'Founding Families' Help Holy Trinity Exceed $2 Million Goal

By Mary Frances McCarthy
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 11/14/02)

Holy Trinity Church in Gainesville, the youngest parish in the diocese, is leading the way in the Rooted in Faith — Forward in Hope Campaign.

"We have spent our first year building the soul of the parish. Now we can also focus on building the body," said Father Francis Peffley, parish administrator (pictured at right).

When the parish was established in 2001, its first priority was to form ministries to support the Mass: ushers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and a committee to set up for Mass at Brentsville High School. Through the Capital Campaign, Holy Trinity Parish is not only raising money to help the diocese, but it is also on a mission to raise the funds needed to build its church.

The parish has raised over $3 million, with less than 150 families contributing so far. Within six weeks of the launch of the campaign, it had exceeded its $2 million goal. Father Peffley’s "challenge" goal is $5 million, and they are well on their way to it. The average pledge so far has been over $20,000.

The success of the campaign at Holy Trinity Parish might be linked to the fact that the parishioners are "founding families." Mass is currently celebrated at Brentsville High School. It is the dream of Father Peffley and the parish to build a church that will seat at least 1,000, a school for children in preschool through 8th grade, a parish center and a rectory. If the parish can reach its $5 million challenge goal, construction may be able to start as soon as 2004.

At all Masses last weekend, Father Peffley made the parish aware of his wishes in the first public announcement of the campaign. Also speaking to the parishioners were Betty and Kevin Childers, chairpersons of the Capital Campaign Committee. "Some may say we have an obligation to build a church and school. I say we have an opportunity," said Kevin.

The campaign has helped to make Holy Trinity Parish more of a community. Father Peffley and lay volunteers are attempting to visit each parish family individually. During these visits, they get to learn more about each family and come to know many of the faces they have seen at Mass.

Jim Walsh, community counseling campaign director for Holy Trinity Parish, said this campaign is both prayerful and sacrificial. It is rooted in the belief that everyone is given three gifts: time, talent and treasure. Everyone possesses these gifts, but they are not theirs to keep. Some portion of these gifts must be returned to God. "Now matter how big or small the gift, the obligation remains," said Walsh.

According to Walsh, this campaign has been successful because of how eager the parishioners have been in embracing the project. "The leadership is just wonderful, that has made all the difference," said Walsh.

St. Elizabeth Parish in Colonial Beach and St. Anthony Mission in King George are the other two parishes in the Bloc I phase that have exceeded their goals as of Oct. 25. Eight other parishes had raised more than 50 percent of their goals, including St. John the Apostle in Leesburg, Holy Martyrs of Vietnam in Arlington, St. Mary in Alexandria, Queen of Apostles in Alexandria, St. Ambrose in Annandale, Our Lady of Angels in Woodbridge, Sacred Heart in Manassas and Sacred Heart of Jesus in Winchester.

This capital campaign is unprecedented in diocesan history. Although Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde makes his annual Lenten Appeal, this campaign is the first fundraiser of such magnitude. The goal for the Capital Campaign is $75 million.

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