More capital campaign dollars being distributed

By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press

All parishes in the diocese are now receiving a share of their Legacy of Hope money, according to Michael P. Gillespie, director of the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development.
This is the first time that parishes in Block 5, the last to conduct their capital campaign, will receive money, he said. They finished the campaign in December 2021.
Thursday a total of $652,111 in Legacy of Hope money was to be mailed to parishes or, in 40 cases, deposited directly in their Diocesan Expansion Fund accounts, he said.
A total of $7,230,797 has gone back to the parishes since January 2020, Mr. Gillespie said. Parishes are to use it for the cases they presented, for which they received Bishop McManus’ approval.
Overall, $29,226,166 was raised from 10,214 donors for the $32 million campaign, Mr. Gillespie said. This includes one-time gifts, as well as pledges.
All the money parishes collect goes initially to the diocese. The parishes’ portions are distributed to them, based on cash received as pledges are fulfilled, six months after their block’s campaign ends, then quarterly throughout the rest of the four years.
Parishes get back 40 percent of what they raise up to their target amount, and 60 percent of whatever they raise beyond that.     The rest of the money goes to the diocese. It was earmarked for restoration of St. Paul Cathedral, to create new endowments for evangelization efforts and charitable outreach, and to add to the present endowments for Catholic school tuition assistance and priests’ retirement and custodial care.
Legacy of Hope raised money for current and future needs. So, it did not replace the annual Partners in Charity appeal, which helps fund day-to-day operations of numerous ministries each year.