By Linda Busetti
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 5/2/02)
The campaign is an obvious priority for the parish. A large banner hangs from the choir loft in Precious Blood Church proclaiming the campaign theme, "Rooted in Faith — Forward in Hope."
Precious Blood was one of six parishes chosen to test the waters before the campaign moves into high gear. The diocesan campaign projects a minimum goal of $75 million. Campaign funds will subsidize two new high schools ($25 million); parish sharing ($15 million); Catholic schools scholarships and endowments ($12.5 million); Catholic Charities services ($10 million); a retirement home for priests ($5 million); a spirituality center ($5 million); and religious education and youth ministry endowments ($2.5 million).
With approximately 630 families, Precious Blood is a comparatively small, but diverse parish, with young families and senior citizens, ranging from "the well-to-do to true poverty," according to Father Zonneveld. But the parish is like a family, a very generous family, Father Zonneveld said.
Solicitation of Leadership Gifts began in the early part of 2002. Father Zonneveld made personal visits to four or five parishioners who were thought capable or willing to make contributions in the $50,000 range. Father Zonneveld said he had no hesitation about making these visits because he knew these parishioners very well and was certain of their generosity.
"It wasn’t hard because you deal with your most generous people, not necessarily the richest, but the most generous," Father Zonneveld said. "I have been here for a long time ... so I know these people very, very well. These people are also very involved in the life of the parish. … You may not always get specifically what you ask for," but it is rare to get a refusal, he said.
The next step was to find a general chairman for the campaign. Tony Troilo graciously took the job. Leadership donors were asked if they would like to work on the parish campaign team. Solicitation of major gifts, special gifts and finally general gifts followed. Every parishioner receives a visit.
As the campaign expands, Father Zonneveld explained, "It branches out like a tree" — with chairpersons finding additional team workers at each successive level to personally solicit fellow parishioners.
Parishioners eagerly support the campaign goals. They are very enthusiastic about the planned retirement home for priests, Father Zonneveld said. Parishioners "very much like the idea of establishing an endowment for low-income families so they can attend Catholic schools," he said. Precious Blood families support funding for secondary education in the diocese even though the proposed high schools will not be convenient for them. They also enthusiastically support funding for CCD teachers and youth ministers. Because Precious Blood is a long drive from Northern Virginia, where many training seminars are held, parishioners are enthusiastic about funding for proposed Internet or long-distance training of religious education teachers.
Although the campaign adds to a busy pastor’s workload, the parish ultimately reaps great benefits. Twenty percent of Precious Blood’s goal of $550,000 will be returned to the parish. After the goal is passed, 50 percent of the funds raised above goal are returned to the parish. Father Zonneveld said capital campaign funds returned to Precious Blood parish will help to fund the eventual construction of a new building for Epiphany School, which is now located at Precious Blood in space originally intended for CCD classes. Epiphany is an inter-parish school established in 1997 that currently enrolls kindergarten to fifth-grade students.
Copyright ©2002 Arlington Catholic Herald. All rights reserved.
Return to back issues
Return to main
page