St. Michael the Archangel

IGNITE CAMPAIGN Report as of 8/30/2022
Parish Goal:                       $275,968.00   
Total Pledged:                   $133,455.00        
Amount Paid To Date:      $87,542.29             Thank you!  
Number of Participants: 53

Sts. Cyril & Methodius

IGNITE CAMPAIGN Report as of 8/30/2022 

Parish Goal:                         $91,116.00 
Total Pledged:                     $50,395.00                
Amount Paid To Date:        $37,188.40          Thank you!        
Number of Participants: 22
 

 In 2015, a planning study was conducted to identify the local Archdiocese’s present-day challenges and address the needs of our Archdiocesan seminary, St. Mary’s, as well as our Catholic Schools and Faith Formation.

As a result of the data and responses collected, Cardinal DiNardo initiated a major capital campaign fittingly titled, IGNITE: Our Faith, Our Mission to raise $150,000,000. The campaign kicked off in the Spring of 2017 and conducted the first block prior to Hurricane Harvey hitting Southeast Texas. The campaign was placed on hold so the Archdiocese could focus on emergency response and relief efforts. Although recovery will take years, it is time to relaunch IGNITE and address the new realities of the Archdiocese.

The IGNITE Campaign has six major elements:

Individual Parish Needs
St. Mary’s Seminary
Catholic School Education Endowments
Future Disaster Recovery Fund
Rebuilding Our Parishes and Schools in Light of Hurricane Harvey
Faith Formation Endowment Fun

or more than 100 years, St. Mary’s Seminary has helped thousands of men answer their call to the priesthood and ultimately enabling these young men to follow in the steps of the first disciples. St. Mary’s Seminary also serves as home to our Diaconate Formation Program and hosts the University of St. Thomas School of Theology, which serves the seminarians and the greater community at large. 

A site-development plan has been designed that proposes a new dormitory building. The design will be such that the courtyard is preserved, enhanced, and replicate those of the existing campus buildings. Additionally, the new dormitory will meet all current health, safety, fire, and handicapped-accessible building codes.

Every parish within the Archdiocese has its own needs, unique challenges, and goals. Some parishes may require new construction or building renovations while others may need to reduce debt, address deferred maintenance, or establish endowments for parish and school staff.

In the end, these investments will enable parishes to better proclaim to parish families the teachings of Christ and the mission of the Church.

At the conclusion of the pledge redemption, provided the IGNITE Campaign goal is reached, it is anticipated that $50 million will be returned to parishes for local needs.

The Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Galveston- Houston are faith-filled learning communities of parents, students, teachers, and administrators who foster the development of young men and women spiritually, morally, intellectually, and physically while striving for academic excellence.

The cost to educate children continues to rise. Parents today cite high-performing schools as their number one reason for choosing Catholic schools. $20 million will be infused into the existing grade school tuition assistance funds. The earnings from these funds will be available to help defray the costs of tuition for financially deserving children.

On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey devastated the Archdiocese and impacted over 80 parishes, schools, communities, and chancery locations. As of May 2018, the total losses are over $31 million. This figure
may continue to rise as the rebuilding process unfolds.

As a result, the Future Disaster Recovery Fund built following Hurricane Ike will be used in its entirety to assist our parishes in their recovery from Hurricane Harvey.

Prudent planning for the future must once again be undertaken. To reflect the present-day realities as well as lessons learned, Cardinal DiNardo and the Priests Advisory Council (PAC) approved the allocation of $20 million to replenish and grow the Disaster Recovery Fund.

As a result of Hurricane Harvey, many parishes sustained damage that inhibited their ability to minister to the people. These funds will allow parishes to apply for grants to assist with their Hurricane Harvey related damages and repair costs. Additionally, parishes may apply for grants to address deferred maintenance issues. The survey of Hurricane Harvey related damage demonstrated that in many cases deferred maintenance led to greater damage in our facilities.

A committee will be established by Cardinal DiNardo to review grant proposals and make recommendations on the disbursement of funds. This committee will be made up of members of the Hurricane Harvey Task Force and the PAC. 

Forming and educating our people in a rapidly changing world requires creative programs and initiatives that address our modern realities and challenges. These efforts are often outside of the financial ability of many of our parishes. This new Faith Formation Endowment Fund will provide grants to parishes to aid in their faith formation and evangelization efforts.

These grants can ensure that parishes have access to the best training for developing lay leaders, both paid and volunteer, especially to support the areas of catechesis, evangelization, and liturgy.

