By Michael F. Flach
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 5/5/05)

The Catholic Business Network of Northern Virginia (CBN-NV) has been in existence since 1991 when it was originally established as the Justin D. McClunn Society. Kevin P. Childers, with the support of Father John T. O’Hara, envisioned an association of professionals dedicated to providing pro-bono services to the indigent and needy in Northern Virginia.

Society members were instrumental in establishing the Arlington Free Medical Clinic. They provided free legal assistance across the region and sponsored medical expeditions to the Diocesan Mission in Bánica.

The organization changed its name in 1997 and expanded its membership to include all business men and women. Its primary focus shifted to support Catholic education in the Arlington Diocese. The 10th annual Catholic Schools/Business Partnerships Awards Banquet was held April 24 at the McLean Hilton. During the past decade more than $200,000 has been donated to Catholic schools through this banquet.

Despite this tremendous track record of volunteer service, CBN-NV officials, with the support of Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde, are attempting to make a strong effort to increase membership, raise public awareness of the organization and become an even greater force in the Catholic community.

"The potential for good is immense," Bishop Loverde said during a recent interview. "I have a great dream and hope for this group, that it will be the kind of living entity in the diocese that will advance the cause of Christian morality and build a civilization of love and life. It will do that in a concrete and holistic way. People can discover that they can be faithful to Christ and His Church, and be successful in the real world, as well as helping one another. I see them as the salt of the earth and the light of the world."

"Basically, what we’re trying to do is get the word out as to whom and what we are," said Marie Pelletier, CBN-NV’s current president. "I’m not sure that people realize that an organization like ours is out there. We want to keep the spirituality within our lives and families, but we also want to keep it within our business world. That’s one of our main goals.

"Our other main goal is to network Catholic businesses, to help each other out, to use our members first before we seek other companies," she said.

"There are many Catholic businessmen throughout Northern Virginia who do great work within the Catholic community," said President-elect Wayne Cyron. "I would like to increase awareness within the community that these businesses exist and what they do. Many businesses perform a great service for the diocese, and I think parishioners should be aware of that."

Bishop Loverde has supported CBN-NV since he first arrived in Arlington in 1999. He began celebrating an annual Mass for professionals a few years ago at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington.

"All disciples of the Lord, all members of the Church are supposed to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth," said the bishop. "How do people in the marketplace and business world bring to bear the principles of Catholic life, Catholic morality? How do we influence our co-workers in a very positive way?"

Bishop Loverde said CBN members have to become truly holy and more imbued with the spirit of Christ. "The monthly meeting is certainly to network and develop contacts in concrete ways," he said. "It’s also a means of moral and spiritual support. If we have people who are truly holy, then they bring that mindset, attitude, dynamism and energy into the marketplace so that what they do is always ethically and morally correct. They begin to fashion a society where true Gospel values matter, not in some theoretical way, but in a concrete way."

The bishop said we live in a competitive society that often lacks Christian values. "Society says, ‘me first. I’ll run all over you and I’ll get to the top and I’ll mow you all down until I get there,’" he said. "That’s the formula for success in society.

"But here’s a group of people that says this is not the formula for success," Bishop Loverde said. "We have a different formula to be successful. We’re going to prove that we can be truly successful by being morally correct, by being true to the Gospel. To do that, we need to be in touch with Christ, to be in union with one another in that solidarity and communion. To be in communion, we need to be networked with one another."

"Many members do practice that and are successful and demonstrate that it can be done in that fashion," said Cyron.

"What we need is support," the bishop added. "To live in this world today as a faithful disciple of Christ is to be countercultural. Not that the world is evil, but there are a lot of things in the world that need to be corrected.

"One phrase that might sum it up," he said, "is that this group is working for the transformation of society, particularly through the business world."

"People that you meet (through CBN) are hungry for something like this," said Pelletier, who has been involved with the organization for many years. "People really want to have that spirituality. They want to have that support. They want to know that other people felt exactly like they do."

Bishop Loverde believes that young adults today are thirsting for something more out of life. "They have seen some of the things that my generation thought was going to be life saving and never did work," he said. "My generation was going to save the world or make the world better, but they never put Christ into it. It was all about their own efforts. It runs out of steam pretty quickly.

"There’s a generation now that wants to be challenged," he said. "They’re not afraid to be told the hard sayings. There’s a whole potential of younger people that we could attract because they’re looking for something, rather than finding it in some pop spirituality books. They can find a way of spirituality and a way of integrating that into their life with this group."

"It’s a constant learning process when you meet these people in different businesses," Pelletier said. "It’s a constant growing process. You grow within yourself spirituality. You get so much back.

"We’re also there to help the businesses with needs and leads," she said. "If there’s a lead for a job, tell us. We’ll spread the word. If someone needs a job, give us your resume. We’ll spread the word. We’re there to help as much as we can."

"It’s kind of a practical way to live spirituality," Bishop Loverde said. "It’s not just idealistic or theoretical. It’s practical. That’s what real faith is all about."

Find Out More

To find out more about the Catholic Business Network, visit the society’s Web site at www.cbnnv.com or call 703/528-3885. CBN-NV’s next monthly meeting will take place Friday, May 14, at 7:30 a.m. at the Dominican Retreat House in McLean. The guest speaker will be Debra Hinson-Joyner from the Virginia Coalition to End Discrimination in General Services for Education.