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	Pilot Parishes Key to Campaign's $16.7 Million Start By Brian T. Olszewski Catholic Herald March 7, 2008 http://www.chnonline.org/main.asp?SectionID=14&SubSectionID=13&ArticleID=248 ST. FRANCIS - From its inception, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan has said the Faith in Our Future capital campaign was not just another fund-raiser. "This is not a bake sale on steroids," the archbishop reiterated last week. In fact, it has no resemblance to a bake sale. It has a $105 million goal, and is, according to its promotional materials, designed to "further the education in and practice of stewardship." To get it launched, the archdiocese depended upon 12 parishes to pilot the campaign near the end of 2007 and to test its process before three subsequent waves of parishes began to participate. Each parish has been given a benchmark. Its goal, over three years, is to raise 100 percent of its reportable annual offertory income. Of the amount raised, 60 percent will be used for parish projects; 40 percent will support archdiocesan initiatives and the campaign's cost to the archdiocese and its parishes. As of Feb. 25, according to the archdiocesan development office, revenue raised in 12 pilot parishes and through major gifts totaled $16,770,229. Donations have come from 4,937 people. Collectively, the pilots have raised 90 percent of their combined benchmarks. Parish easily surpasses benchmark At St. Clare Parish, Wind Lake, the benchmark was $344,000. Its parishioners pledged $461,454. "When you start a capital campaign, you see all the hurdles in front of you," said Fr. John Hemsing, pastor of St. Clare. "We jumped hurdle after hurdle." Among the hurdles, according to the priest, was showing people the connection between St. Clare Parish and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. "People looked at the archdiocese as central offices or a bureaucracy. I started talking about it as the 'Catholic Church in southeastern Wisconsin,'" he said. "That made a difference." Initially, according to Fr. Hemsing, 50 parishioners volunteered their time and talent to run the campaign. "Thank God for good leadership," he said. "These people got other people involved." He noted that a community developed among people on the campaign committee and that there was a "good spirit" at campaign-related events. Fr. Hemsing, for whom this capital campaign was the third in which he has been involved, including one as an associate pastor at another parish and one as pastor of St. Clare, said that such campaigns are difficult. "No one likes asking people for money, but that's part of being a pastor - to call people to generosity and stewardship," he said. Priest appreciates emphasis on prayer What he did like about the manner in which Faith in Our Future was presented was its emphasis on prayer. "I asked them to think of the gifts God has given you, and to pray and think about what you'll return to God," Fr. Hemsing said, noting that it wasn't about "equal gifts, but rather equal sacrifice." He said that the purpose for which funds from the Faith in Our Future trust will be used - Catholic schools and faith formation - helped him remind parishioners that these were ways "faith is passed on from generation to generation." Pastor 'befuddled' by response Seven miles northwest in Big Bend, Fr. Richard Robinson, pastor of St. Joseph Parish, said, "We did poorly." Describing his parish of 1,250 families as having a "sense of a small, rural welcoming community where people feel at home," the priest said he was "really befuddled" as to why only 230 families pledged $730,000, including his own $15,000 pledge, toward the parish's benchmark of $1.9 million. However, he did have some ideas. The "coaching model" employed by RSI Institutional Services Group, the consulting firm overseeing the campaign for the archdiocese, is a "fundamentally different approach" than the "residential model." "The residential model is one we're familiar with," Fr. Robinson said, explaining that staffs of companies employing the residential model "return on an as-needed basis." "Pastors find that model has been successful," he said. Noting that the parish's shortfall "had little to do with RSI," the priest said that while he was told the parish needed 135 parishioners to work on the campaign, 80 people volunteered. "They gave a lot of enthusiasm and zeal," Fr. Robinson said, calling their involvement "yeoman's work." Weather, reception cold At Masses on Dec. 1 and 2, the pledge weekend at St. Joseph, Fr. Robinson not only had low attendance due to the weather, but those who did attend weren't receptive to the capital campaign message. "I have never felt such coldness and resistance," he said. "Some sat there with their arms crossed as if to say, 'I defy you.' I'm not used to seeing our parish so negative." Fr. Robinson said that there is still "mistrust and resentment" toward the archdiocese from the sexual abuse scandals which he termed "the wound that won't go away." "People are willing to give to the parish, but not to the archdiocese," he said. "We did everything we could; we especially pushed the archdiocesan part." Fr. Robinson said, "If we had to do it again, we would be more ambitious" emphasizing that if parishioners "hurried up and paid the debt," they could do more things in the parish. At St. Rita, West Allis, Faith in Our Future is the third capital campaign in seven years, according to the parish's pastor, Fr. Richard Mirsberger. The first two were for renovations that needed to be done to the church. The parish portion of the recent campaign was to be used for reducing the parish's debt and for buying new doors for the church. Twenty-one percent of the parish's 1,200 units pledged $382,560. Its benchmark was $575,000. Economy factor in not reaching goal The economy, poor weather that affected Mass attendance in early December, and the loss of many older parishioners who had supported the capital campaign that had helped the parish raise "close to a million dollars" six years earlier all had an impact on what the parish was able to raise, according to the priest. While noting the parish hadn't done "as well as we had hoped," Fr. Mirsberger saw a positive impact for the parish. "In ways, it was a very good experience. We had a large group of people working together for a common goal," he said. Noting the involvement of parishioners, including "very good co-chairs," Fr. Mirsberger said, "Others did things they didn't usually do. Fifty people were part of it." Including Faith in Our Future, Fr. Jeff Haines, pastor of St. Frances Cabrini, West Bend, has been part of three capital campaigns since 2000. "You can go into them with trepidation or relief - by placing your trust in Jesus," he said. He opted for the latter. Youth were inspiration in West Bend "It caught a spark," he said, adding that 70 people attended the first volunteers' meeting last August. The parish of 2,166 family units received 771 pledges and exceeded its $1.3 million benchmark by $33,875. While adult parishioners made the financial commitments, according to Fr. Haines, "Our youth inspired us." Children made banners for the church while junior and senior high school students produced a 10-minute DVD in which they gave testimony about the campaign's focus - education and formation. "RSI provided information and the creative people on our staff used that as a jumping off point to get children and youth involved," he said. The emphasis on education and formation resonated with his parishioners. "They believe in ministry in schools and religious education," Fr. Haines said. One aspect of the campaign that the priest liked was its emphasis on what he termed a "new wrinkle." "It really promoted stewardship," he said, adding that the campaign gave parishioners "a spirit of stewardship in a broader sense." For Fr. Haines, the commitment he and St. Frances Cabrini parishioners made was worthwhile. "Nobody likes these things; they're a lot of work," he said. "Sure, it taps you, but it's worth it. We're a better parish and a better community for having done it."
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