"Changing Lives Together" Campaign
Beginning with the "Changing Lives Together" Campaign
January 21, 2012
Feedback Response:
Thank you so much to all of you who responded to the request for feedback on the Changing Lives Together (CLT) campaign that was announced last weekend! We received dozens of responses, many of them offering thoughtful and creative input. A good number of the responses also expressed questions and/or concerns about the campaign.
Below you will find information in response to some of those questions and concerns. We will share more information next week, together with updated campaign goals reflecting many of the suggestions and questions submitted by you. Additionally, we are having a Parish-wide information and feedback forum on Monday, January 30 from 6:30-8:00 in the Activity Center to provide additional opportunities for questions, answers and information on CLT.
Parish Budget: We are in sound financial health. St. Priscilla is debt-free and has $799,987.77 in savings. The operating budget is approximately $416,000/year, or $8,000/week. This means we have about 1.5 times our operating budget in savings, which is a good ratio. These funds are used for repairs, capital improvements and, on occasion, operating needs.
The funds we received from St. Agatha Church were deposited into savings. Since that time, we have drawn from our savings primarily for new carpeting, paint, the installation of the collapsible wall in the Activities Center, and the making of repairs.
In the course of the CLT campaign, each of us will be asked to prayerfully consider making a financial pledge to be paid over three years. Even so, your individual participation is 100% voluntary! Whatever support you can give, even if it is just your prayers, will be gratefully accepted! If St. Priscilla falls short of the $403,411 financial goal set for us by the Archdiocese, we will not be asked to make up the difference.
The CLT allocation of 70% to be retained by the parish and 30% to be forwarded to the Archdiocese is mandated by the Archdiocese and is the same for all parishes. We can use our 70% as we deem best to strengthen our parish and further our mission. The Archdiocese will use its 30% as a one-time infusion of capital to strengthen the Catholic school tuition assistance endowment, strengthen formation for our priests, seminarians and lay leaders, strengthen church ministry in the City of Detroit, and to cover campaign expenses. The Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) is unaffected by the campaign and will remain the primary source of ongoing funding for Archdiocesan programs and ministries. More can be found at www.aodclt.org.
The CLT goals are not new and have not been created just for this campaign. Virtually all of them have been discussed among individuals and at Commission and Parish Council meetings over many months and, in some cases, many years. In fact, the need to establish a more reverent and prayerful atmosphere in the church has been discussed since Fr. Ray Bucon was pastor. Now, through this campaign, the parish has the opportunity to put some of these goals into place.
Please see the revised CLT campaign goals on the parish website at www.saintpriscilla.org and in the Bulletin next week. Please feel free to continue providing feedback. We look forward to seeing you at the Parish-wide feedback forum on Monday evening, January 30 in the Activity Center.
Prayerfully,
The St. Priscilla Changing Lives Together Team