By John McDermott
Vice President, Marketing & Development
Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska
One of the many things I love about working at Catholic Social Services is the opportunity to put a “Catholic take” on our fundraising and marketing efforts. For example, for years we have included an image of St. Anthony of Padua holding the child Jesus and the letters “S.A.G.” on the mailing panel of our newsletters. This practice dates back centuries, when Catholics would write “S.A.G.”—short for St. Anthony Guide—on the back of letters sent to loved ones, imploring the aid of St. Anthony to ensure they receive the correspondence. (Heads up: you can read more about the origins of this devotion in our newly redesigned newsletter “Hope in the Good Life” coming soon to a mailbox or inbox near you!)
We also put a Catholic twist on our events as well, including our annual golf tournament. Most golfers are familiar with the concept of hitting a “mulligan.” This is when, if you hit a poor shot, you can have a do-over and hit another one without having the bad count against your score or costing you a stroke. At our golf tournament, we sell mulligans under the title of “Holy Strokes.” We offer this little perk for one Holy Stroke for $5 or five Holy Strokes for $20. Over the years, we’ve been blessed to have very generous (or bad) golfers take advantage of this fun way to raise more money during the event!
A few times over the years, we offered a package of St. Anthony golf balls to the person who lost and could not find their errant shots. Apparently, they failed to ask St. Anthony to guide their drives.
The most important thing that we did to integrate our Catholic faith into our golf tournament was implemented in 1997 and has been the focal point of this event since.
The first Catholic Social Services golf tournament was held on a Friday—Sept. 20, 1996. The next evening, CSS staff member Fran Walsh (sister of then-executive director Father Joseph Walsh) was involved in a car accident and tragically lost her life hours later. The next year, it was decided to make the golf event a memorial tournament, and to hold that year’s event in memory of Fran. Each year since, the tournament has been held in memory of an individual or couple who had an impact on Catholic Social Services and our Catholic community and has passed away.
The 29th annual CSS Memorial Golf Classic & Cookout is slated for Monday, Sept. 15, at Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln. This year’s event is held in memory of Tony Messineo. Tony was more than a successful businessman and servant leader. With a deep devotion to his faith and family, Tony’s legacy reaches far beyond the restaurant world, where his lasting impact continues to uplift lives.
In 1971, Tony and his brother Ron purchased Valentino’s, which, under their leadership and with the help of their cousin Mike Alesio, became a Nebraska staple. Tony’s passion extended beyond pizza. He also had a heart for charitable work, giving back to the people and causes he cared about most. Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska is one of the causes that benefited from Tony’s support and vision.
He was a devoted advocate and supporter of CSS for decades. In 1988, Tony and his wife Carmen were the first chairs of what would become one of the most impactful events in CSS history—the Celebration of Caring banquet, now known as the Celebration of Hope Gala & Silent Auction. What started as a modest gathering to support the work of Catholic Social Services has, thanks to Tony and Carmen’s leadership and enduring vision, grown into our largest annual fundraising event. Tony died Feb. 1, 2024. He is survived by Carmen, three children, and seven grandchildren. Thank you, Tony, for your example of living a life of faith in action.
One way to support the work of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska is to make a financial gift in memory of our friend Tony. To do so, please visit csshope.org/golf2025.
