Notre Dame, IN – Concluding a recent organizational meeting held May 9 and 10, leaders of eleven American Catholic credit unions announced the formation of a new collaborative association, Catholic Credit Unions of America (CCUA). Members of the new CCUA will collaborate in practical ways to support each other in the execution of their individual missions. Member institutions will share best practices in all areas of credit union operations including retail and institutional lending, new product design, marketing, compliance, technology, canon law and issues relating to the Catholic mission. The CCUA will also work together to assist each other in financing Catholic‐oriented projects as they arise.

“For the first time, Catholic credit unions have a mechanism to combine their lending capacities to help finance Catholic projects of nearly any size, in any diocese, nationwide,” said Tom Gryp, Notre Dame Federal Credit Union President/CEO and one of the eleven founding members. “This is a game changer. Catholic dioceses, parishes and schools will now have more attractive alternatives available when financing their projects. That should translate into meaningful savings for them.”

Alliance Catholic Credit Union President/CEO, Rob Grech agreed. “Each Catholic credit union in CCUA is already individually strong. The potential synergies now available through CCUA will make us even more robust and financially relevant in the lives of Catholic communities across the country.”

There are nearly 100 credit unions in the U.S. with some form of Catholic affinity, totaling over $3.6 billion in combined assets. The CCUA’s founding group of eleven credit unions represents approximately $1.9 billion, or more than half of that total.

The founding credit unions include:

• Alliance Catholic Credit Union, Southfield, MI
• Catholic Family Credit Union, Kansas City, MO
• Catholic Family Federal Credit Union, Wichita, KS
• Catholic Federal Credit Union, Saginaw, MI
• Minnesota Catholic Credit Union, Little Canada, MN
• Notre Dame Federal Credit Union, Notre Dame, IN
• Oceanside Christopher Federal Credit Union, Oceanside, NY
• Ohio Catholic Federal Credit Union, Garfield Heights, OH
• Parish Federal Credit Union, Toledo, OH
• St. Colman and Affiliates Federal Credit Union, Cleveland, OH
• Unity Catholic Federal Credit Union, Parma, OH

All credit unions with a strong Catholic affinity will be invited to join CCUA. For more information, please contact Robert Kloska at [email protected](link sends e-mail)

Photo Caption: The founding members of the Catholic Credit Unions of America (CCUA) hosted an inaugural meeting on May 9 and 10 at the University of Notre Dame. From Left to Right: Robert Kloska (Notre Dame FCU), Alan Watson (Catholic FCU), Denny Solomon (St. Colman & Affiliates FCU), David Sawin (Minnesota Catholic CU), Rob Grech (Alliance Catholic CU), Bill Hann (Parish FCU), Tom Gryp (Notre Dame FCU), Brian Mooney (Ohio Catholic FCU), Brian Smith-Vandergriff (Catholic Family CU), Joseph Garay (Oceanside Christopher FCU). Not Pictured: Mike Taylor (Catholic Family FCU). Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Federal Credit Union.