By combining our fundraising efforts with those of the parish school, St. Monica can implement a full campus-wide safety and security plan. We will enhance our building security by replacing doors on campus with more secure ones. If our parish exceeds our campaign goal, we could consider installing other security features around campus, including electronic locks and video monitoring systems.
We plan to enhance the upper walls and ceiling of the worship space to complement its architectural magnificence. To achieve the visual grandeur originally planned for these features, we will commission religious paintings and mosaics to match our magnificent stained-glass windows and terrazzo flooring. We hope to transform the ceiling’s plain acoustic tile with decorative treatments. If our community exceeds our campaign goal, we may consider additional mosaics, statuary, and restorations.
Our parish has an endowment for educational efforts of the parish school and formation programs. We will dedicate about a quarter of our campaign proceeds to add to this fund for emergency and capital needs. We will disperse approximately 5% of the funds annually and continue to grow the endowment over time through development efforts in planned giving and bequests.
As a Catholic parish, St. Monica is devoted to the mission of evangelization both locally and globally. For more than 25 years, the parish has dedicated 1.5-3% of the annual offertory to humanitarian causes around the world. We commit to tithing a significant portion of parish campaign proceeds to future transformational projects with ministry partners such as those in Kyrgyzstan, All Saints Parish, and Catholic Relief Service’s Helping Hands.
Unanticipated costs associated with the recent renovation of the parish hall forced the parish to eliminate the installation of a fire suppression system from the project budget. Without a sprinkler system, village zoning laws and ordinances restrict us from maximizing the function of our restored space. We will install the necessary fire safety equipment to make full use of our beautiful space.
The Ministry Center (former convent of the Franciscan Sisters who long served St. Monica Parish School) is the center of our pastoral, catechetical, and administrative activities. The roof of the Ministry Center is actively leaking and now requires a full replacement to continue protecting the renovations funded by the generosity of parishioners. If the campaign exceeds goal, we can pursue improving handicap access to the building.
While most campaign-related expenses will be covered by the Archdiocese, less than 3% of the funds St. Monica parishioners raise will provide part-time support and the provision of local resources and material.