Contact: Christian Pinkston, 703-574-2137

NEW YORK, Mar. 22 /Christian Newswire/ -- Raffaello Follieri, chairman and CEO of the Follieri Companies, has been named a special consultant to the national office of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States by the national director, Monsignor John E. Kozar.

"I am honored by the opportunity to serve the Pontifical Mission Societies as Special Consultant," said Mr. Follieri. "The missionary outreach of the Church across the globe is a fundamental responsibility of every Catholic and I look forward to working with Monsignor Kozar to develop specialized financial products that will help advance the work of the Pontifical Missions."

Follieri Group and Follieri Capital provide real estate and financial products and services to Roman Catholic Church organizations in the United States. Mr. Follieri is also the founder and chairman of the Follieri Foundation. The Foundation is currently working with Catholic Relief Services in Honduras to provide Hepatitis A vaccinations for 10,000 children as part of the Foundation's commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative. Previously, the Foundation provided Hepatitis vaccinations for children in Nicaragua. The Foundation also gives prescription discount cards to the less fortunate in the United States and has rehabilitated an AIDS clinic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Pontifical Mission Societies consist of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Holy Childhood Association, the Society of St. Peter the Apostle and the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious. The first three Societies invite baptized Catholics to express their missionary commitment by offering their prayers, personal sacrifices and financial support for the work of the Church in the Missions. The Missionary Union of Priests and Religious works to deepen mission awareness among priests, men and women Religious, catechists, and educators so that they are fully prepared to take on the mission formation of the faithful.