Park since 1990.
Church and family have been at the very center of Maloney’s life from the very beginning. He’s a cradle Catholic, born and raised in Joliet, Illinois. He was educated entirely in Catholic schools: Holy Family Parish School, Joliet Catholic High School and Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.
Maloney graduated from Creighton in 1988 with a bachelor of science in business administration and finance. He also met his wife Patrice at Creighton. She grew up in St. Agnes Parish and is a graduate of Bishop Miege High School, both in Roeland Park.
Perhaps it was destiny for Maloney to work at the archdiocese. After all, his own father is his role model.
“My dad was what I call a good steward at our parish [while I was growing up],” said Maloney. “He was a great leader there and worked tirelessly for the parish, serving on committees. As a young person, I would work in the kitchen at the annual Holy Family ham dinner. From that point, I just looked forward to being involved in my parish. I always looked at the parish as my home.
“Once we moved to Kansas City, opportunity presented itself shortly after we joined Queen of the Holy Rosary to become active in the school. I remember the day well when I got the call, after filling out a form at school, inviting me to work at its annual Las Vegas Night.”
Ever since then, Maloney’s service to the church has been a series of invitations to get involved.
“My faith means a lot to me,” he said. “It’s an important part of our family’s life. I know it’s the truth and what we should be doing. I feel good going to work every day. I tell people what I do in my free time is also what I do for my career. If I’m not working for the church for a living, you’ll find me doing something for my parish.”
When the Maloney family moved to Overland Park, Bill Maloney first worked for UMB Bank. Next, he worked for the archdiocese and then briefly as director of advancement for Bishop Miege. Next, he spent 16 years with the Steier Group based in Omaha, which manages parish and diocesan capital campaigns.
“Part of me always wanted to do that at home,” he said. “It’s like sharing a gift. . . . And I wanted to share the joy of giving and the joy of the work that is done in a stewardship and development office in my own community.”
The opportunity to share this gift came about when he learned Knop would retire in late 2020. It was the right job and the right time for Maloney.
In his new role in the archdiocese, Maloney will lead the ongoing work of the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas and the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development.
The foundation (CFNEK) is the long-term funding vehicle for the parishes, schools and ministries of the archdiocese. It’s the home of many endowment funds and a place where individuals can make planned gifts for the long-term needs of the archdiocese.
The largest function of the office of stewardship and development is to execute the archbishop’s annual Call to Share stewardship program to fund the operations of the institutions and ministries of the archdiocese.
“I see stewardship as being all about gratitude,” said Maloney. “Gratitude on an individual level for all the gifts God has given us and sharing those gifts with others.”
“And stewardship in our parishes,” he added, “is about hospitality: welcoming people, forming them in faith and prayer, and then reaching out to others via hospitality, prayer, formation and service.”
