From the Heart of the Shepherd

From the bulletin for The Fifth Sunday of Lent (2026 March 22)

March 22 - 5th Sunday

Last week we looked at donuts. Particularly, the marvelous manner by which investing in those “frosted energy wheels” has so helped to incorporate and build up the living stones of our parish. With the capital campaign underway, I should also say a word about the more enduring investments which also cry out for our attention, that we might better receive and gather that growing body of Christ. 

As announced earlier this month, the Archdiocese is asking St. Mark’s to raise $760,000 in the Lord, Renew Your Church campaign, now underway. That’s our parish’s share of the $250 million that the campaign seeks to generate for the local Church. Given the 60/40 initial split of funds, $456,000 of our goal is to be destined towards capital projects at our parish, and the remaining $304,000 is our contribution to the Archdiocesan-wide projects (to wit: Catholic schools, caring for priests, renovating the Cathedral/Basilica, and a rainy-day fund for disaster relief). 

From among the many capital projects we could choose from, our parish’s share of its campaign funds have been designated for the following: the renovation of our bell tower and steeple (roof and brick work), the replacement of the floor in our church, and setting up a fund for parish families who encounter extraordinary financial needs. 

As of writing, after roughly three months of campaigning, forty-six parish families have pledged $725,800 dollars towards the campaign. If three verbal commitments totalling $17.5 are added to the tally, that brings us to 97.8% of our goal. (Who will be that lucky 50th or 51st household to push us over the threshold?). This is incredible. I suppose I should be the last person to be surprised by the generosity of the people at this parish. But I will admit to being somewhat guarded in my expectations of success. “This is a small parish,” I thought as I sat in my pastor’s thinking chair, “with a lot of young people still in school or just beginning their careers or raising large, hungry and often sickly families, who are already being so generous at the parish and beyond… how can we possibly ask for more?” Well, we have been asking, and you all have been giving, and in a measure that is as moving as it is humbling. 

When the thermometer hits 100°, mission accomplished, right? Not quite. Early estimates for the floor project put the expected cost (new high altar included) in the ballpark of $315,000-415,000. The quotes for the bell tower and steeple run about $315K. Add in the $45.6K that will go to start the family-fund, and we are looking at about $675-775K needed to fully fund our case statement. So 100% from the Archdiocese’s standpoint is not really 100% for our needs. 

Thus, as astounding as we have done already, it would astound all more for another fifty households to pledge. And imagine if all the remaining ~250 active parish households did so! All the more so since 80% of the next $380K we raise beyond our goal goes to St. Mark’s, and 90% of the next 380K. This means that if we hit 150% of our goal, $760K goes to the parish… enough to fund our projects at the upper-limit of their current estimates. If by chance we hit 200% (not out of the question considering that only about 20% of the parish have made a decision about their participation)... $1.1M goes to the parish, and 100% of all funds raised beyond that as well. 

As a Caribbean adage goes, “There are mountains beyond mountains.”  In the past three years, we have scaled the ascending foothills of the West Wall Project ($74K), the stained glass window work ($280K raised), and are on the point of reaching the false summit of our capital campaign (minimum) goal. What mountains lie beyond? As you all see better than I do on Sundays, the plaster and paint in the sanctuary needs repair (hopefully a relatively low peak), but then, looming in the not-to-distant distance, the lower church, which has such tremendous potential as an event space (with modern multi-stall bathrooms!) and a backup worship space, but currently lies fallow. But that will require a fundraising campaign that quadruples the current one or more. And so, verso l’alto, my people! 

From the Heart of the Shepherd: The Fourth Sunday of Lent