Campaign FAQ

There are some pressing needs, such as additional parking and seating as well as repairs to stone and pews that need to be addressed. Right now we have a great opportunity to do something special and to continue the vision by completing the items that were part of the original plan but were cut for budgetary reasons.

Our outreach to the poor has increased dramatically over the last few years. Our charity is a top priority at St. John Vianney and we plan to continue with it with no disruptions. Last year we gave over $3,000,000 and will do so again this year. All of our ministries, outreach and programs will continue as normal.

Right now all of our buildings are in good shape and have “good life” left in them. Over the past 6 years every building has been completely refurbished and updated with the exception of the church and chapels. Eventually the other buildings will be addressed when they need to be, but now is the time to address our worship spaces.

Construction costs, materials and labor all escalating and the market is tight. It would have been less expensive to do this years ago, but the money wasn’t there. It was decided (wisely) to defer these items until a later date. That time is now.

We are not doing everything, we are continuing to complete the vision of the parish. There will always be more to do. The work we are embarking on is an important advancement for our parish.

Our organ was built for the chapel (old church), which is 1/3 the size of the church. It is simply not adequate for a building as large as our church. Once the new organ is built, our current organ will return to its original home in the chapel.

We are asking for pledges, instead of one-time gifts, because a pledge allows a family to make a larger contribution over a longer period of time. We cannot reach our goal with only out-of-pocket, one-time donations.

Pledging allows families to give what you truly believe to be a thoughtful, generous, and proportionate gift rather than just what you can spare at the moment. Pledging permits making larger gifts by spreading out the payment over a three-year period. We are grateful for all sacrifices that our parishioners are able to provide, whether they are pledges or one-time gifts. Our most important goal is 100% participation from our families!

We are asking you to consider making a 10% down payment with your pledge, although it is not a requirement. If we have ~5,000 families at St. John Vianney, why don’t we all just give $2,000 for a total of $10 million? Then we would have our goal!

In a perfect world, the math works and this would be the case! However, each family’s financial situation is different. For some, a pledge of $2,000 may be more of a sacrifice for one family than a $10,000, $25,000 or $100,000 pledge may be for other families. It is important to recognize that not all families will participate in this campaign, no matter how worthy the cause. The Biblical imperative given to us by God is that each family be responsible for the gift they give as they reflect on how God has blessed them. A pledge should represent our gratitude to God for His many blessings. We trust Our Lord will inspire generosity!

A pledge is not legally binding; it is merely a statement of your intentions. We realize that life happens. If situations arise causing financial hardship, you will always have the ability to amend your pledge, and your family will not be held responsible for a pledge that you have made.

Yes. The monies collected for this campaign will be used strictly to address the items outlined in the campaign information. The weekly offertory addresses the operational needs of our parish. If we stop contributing to that our parish will ultimately suffer. This is above and beyond anything you are currently doing for St. John Vianney.