The goal of Our Campaign for The Church Alive! is to raise a minimum of $125 million over the next five years in more than 200 parishes of the Diocese in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence and Washington counties for strategic endowment, capital and programming initiatives, according to Bishop David A. Zubik.

The campaign has received pledges totaling $39,010,035, including $30,880,000 in leadership commitments raised by Bishop Zubik personally.

“I am most grateful for the strong support of all involved in Our Campaign for The Church Alive!” Bishop Zubik said. “Our pastors are engaged, our volunteers committed, and the case for support is being well-received by donors. They understand this is not simply a campaign to raise money. It is an effort to grow The Church Alive!”

The eleven parishes taking part in the Initial Parish Phase of the campaign, from January through April 2013, have raised $7,106,593, more than halfway to their cumulative targets. Our Lady of Grace Parish in Scott Township announced it has surpassed its target of $1,500,000.

Significant support is being committed in the Clergy Phase as another $1,023,442 has been pledged by priests and deacons not involved in the Initial Parish Phase.

The initiative will meet the extraordinary needs of parishes and the Diocese by investing in the future of our Catholic family’s spiritual, educational and charitable ministries.

The campaign will help address the urgent needs in the life of our Church—to sustain and strengthen parishes, invigorate evangelization, revitalize sacramental life, support education and formation in the faith, train pastoral and lay leaders, and serve the poor and marginalized.

Our Campaign for The Church Alive! is focused on the parishes. For every dollar raised in a parish campaign, forty cents will be returned to the parish to fund its locally determined priorities. The remaining sixty percent of funds raised will be devoted to ministries and programs benefiting the entire Church of Pittsburgh.

When a parish surpasses its target it will receive sixty cents of every dollar raised over its target, and forty percent will be invested across the diocese.

Parishes continue to be assigned to phases. In January, eleven parishes began the initial four-month phase of the drive. The next stage begins this May in 47 parishes, then two more phases will launch in parishes in September 2013 and January 2014.

As the campaign begins in each parish, individuals and families will be asked to make five-year pledges. Businesses and charitable foundations also have an opportunity to provide support.

All funds will be overseen and allocated by an independent nonprofit charitable corporation to ensure that donations are spent according to the case for support.

The diocesan-wide ministries and programs receiving support include need-based tuition grants for Catholic schools, religious education, technology for secondary schools, evangelization programs, Catholic communications, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School, seminarian formation, and support for retired priests and other senior citizens.

Our Campaign for The Church Alive! also supports the work of Catholic Charities, providing special funding for programs such as emergency financial aid, support for single mothers in need, and the Catholic Charities Free Health Care Center.

 

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