Kathleen Moriarty Christy to lead Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo

Press Release 

The Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo announced the appointment of Kathleen Moriarty Christy as its new executive director, effective Monday, Jan. 26. Christy has most recently served as vice president for institutional advancement at Hilbert College and previously in the same capacity at D’Youville University. She was the first executive director of the BISON Children’s Scholarship Fund from 2001-13. As executive director of the Catholic Foundation, Christy will also serve as the director of the development for the Diocese of Buffalo.

“We welcome Kathleen with great enthusiasm and confidence in her ability to advance the mission of the Foundation of the Diocese at a critical time for our ‘Family of Faith’ throughout Western New York, our community and nation,” said the Most Rev. Michael W. Fisher, bishop, who also serves as the chair of the board of the foundation. “The foundation’s support for the educational needs of our young people and the broad social services made possible by their generous donors are vital as together we work to define a new era for Catholic witness, ministry and impact across our region. I look forward to working closely with Kathleen and to benefitting from her many years of substantial accomplishments in education and charitable outreach.”

With a strong commitment to Catholic education, Christy has served on the diocesan Catholic education advisory council, the Catholic education strategic planning committee and is currently a member of the board of trustees of Mount St. Mary Academy. She and her husband, Tom, were past chairs of the “Gala 22:6” Catholic education dinner. Christy is a board member of Our Lady of Victory Human Services. She and her husband are active parishioners at St. Amelia’s, Tonawanda, part of the Roman Catholic community of the Tonawandas.

Established in 1996, the mission of the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo is to acquire, administer and distribute donor funds to benefit the educational needs as well as various spiritual and social services programs provided by Catholic organizations (including Catholic Charities) and ministries throughout Western New York. The executive director and board of the foundation currently provide fiduciary oversight of $79.8 million in assets under management. In 2025, the foundation made a total of $2.85 million in grant funding to a wide range of organizations and programs across the diocese during fiscal year 2025.