Legacy campaign moves forward

Legacy of Hope has achieved a new milestone. The faithful of the Diocese of Worcester have pledged nearly $19 million to the capital campaign that aims to strengthen local parish communities and the diocesan Church, according to campaign and development leaders. Even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues spreading across the United States and the number of cases in our state is on the rise, the people continue to demonstrate their generosity both to the diocese and their parishes. 

Currently, the campaign is in its third block. Block three began in January but was stopped last spring and suspended until the fall because of the pandemic. There are 11 parishes actively conducting the Legacy of Hope campaign, with 42 more parishes preparing for the next block in the spring. 

“Because of the limitations brought on by the pandemic, and  to be compliant with state and diocesan regulations, we had to make adaptations to the campaign fundraising plan for the Diocese of Worcester,” said Jose DeJesus, the Guidance in Giving Inc. campaign supervisor for Legacy of Hope.  

“Our strategy has always been to work with the local pastor and his parish leadership to help us meet parishioners where they are and conducting a fundraising campaign that is compelling and deeply personal,” he said.  

At first glance, this task might seem impossible because parishioners are not attending religious services or parish events at the same level as they were pre-COVID-19. Because of of state-mandated social distancing recommendations, the places where parishioners can meet are also limited.  

The pandemic has made it necessary to utilize digital tools more effectively, campaign leaders said. The diocese, through the Office of Communications, has better equipped the parishes to establish stronger connections with their parishioners using tools like Flocknote. Many parishes use this platform to communicate with the faithful instantly. Streaming services on Facebook Live are now standard in many parishes as a tool to help parishioners remain connected, especially through the celebration of Mass.  

Legacy of Hope has been able to reach people in a parish through teleconferencing platforms. Zoom and Google Meet have been used to host virtual receptions to help educate the faithful about the things that Legacy of Hope is doing. Each parish works with their assigned director to help craft an effective campaign plan that the pastor and the leadership can espouse.  

The response of the people in the diocese throughout the COVID-19 pandemic remains steadfast not only to the Legacy of Hope campaign.  

This year the annual Celebrate Priesthood! fundraiser set a record. After expenses, more than $177,000 was raised to help support retired diocesan priests. That is nearly $50,000 more than last year. While Partners in Charity did not meet its fundraising goal this year, it did come close, raising 88% of the annual goal of $5 million. In addition, while it is true that many of our parishes saw a decline in offerings due to lack of attendance at Mass, many others have seen their offerings stay the same, and others have seen an increase in their offerings from the faithful. Many parishioners are now using online giving as their preferred vehicle for making their offerings to their parish. This has been a great tool that has helped our parishes stabilize and plan during this unprecedented time. 

Legacy of Hope is also making good on its promise to give back to parishes. Forty percent of all the pledges that have been paid is being returned to the local churches for their own needs. To date, the campaign has paid out nearly $2.6 million to the parishes involved in earlier blocks, according to Mr. DeJesus. These checks have been mailed out every quarter, as promised, and the campaign will continue to do so throughout the four years of Legacy. Parishes in the first two blocks are immediately putting to use the donations that were made for specific purposes. Also, only a few donors have indicated that they could not continue to fulfill their pledge.  

“It’s amazing to me that even through this pandemic, we have nearly a 100% redemption rate on the pledges that have been made to Legacy of Hope,” said Michael P. Gillespie, director of the Office of Stewardship and Development. 

Some 42 parishes are still to conduct the Legacy of Hope campaign next year with goals of totaling more than $16 million.  

“While no one knows the future trajectory of this pandemic nor its impact on our nation and the world, we remain hopeful that the people of God in Worcester will continue to share their time, talent, and financial resources to further the mission of the Catholic Church,” Mr. DeJesus said. “Our faith reminds us of the promise made by Jesus to always be with us. In essence, that is still our Savior’s legacy to us, his followers, nearly 2,000 years later. What will our legacy be to the future generations of Catholics in our parishes and diocese?  We pray it will be a Legacy of Hope,” he said.