I would like to encourage everyone to see society not as a forum where strangers compete and try to come out on top, but above all as a home or a family, where the door is always open and where everyone feels welcome. – Pope Francis
As many of you have seen on the sign in the front of the church, we have officially reached our initial goal for our Capital Campaign to Build Our Future, Serve Our Past. Just this week, we met with the Diocese of Venice staff and were approved to begin the construction of the Life Center, including the design, engineering, and construction management phases. Our Buildings and Grounds Council has met and set up the Life Center Committee to advise on both the deployment of this new building as well as the operational and programmatic efforts to bring it to life. This amazing progress is due to the dedicated volunteers of our Capital Campaign and you, the Parish Family that believes in this mission and vision that Father John has laid out for us.
However, we still have a long road ahead of us. The discussions of the Life Center, CYO, CAO, and the countless other new initiatives we are working on will take a back seat for the next few months. We need to directly focus our attention on the final phases of our campaign, to ensure we receive the funding needed to take care of the rest of campus and to set our parish up with financial stability for years to come. Each of our existing buildings, and especially our church, need significant renovation and rejuvenation. This is not just a new coat of paint, but major physical transformations to ensure the mission of the Catholic Church continues to live and be enhanced here at St. John. Everything from new Confessionals to an energy-efficient cooling tower for centralized air conditioning to every building must be accomplished. From Food Pantry storage to parking improvements, our entire campus needs our time, our talent and our treasure. We know that together, we can make it all a reality. Our $14 million Pinnacle Goal is not out of our reach. In the coming weeks, you will be given several opportunities to join our Capital Campaign, from neighbors, friends, clergy and of course, your Parish Family.
If you have yet to make a commitment or provided for our campaign, we ask that you prayerfully consider how you can help us make our “new wine” initiatives a reality for all our Parish Family and the local community here in Naples. While we have begun the work our current blessings have allowed us to accomplish for the Build Our Future, Serve Our Past capital campaign, we still need our entire Parish Family to give in order to reach our additional goals. If you have any questions, please contact Joe Lichwalla, the Campaign Coordinator at 239-495-2001 or email: [email protected].