The following are additional examples of possible grant opportunities:
- Certification and Degree programs for parish catechetical and liturgical leaders
- Catechetical Leadership position that would be shared between two or three parishes
- Online training for ministry leaders and coordinators
- Training for parish Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) teams

How much will my parish receive as part of this campaign?
As part of IGNITE: Our Faith, Our Mission Capital Campaign, $50 million will be returned to the parishes to help meet their local needs. 33% of all funds raised by an individual parish will stay at the parish for projects determined by parish leadership.  If a parish surpasses its goal, 67% of the funds raised over goal will stay at the parish.

Is our parish goal an assessment?
No, the established parish goals are not an assessment. All parishes are asked to conduct a “Good Faith Effort” and work with their assigned campaign director to achieve their goal. If, after conducting a “Good Faith Effort” the parish does not meet its goal, the parish will not be assessed the balance.

How will the parish goals be determined?
Parish goal calculations are based on 92% of the regular offering + holy days collections for the calendar years 2017, 2018, and 2019.

When will parishes begin to receive their share?
Parishes will receive their share of the money quarterly throughout the redemption of the campaign.

How will the campaign affect our parish offertory?
Traditionally, offertory giving should remain consistent. Parishioners are asked to consider a greater sacrifice and commitment above and beyond their regular offertory giving, and should not lower their offertory giving to their parish in order to make a gift to this effort.

Are pledges legally binding?
Pledges are not legally binding. If the donor’s financial situation changes such that a pledge cannot be satisfied, simply communicate with the Development Office and inform them so they will not send further communications regarding the pledge.

Will any of these funds be used for items other than the established case elements?
No. The Archdiocese is obligated to restrict these funds for the stated elements. The funds raised for the campaign will be used exclusively for the named case elements and expenses, including endowment funding for future use.

What is an endowment fund and why use endowment funding?
An endowment fund is an investment fund that requires the principal remain intact and money/interest earned from investing the principal be used for a specific purpose. The Archdiocese recognizes that some projects (such as Faith Formation and Catholic Education) are ongoing and will need attention for years to come.  In light of this, endowment funds have been established to safeguard the monies that are raised, while allowing set amounts to be available for grants when requested or needed. 

Is there a certain order for case element funding?
The monies will immediately be split between the parish share and archdiocesan share. In terms of the archdiocesan share, the seminary portion of the case will be funded first. Seminary construction began in October 2020.

Who handles the redemption of the pledges?
The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will be responsible for the redemption of the pledges. The Development Office will track pledges and gifts, and handle the mailing of payment reminders over the 4-year pledge period.

Can I designate my gift to a specific case item?
Yes. Our hope is a donor would support the campaign as a whole, but if a donor wishes to specify a portion or all of their gift, he/she must clearly specify on the pledge card how the gift should be designated.

How much should I give to the campaign?
Parishioners are asked to prayerfully consider a specific gift plan in accordance with their own means, circumstances, and sacrificial giving levels. Pledges are payable in monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual installments over a 4-year period.

Why are pledges encouraged, instead of one-time donations?
Pledges provide parishioners with the opportunity to make a more significant gift over time to the mission of the Church. In addition, pledges allow the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and your local parish to better budget and plan for meeting the needs that will be addressed as a result of this campaign.

What are the administrative costs of this campaign and who is paying for it?
The Archdiocesan case portion of the IGNITE campaign will be funded with the proceeds from the campaign after the administrative costs are paid from the archdiocesan portion.  The estimated administrative costs of the campaign are approximately 5-6% of the $150 million goal.

Are IRA rollover gifts an option for giving to this campaign?
If you are 70½ or older, the IRA rollover is a great way for you to make a gift to support the IGNITE Campaign. IRA rollover gifts can make a huge difference. For more information on making an IRA Rollover gift to the campaign, contact Michael Schillaci at 713-652-4418 or email mschillaci@archgh.org. The IRA rollover is now permanent, and its key provisions are:

• The IRA rollover allows donors 70½ or older to transfer up to $100,000 directly from their IRA on an annual basis.
• An IRA rollover gift is a tax-exempt distribution. Qualifying individuals can make charitable gifts using pre-tax IRA assets rather than taking a distribution, paying income taxes, and using after-tax assets to make a charitable gift
• An IRA rollover gift can be used to meet all or part of an IRA’s annual required minimum distribution.