|
February 2025
My Dear Parishioners,
As we continue this Jubilee Year as Pilgrims of Hope, I thank God for each of you and your families and for your participation in our parish’s life and mission. I’m writing to update you on the status of the Building Our Future capital campaign and to ask for your continued prayers and support.
We have reached an exciting threshold! When we first announced the campaign last October, we had raised $6 million from 63 households toward our goal of $10 million. Today I am delighted to announce that we have reached $8.7 million in pledges and contributions from 340 households! I am truly grateful for this remarkable generosity.
Now, I invite every parish family to participate in our campaign. With nearly 1,100 registered and participating families in our parish, I am prayerfully confident that we can achieve our campaign funding goal. There are many ways you can contribute including one-time gifts based on your financial ability. Some parishioners have pledged monthly gifts of $25 to $100 or more for 36 months to support the effort. I realize that some parishioners may not be able to contribute financially. However, I ask everyone’s support through prayer and/or volunteering to help the campaign project as we prepare for the construction phase. There will be much to do!
Building Our Future. Our primary campaign purpose is to fund much-needed renovations to our 70-year-old church and hall to help us fulfill our parish mission. The project also includes the addition of an Adoration Chapel and expands our parish Sacred Heart Cemetery. All these plans are detailed on our campaign website (https://www.ollparish.com/bof/). I encourage you to explore that resource which includes floor plans, artist renderings, videos, and more.
Two other important building upgrades will be included. First, the remodeled spaces will add a fire suppression system to ensure parishioner safety. Second, we will replace our existing boiler and patchwork air-conditioning and install a more efficient heating and cooling system throughout all areas. These are significant costs now, which will pay dividends into the future.
Here is how you can help:
Your prayerful response and financial pledge by March 15 will help us plan for construction to begin in June. Pledge forms are available at the campaign website. Contributions can also be conveniently made through our online giving portal. NOTE: Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from eligible retirement accounts are a tax-free way to contribute your campaign pledge.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your pledge, please contact our Director of Development, Lynn Andrews (a fellow parishioner), at 503-636-7687.
This is a pivotal time for our parish as we enhance our spiritual home for future generations.
▶ Focus on equal sacrifice, not equal amounts. Every contribution, no matter the size, matters. This is a parish community effort and goal.
▶ Consider a three-year pledge. Think about what you can contribute weekly or monthly; spreading your gift over three years can maximize your support through manageable online payments or automatic withdrawals.
▶ Separate this pledge from your weekly offering. Weekly offerings sustain our parish operating budget. This campaign focuses solely on the capital improvements. Both your campaign pledge and weekly offering can be easily managed and updated through the Online Giving portal.
Finally, make this an act of faith. Thank you for prayerfully considering how you can support this vital effort to build our future. May God bless you and your loved ones.
| 
