+JMJ
Dear Parishioners,
This week some of us attended the kick-off for the second wave of the Diocesan Capital Campaign, Living Christ, which is St. Wendelin's wave. We also had a training meeting for volunteers who have been asked to help us reach out to over 200 households in the parish, inviting people to donate to this campaign. With this letter, I want to give you a heads-up about the purpose of the campaign, and ask you to be open to a call and/or a visit from somebody representing the campaign.
When somebody contacts you, you will have the opportunity to learn details about how the Diocese will use campaign money ($1,060,000 parish goal). You'll hear about how the campaign will help support our clergy, care for the poor, form disciples, restore the Cathedral and form lay leaders. Those are the diocesan goals for the campaign. With several of these goals, the plan is to establish a particular endowment that can continue to source that particular goal.
You will also have the opportunity to hear about how St. Wendelin Parish will use 35% of the funds collected ($371,000), money which starts coming back to us as soon as it is collected. We have four projects in mind: 1) Finish fundraising for the new storage/maintenance building [Just this week we sent back to Peterman and Associates what we hope will be the last changes to all of the engineering drawings for the building]; 2) Finish fundraising for updating the lights in the church [building upon the fundraiser money that remains in the lighting account from several years ago]; 3) Replace the roof on the rectory. [Glance up at the rectory roof, and you will easily see how the tiles have all become very dark, which indicates the weathering they have undergone, and that tiles will start to break and fall off, and nails rust through. We have already replaced some of the tiles]; 4) Repair all the parking lots. Some portions of the lots need only filling of cracks and re-sealing. Some portions need full replacement of asphalt.
So there is a quick preview of the Diocesan and Parish use of the capital campaign money. How much will be asked of each individual? Of course we don't know each family's current financial situation (and I never look at offertory dollars per household); but the campaign company was able to look at offertory giving from parish envelopes over the past few years. Roughly speaking, they took this number and multiplied it by 1.2 (getting a figure that is 120% of a person's giving over the past three years). Then they rounded that total to the nearest $5,000. This final amount is what each person or family will be invited to give over the next five years. So the three-year offertory history, increased by 20%, becomes the basis for a five-year gift invitation. And, each person is asked to continue his or her normal pattern of giving to the parish as well.
Given what everybody is experiencing at the gas pumps and groceries stores, I thought it would be helpful to reduce the “sticker shock” a little by explaining even the gift amount for you…. In preparation for receiving a call from a campaign volunteer. I will also be one of those volunteers visiting some homes:) As I have expressed a couple times previously: I know our parishioners are very generous, and I believe that everybody will prayerfully consider what they can give on this special occasion of building for the Diocese and the Parish. I believe the goals are worthy of the effort. I also realize the financial times we are all in, when I go to the gas station and the grocery store. Thanks in advance for all your prayerful consideration of how you can participate in this campaign!
Have a blessed week!
In cordibus Iesu, Mariae et Iosephus,
Father Poggemeyer