This is important: to get to know people, listen, expand the circle of ideas. The world is crisscrossed by roads that come closer together and move apart, but the important thing is that they lead towards the Good. – Pope Francis
One thing I am very focused on for Saint John is planning for our long-term success as a Parish Family. It is the core reason for our Capital Campaign, Build Our Future, Serve Our Past. We want to ensure that our communities of the Saint John Catholic Church and the Naples Community have a vibrant and engaging environment to faithfully worship and congregate for all types of activities. The campus requires constant upkeep and maintenance, which will only increase with the expanded mission and facilities. Additionally, as we have discussed in the past, the life-span of some of the buildings has either expired or is nearing the time for major renovations. All of these needs have come together in our expansive Capital Campaign, and I continue to thank God every day for the blessings of our Parish Family to respond to this joint initiative, which will invigorate our church for many years to come.
We have a dedicated group of volunteers that have given of their time and expertise to assist with creating a 5-Year Capital Plan. This plan allows us to understand the critical needs we have as a Parish Family, in particular with the physical spaces we worship in and enjoy. Starting at the beginning of the year, I requested all staff to provide me with their capital needs for the upcoming year and they responded. Taking that list, the Capital Panning Committee was able to choose the critical items needed this year, and plan out future opportunities. One critical need we had is the roofing structure on the PLC. There have been leaks for several years, and the patchwork of band aids is no longer sufficient. Due to this project, we will need to prioritize other efforts, like renovating some of the bathrooms. By planning properly, we are able to see issues like this before they become emergencies and we have a waterfall pouring in on the JOP Christmas Tea or some other event. A detailed list of our Capital Plan will be in the upcoming bulletins (and website), so you will be able to see the plans we have as a Parish Family.
However, one component of this planning process is that it illustrates the significant amount of projects we have at Saint John. And by putting a timeline on their completion, we can see that we actually do not have 5 years to accomplish them. The Diocese of Venice has given us the opportunity with our Capital Campaign to utilize the funds gathered for our campaign without the normal 26% assessment that occurs with our normal operating funds. This gift is only available for 3 years. The sooner we are able to put the funds gathered for our campaign in our savings account, the earlier we will be able to begin our projects.
We need our entire Parish Family to give in order to reach our additional goals. If you haven’t turned in your pledge card, please do so as soon as possible. If you did not receive your Campaign Packet or if you have any questions, please contact Joe Lichwalla, the Campaign Coordinator at 239-495-2001 or email: [email protected].
You can also learn more information about the Campaign at: www.sjecc.com/future