Capital campaign exceeds goal

By KATE BLAIN- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

The Albany Diocese's first-ever capital campaign has topped $56 million, and officials say they are "ecstatic" at the results.

The campaign, "Into the Future Together in Faith," raised nearly $11 million in advance gifts and $45 million from parishes, according to John Manning, director of the diocesan Bishop's Appeal/Stewardship Office.

The campaign's original goal to meet the minimum needs of the Diocese was $35 million. In addition, Mr. Manning said he expected about 27,500 families from around the Diocese to contribute, but the actual total was more than 35,000.

"I'm ecstatic," he told The Evangelist. "That's the essence of the campaign for me -- that they really did pour forth in an extraordinary way. To come up with $56 million is an indication of the continued vitality and health of the Church in the Albany Diocese."

Breakdown

Funds from the capital campaign will target several areas of need:

* 40 percent for parish programs, services and facilities;

* 12 percent for a clergy retirement fund;

* 12 percent for a Catholic Charities endowment fund to support services to the poor, elderly, disabled and others in need;

* 12 percent for the first phase in the restoration and renovation of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany;

* 12 percent for a Catholic schools endowment fund to assist with tuition costs through scholarships and grants;

* 5 percent to establish an endowment for evangelization and catechesis;

* 5 percent for an endowment to meet future needs; and

* 2 percent to establish an endowment fostering leadership skills and an institute devoted to spirituality and faith formation.

Mr. Manning noted that without the funds, "There was a good possibility that some of the needs [of the Church in the Albany Diocese] would not be met. The campaign, although it's not a panacea, assists us greatly in maintaining and enhancing our everyday Church."

Why they gave

Catholics contributed for several reasons, he said:

* First, they understood the needs of their own parishes, which kept 40 percent of their contributions for parish needs.

* Second, they appreciated the need to increase pensions for clergy to $1,500 a month, enabling retired priests to afford housing and living expenses after their decades of service.

* Third, they recognized that the Cathedral "is the Bishop's church, but belongs to all of us."

Bishop Howard J. Hubbard told The Evangelist that he was more than pleased at the generosity of Catholics in the Albany Diocese.

"I'm truly overwhelmed by the extraordinary response and grateful beyond words," he stated. "I've always said the people in our Diocese are the most generous in the country, and this proves it once again."

Kudos

The Bishop also saluted the pastors, parish life directors and laity who explained the campaign to Catholics around the Diocese, saying they had done their job well. The parishes themselves told The Evangelist that they were proud of their work (see sidebar).

Said Mr. Manning: "The campaign expressed in a tangible way gratitude to God and to those who preceded us for the blessings and gifts given to us; it demonstrated our commitment and responsibility as Catholic stewards to maintaining the vitality of our present-day Church; and it reflected our resolve to prepare the way for future generations through the establishment and building of perpetual endowments for those to come."

(12-07-00)

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