Often the Diocese of Cleveland – particularly the Bishop and his office, ASKS Pastors to engage their Parish in a diocesan-wide campaign to raise much needed funds for current and long-term projects within the Diocesan Faith Family.

The last ask was the 5 year Rooted in Faith – Forward in Hope Campaign ten years ago, my first year as Pastor in 2012!  Every parish was asked to participate in the campaign to fund 4 much-needed areas within the Diocese to build up resources for long term security and the diocesan wide campaign was hugely successful – even exceeding the overall goal!  I want to remind you that the 4 areas funded were:  Clergy Formation and Retired Priests, Evangelization and Communication, Catholic Schools Tuition Assistance and Innovation, and Catholic Charities.  We at St. Mary were asked to raise $1,000,000 million dollars in support of the campaign and in the course of that campaign we raised $930,000 thousand dollars and over the course of the 5 years we received back a whopping 30% back for the parish – that is, about $300,000 thousand dollars which was used for capital projects and improvements and spiritual enrichment programs, which we have used wisely and well these past years!  Yeah to you and us!

Now, we are being asked to enter into another campaign titled, the Heart of a Shepherd; a 3 year $30,000,000 million diocesan-wide effort to help build up resources to:  1) renew, renovate and modernize the residential areas of the Seminary Buildings (that is the Center for Pastoral Leadership), 2) fund the continuing retirement and pension of all of our diocesan parish priests and, 3) establish an endowment fund to help tuition and student debt reduction for the newly ordained priests serving in the Diocese of Cleveland.

The 3 Year Heart of a Shepherd campaign opened in the fall of 2019 with 10 pilot parishes raising a little over $3,000,000 million dollars.  The campaign was postponed during the Covid crisis and has been re-initiated throughout the Diocese.  To date, about half of the 175 parishes in the Diocese have completed the campaign.  Now, it is our time.  St. Mary Berea – here we go!  Fall of 2021!

With the Rooted in Faith – Forward in Hope Campaign an important element of the campaign was the return of funds to the parish for local needs, projects and programs.  The Heart of a Shepherd campaign has built into it the same component: that is, the opportunity for each parish to raise funds for their LOCAL PARISH NEEDS while at the same time, raise funds for the DICOESAN efforts (see above) and that’s a really key piece to this endeavor that I would like you to support!  If we break it down, that means that for every $1.00 dollar donated, we will receive back $.65 cents in the course of the 3 year campaign, if we meet our goal!  Let me say that again, $.65 cents of every dollar raised will come back to us during the course of the 3 year campaign!  Our campaign GOAL is $355,000 with a return of $230,000 for St. Mary projects!

So, you may be asking, what are the local parish needs at this time?  And here’s an answer and one I know every one of you realizes:
 

• The Church parking lot needs a complete overhaul and upgrading, more than sealcoating and striping (which are equally as necessary).  As you well know and feel when you enter the lot, it NEEDS a lot of WORK!

• The HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) pump-down system in the Church will need replacing.   Our HVAC master mechanic has maintained this system well for these past 20 years and I know you and I have felt both sides of the system working – perhaps too cold at times – and too stuffy at others, so it’s time for a new system.

• The repainting of the exterior of the Fr. Garrity Parish Center.

• First, members of the Catholic Community Foundation have been meeting with me to inform me about the details of how to oversee the campaign and create a timeline for the campaign.  This will be through social gatherings and meetings, announcements and preaching, bulletin inserts and additional materials, all of which will explain the benefits and values, uses and gains of the overall capital campaign.

• Second, with the Finance Council, we will outline the eight-week program and then schedule the timetable to roll it out this fall!

• Third, your heartfelt listening and prayers for the overall capital campaign ALONG WITH your prayerful decision about how much you are able to pledge or donate to your parish over the next three years. 

• And fourth, making a pledge and donating your financial support to the campaign, knowing that $65% of your overall contribution will be RETURNED to St. Mary for our parking lot, HVAC system and repainting the Garrity Center WHILE the Seminary is being updated, the Clergy Retirement Fund is funded and an endowment to help our newly ordained is established! You see, it’s a WIN-WIN for our Diocesan Faith Family!

So that’s it in a nutshell: the plan and how we will be proceeding.
                                     
Half of the diocesan parishes that have completed the Heart of a Shepherd campaign have pledged to date about $30,000,000, with a significant portion of that being returned to the parishes – perhaps about 30%.  The remaining parishes will help to complete the campaign and even exceed its goal!

So, in preparation for our rolling out the campaign, begin to pray now and even consider what amount you are able to contribute to the Heart of a Shepherd campaign for our St. Mary local parish needs!

Thanks for your time, talent and treasure in continuing support of the Church of St. Mary and in Cleveland!