CATHOLIC CHURCH
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.” ~ St. Francis of Assisi
BUILDING CAMPAIGN GOALS TO DATE
Raised $2,006,700
Goal: $2,200,000
91% of Goal Raised
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
During our 19-year history, we have continued to grow in faith and love and most notably in the number of parish members.While our facilities have served us well, the dynamic needs of a growing parish require us to take the next step in the development of our parish campus. Our response to this challenge was to develop a Building Committee, who began the task of providing a better learning environment for faith formation programs. After countless discussions and meetings with building contractors and our former architects, a faith formation building was designed that would serve our parish for many years to come.
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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Why wasn’t the initial “campus” design of building a new sanctuary followed? The building committee gave careful consideration to building a new sanctuary and renovating the existing space for meeting rooms, offices, and storage. The cost of a new church that would seat 400 to 500 parishioners would likely fall in the range of $8 to $10 million. That does not include the costs of renovating existing space. Although a new church is not feasible at this time, the faith formation building is an essential necessity. We have simply outgrown our current community room, classrooms, and office spaces. We have nearly 100 children and youth registered for our Parish School of Religion (PSR) and youth programs for 2023-24. Most importantly, the need for an improved educational environment is imperative to better serve the formation of our youth in the Catholic faith. We believe this project, which combines a beautiful new worship space with a versatile multipurpose building will meet the parish’s needs for many years to come. If we are so blessed in the future to grow both with parishioners and financially, there is ample room to the north of our existing campus (parking lot area) to build a new church and create new parking areas.
Why didn’t we build onto the current building as originally planned? An initial plan to expand to the south was determined not feasible when it was discovered that the relocation of key utilities (water, electrical, etc.) would create an unnecessary financial burden on the project. This plan allows an interior connection with the existing structure which was not possible with the original plan of placing an education building northeast of our worship space.
Will there be a new Chapel? In order to keep costs down, we believe that renovating the current chapel to office space is financially prudent. Everything that we do liturgically can be done in our main worship space, including weekday Mass, adoration, and rosary services. Many churches throughout our Diocese do not have chapels.
Will the faith formation building only be used on the weekends? Although, the new multipurpose facility houses classrooms for Parish School of Religion (PSR) on Sundays, there will be ample activity throughout the week and varying times in the day and evening. Utilization throughout the week covers a wide range of parish and community activities and events. Additionally, it will provide daily office space for staff as well as workspace.
Why is the faith formation building so big? Originally, a floor plan was created that was approximately 5,600 square feet to meet the needs researched and developed by the building committee. However, the initial cost estimate was determined to be too high, so the committee challenged the architects to come up with a smaller building that still met the basic needs of our parish. We believe that the revised floor plan (approximately 4,400 sq ft) is affordable and will serve the parish well into the future.
What will happen to the Building Fund? We are thankful to those parishioners who donated to the Building Fund over the past several years. In order to meet the diocesan guidelines of 100% pledges and 50% cash on hand, we will temporarily suspend donations to the Building Fund. The current Building Fund will be used as part of the 50% that must be on hand, according to diocesan guidelines, before starting a major construction project.
Why are we having personal visits for the fundraising strategy? Personal visits emphasize the distinctive nature of giving, allow for a thorough presentation of the need, give you the opportunity to ask your own questions, and allow visitors to express their enthusiasm for the project. In addition, personal visits place a greater emphasis on stewardship, allowing campaign volunteers to share their faith experience and trust in God.
Why am I asked to consider a specific amount? Parishioners need to know what levels of support are necessary to raise $1.7 million. A gift amount is suggested for you to prayerfully consider because as Christian people we have an opportunity to return to the Lord according to the measure His Goodness has been bestowed upon us. No judgment is made on the level of gift you offer. The important thing is that your gift be prayerfully discerned, proportionate to your means, and reflect a spirit of sacrifice in thanksgiving to God.
What if I choose not to give the amount requested? We know matters of giving are subject to priorities and your situation is unique unto itself. However, you are asked to prayerfully consider a specific gift. Whatever your response, it should be one of your choosing made in a spirit of sacrifice, and all gifts will be beneficial to the work of spreading the Gospel.
If St. Francis of Assisi has approximately 260 registered households and the goal is $1.7 million, why don’t we ask each household to donate the same amount? Why are some people asked for a greater amount? Successful campaigns do not achieve their goals through mathematical calculation. In our parish important, like most, 80% of parish support comes from 20% of the parish. A goal of $1.7 million cannot be reached without several substantial pledges and others at lesser levels. Some parishioners are blessed with ample resources, and others are not. The thing is that your gift be prayerfully discerned, proportionate to your means, and reflect a spirit of sacrifice in thanksgiving to God.
I dislike pledging. Why am I asked to make a pledge instead of a one-time gift? You can make a one-time gift. However, the success of the campaign rests largely on pledges that are payable over five years. In addition, by making a pledge, you are able to donate more than would be otherwise possible in a one-time gift.
I would like to pledge, but our budget is especially tight this year. How can I still participate? The campaign pledge period is structured over five years, and you can determine when you want to start payment of your pledge.
Will my gift remain confidential? Yes! The only people who will have knowledge of pledge information is the volunteer and the campaign staff. These individuals have been instructed to keep all donor information confidential.