Pat Cannon, President of Liturgical Publications
Pat Cannon is the President of Liturgical Publications and a longtime business partner of MCH. He strives to live his Catholic faith in both his work and personal life. He is actively involved in his parish, Lumen Christi, and is also a Board Member and Treasurer of the local chapter of Legatus, an national organization for Catholic business executives. Pat was gracious enough to share some thoughts about what it means to be a Catholic business person in Milwaukee, and why he values his work with Milwaukee Catholic Home.
What does it mean to be a Catholic business person? How does your faith affect your work?
To be a Catholic business person means more than just managing the dollars and cents of a business. It involves the realization that one’s skills and abilities are gifts from God and are to be used for good. Every employee, every customer, every vendor has received differing gifts from Jesus Christ, Our Father in Heaven and your role is to see Him in everyone as you work to bring out the best in all of the stakeholders.
The other side of the coin is that we are all sinners, imperfect beings in need of prayer, support and love. We and everyone we interact with all carry a cross and fall down frequently. We are presented daily with challenges and opportunities to demonstrate our faith. It is only through recognizing and acknowledging our limitations, that we can improve ourselves and our work.
One of the neat things about doing business in Wisconsin this time of year is to participate in the almost religious fervor that surrounds the Green Bay Packers and the devotion that surrounds them. As a Catholic and a Packer fan sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we can record a Packer game and watch it later but celebrating the Eucharist can only be done live and in person.
How does the Catholic business community work together in Milwaukee?
There is outstanding leadership in the Milwaukee Catholic business community. Many Catholic business leaders work together sharing their time and talent for worthwhile organizations like Milwaukee Catholic Home, the Catholic Stewardship Appeal, Catholic Charities, the St. Francis Seminary, our Catholic Grade Schools, High Schools and Universities.
When one is involved with one or more of these worthy Catholic causes, you naturally meet and get to know other Catholic business people with similar interests. Those volunteer experiences often lead to a deepening of faith and friendship that can lead in unexpected directions.
What is the significance of business partnerships with other Catholic organizations?
One big difference between a business partnership with a Catholic organization and a non-Catholic organization is, knowing from the beginning of the relationship, that there is an alignment of values. Mission Statements and Vision Statements will always be different, but in my experience core values always seem to be similar. When you share core values with another person or organization it is a lot easier to surmount challenges together.
What do you value about working with Milwaukee Catholic Home?
The MCH has been a vibrant part of our community for over 100 years. Its mission to serve older adults in an environment of Christian love and service while respecting dignity, independence and individuality across a continuum of service is as important today as it ever has been. Growing up on the east side of Milwaukee and visiting many family members there over the years, I have always been aware of the great work they do in the community. However, sometimes M CH seems to be a well kept secret. More people should know about it, have a chance to see their good work for themselves, participate as a volunteer, contribute financially or be knowledgeable to suggest it as a residence for a loved one. Through my work at Liturgical Publication Inc, we are able to partner with MCH and spread the word of the good works they do in our community to a receptive audience of church going Catholics.