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	Catholic Archdiocese Past Halfway Point to Fund-raising Goal By Annysa Johnson Annysa Johnson January 31, 2009 http://www.jsonline.com/features/religion/38761022.html The Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee has surpassed the halfway mark of its $105 million capital campaign, raising $57.5 million in pledges less than two years into the five-year drive. Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan said the success so far, in tough economic times and with fewer than half of parishes reporting, reflects local parishioners' strong commitment to stewardship and Catholic education. "People have been remarkably generous," Dolan said. "They know there are a lot of reasons they can be ticked off at the church - the clergy sex abuse scandal, parish mergers, school closings, the church is too liberal, it's too conservative. But instead, people are saying, 'She's our family. We love her, we need her, we want her there for our children.'?" The Faith in our Future campaign, launched in the summer of 2007, is aimed at bolstering the 132 Catholic schools in the 10-county archdiocese and enhancing faith formation for children and adults. In the end, about $1.6?million will be set aside for the work of the church around the world, including missions and educating priests and lay workers in poor areas. It is the archdiocese's largest fund-raising initiative to date and the first of its kind to both share proceeds with parishes - they keep 60% of what they raise - and involve parishioners extensively in the campaign. Parishes have reported a range of experiences. "It's been very positive," said Father James Jankowski of the Basilica of St. Josaphat in Milwaukee, which raised $130,000 in pledges beyond its $653,000 goal, with just 26% of parishioners participating. At St. Richard Parish in Racine, the campaign fell about $150,000 shy of its $500,000 goal. But the experience appears to have united a congregation that had struggled in recent years with finances and priest turnover. "It kind of helped us get over the troubled past, because now we have a future," said St. Richard's administrator Peter Habetler, whose church will use its funds to remodel the building. Clearly, though, not everyone is giving. Of the 47 parishes that have closed their pledge periods, 20 exceeded their goals and 27 fell short, according to the archdiocese. The level of participation within those parishes ranged from 7% to 56%. Pledges continue to come in after the pledge period, and Dolan said giving by a third of a church's membership is considered strong. Still, the campaign has rankled some. Lois Ahlhauser, a board member and former president of the reform group Call to Action Wisconsin, said some Catholics, unhappy with the church's position on issues ranging from homosexuality to married and women priests, are giving instead to the group's national organization. "The priorities of the campaign don't address social justice issues inside or outside of the church," she said. The Faith in our Future campaign was designed by a national consulting firm known for instilling a theological sense of stewardship in its campaigns: the idea that one shares with the church at a sacrificial level God's gifts to them. It includes inspirational messages, sometimes incorporating Catholic school students, personal phone calls to parishioners, even committees whose sole charge is to pray for the success of the drive. "It's not just about the money. It's about the mission of the church," said Debra Lethlean, development director for the archdiocese. "People feel as though they're making a faith response, not just writing a check for a particular need." So far, 116 of the archdiocese's 211 parishes have launched their campaigns, with the final wave of 95 churches gearing up to launch in spring. Once the pledge period closes, donors have three years to fulfill those commitments. The $57.5 million includes more than $18 million solicited by Dolan and other church leaders from high-dollar donors, those giving $50,000 or more. The archdiocesan portion of the funds will be controlled by a trust and used for six initiatives intended to benefit all area Catholics, including elementary and high school scholarships; parish-based religious education programs; and training for seminarians, lay leaders and schoolteachers. Dolan serves as one of seven trustees. Each parish determines how its portion is used. Projects range from religious education materials to school endowments and building projects. Three parishes were able to negotiate more favorable splits, 90% to 10% in one case because of the parish's significant debt, but those must be reviewed annually. The campaign appears to have affected, at least minimally, the archdiocese's annual stewardship appeal, which funds archdiocese operations. It ended 2008 just under $7.9?million - above projections but nearly $115,000 less than the previous year. Appeal Director Robert Bohlmann said about 5,000 fewer people donated in 2008. That's part of an ongoing trend, according to Bohlmann, though he said a few donors this year said they could not participate in the appeal because they were giving to Faith in our Future. It remains to be seen how the continuing slowdown in the economy will affect pledge collections and yet-to-be-launched campaigns. At least at St. Josaphat, Jankowski isn't worried. "If anything, it's a question of timing. People may have to slow down," he said. "But once they pledge, they want to fulfill that."
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