Goal is $100 million dollars. Primary target for this major fund raising effort is the renovation of the recently acquired Crystal (now Christ) Cathedral for Catholic services. Over half of the targeted amount will be allocated here. Like riders to a Congressional funding bill, parish and center, education, priest retirement and diocesan ministry needs have been added.
This is not to be confused with the Catholic diocese's annual Pastoral Appeal.
Each parish in the diocese will have its own financial goal to reach, some will be well over a million dollars, 25% of which will be returned to the particular parish for its individual needs.
The Diocese has hired a separate company, The Orange Catholic Foundation to manage the entire process and insure the specified distribution of collections.
Capital fund raising is not new to the Catholic dioceses in California, but it is to the Diocese of Orange. Unlike other diocese efforts, individual parishioner pledges will be the major target here.
"Our campaign has the opportunity to unite us in a way perhaps we've never been united before," explains Father Christopher Smith, member of the Priests Campaign Committee and episcopal vicar and rector of the future Christ Cathedral."By the grace of God we are always a work in progress, a people in progress, (and) a church in progress.
Father Smith is is charge of managing renovations to the Crystal Cathedral.
Note: I've been sitting on this story for months and been asked not to release it until the diocese officially did.
For more information or to make an online donation go to:
Comments