Catholic campaign launched

Tom Heinen reports in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on the long-awaited next pledge card.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee is launching a $105 million capital campaign this fall, by far the largest in its history, as Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan seeks to establish a stronger tradition of stewardship, go beyond struggling to meet basic financial needs and inspire the area's 680,000 Catholics with a challenging new vision.

Challenging! New! Like nothing we've ever been asked before!

The Faith in Our Future campaign is intended to bolster the 134 Catholic grade and high schools in the 10-county archdiocese and enhance faith formation for children and adults.

It might be necessary to bolster what we're already doing, but it's not new, and it's only challenging financially.

About $1.6 million will go to the global church, officials say.

That's a bit vague. What's the "preferential option for the poor" amount?

The goal is about what all 211 parishes receive in their weekly offertory collections in one year.

The theory is the only reason Catholics give so little is they aren't asked to give more.

Parishes will keep 60%, with each crafting its own plan for using the money.

More of the same, at higher cost.

The archdiocese will pay the $9 million campaign cost from its 40% share.

Fundraising expenses are only six times what's going to the "global Church".

"I have heard since I got here from Catholic people and my priests, 'Archbishop, we need a cause,' "Dolan said."

And, as in the Eisenhower quote, they don't care what it is?

Will Catholics give? The annual stewardship appeal ended early this year with about $8 million, its fifth consecutive record. Weekly collections in parishes dropped from $100.4 million in 2002 to nearly $97 million in 2003 but were at $104.2 million in 2006, according to the archdiocese.

That's better than many of the Archdiocese's nonfinancial statistics and trends in parish mass attendance.

The decision to go ahead here was strongly endorsed by a wide range of priests, major donors and other lay leaders serving on existing and specially created advisory committees and councils. Feasibility studies, surveys and focus groups showed there would be strong support for a campaign that raised funds for Catholic education and for faith formation, Dolan said.

It's possible this wasn't stacked to tell the Archbishop what he wanted to hear, but why should I think so? Archbishop Dolan was talking about this campaign three years ago. I've seen that a pastor ordered a parish committee to go back and change its recommendation to the one he wanted, and then heard a school principal, who had endorsed the earlier recommendation, then endorse the one the pastor ordered.

The groups did not include rank-and-file Catholics, but Dolan and Zore [campaign co-chair Ed Zore] think that such things as a reasonable goal, rising parish and tuition costs and a stronger sense of stewardship will prompt them to contribute.

The amount sought is comparable to that of the largest proposed public school building referendum, and so might well be raised.

"(I) [Zore] think people will readily give, and they should. It's their faith. It's their church. It's their archdiocese. It's for them."

It's another fund drive.

The potential uses are broad, from constructing buildings to enhancing or starting programs to teach children, seminarians, deacons and lay leaders.

Parishes could create an endowment for teachers' salaries or start a religious education program for adults, many of whom have not had that since school days.

Recall the Eisenhower quote. The fundraising consultant,

RSI, of Dallas, is known for instilling a theological sense of stewardship in campaigns, of the need to respond to God's blessings with time, talent and treasure.

Perhaps it will be on the invoice: "Instilled a theological sense of stewardship ... $9,000.000.00"

Client dioceses have had a sustained, higher level of weekly giving after the campaign ends, Dolan said.

And what have they accomplished with that money, as shown by verifiable objective measures?

Regarding parish priests' apprehensions about the campaign, Archbishop Dolan said,

Do we or do we not believe it when Jesus says, do not be afraid, cast out to the deep?

We can believe that, and ask when we're moving to the deep water. This campaign looks like throwing yet another net in the shallows.