Eleven years ago, our parish joined with all other parishes throughout the Archdiocese in the Heritage of Faith – Vision of Hope Capital Campaign. Cardinal Justin Rigali, who was our Ordinary at that time, launched this Campaign in 2008 to assist parishes and Catholic schools that were struggling financially, provide much-needed repairs to Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral and St. Charles Seminary and minister to the needy throughout the Archdiocese. This campaign raised around $125 million. Our parish contributed almost $1.7 million – that’s 1.36% of the total funds collected throughout the 216 parishes in the Archdiocese! The generosity of our parishioners continues to edify me and, in the name of all of those institutions and individuals throughout the Archdiocese who benefited from your generosity, I want to thank you!
The Archdiocesan Heritage of Faith Campaign had an unusual and enticing incentive for parishes: they were allowed to use 35% of the funds that they collected during this campaign to pay for projects that each parish identified at the beginning of the campaign on their parish “Wish List.” This gave us $591,000 to address the projects on our parish “Wish List.” Msgr. Close had wisely developed a “Wish List” of some of the more pressing repairs and improvements for our church and school, ranging from repairs to our church exterior to building a science lab and updating the computers in our school. Over the past eight years, I have used most of these funds and have been able to complete all of these projects. In my first year here, I oversaw the reattachment of the 14’ limestone pillars that frame our church’s floor-to-ceiling stained-glass windows (members of the Parish Facilities Committee alerted me shortly after I arrived here that several of them had become detached and were in danger of falling out), the pointing of some of the stonework on the church exterior (to stop leaks in the church) and the repair of some of the sidewalks around the church (they had become serious tripping hazards). These repairs totaled $92,400.
In 2013, more of the Heritage of Faith funds were used to turn one of our eighth-grade classrooms into a science lab, upgrade the computers throughout our school, install a new telephone system in the church, rectory, school and parish center and replace the kneelers in our church. The cost of these three projects was $238,000. And, over the next year, we continued the repair of sidewalks throughout the parish property and pointing the stonework of the church exterior and restored the terrazzo floor in our church. These repairs cost $169,000.
All of these repairs and improvements complete our parish “Wish List” and so I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, once again, for your generous support of the Heritage of Faith Campaign – this time because of its great benefit to our parish! And, since our projects have been completed, I have received permission from the Archdiocese to use the remaining funds for the new, exciting project that I first announced when we celebrated our parish’s 125th anniversary last June: the construction and installation of a new pipe organ and piano for our church! This project is well underway and we have already raised $350,000 in cash and pledges, thanks to a few generous parishioners. The remaining $93,000 from the Heritage of Faith Campaign will be a great addition as we introduce the Keys to the Kingdom Capital Campaign to the entire parish in just two weeks. Next week, I will provide a little history on this important project and the following weekend, Mr. Jeremy Triplett, our Liturgical Music Director, will speak at all Masses to tell you what this will mean for our musicians, choirs and cantors as they lead us all in songs of praise to our God; stay tuned!