Charging Forward in Faith & Education

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Excitement still hangs in the air from the public launch of our Charging Forward in Faith and Education Capital Campaign on September 4th! What a night that was! Thanks to our Chairs of the Public Phase, Abigail Cail and Nicole Mayberry, and to their team for all the work they did in pulling that together!

After years of discussion and feedback, we are embarking on a $15.5 million capital campaign for the future of our Church and School! Our projects include a new school entrance with greater security, as well as additional classrooms to better serve our students, families, faculty and staff ($11 million); renovations and updates to the Church which include new flooring, new altar and backdrop, stenciling to highlight the windows, and frames surrounding our beautiful stations of the cross ($3 million); and endowments for the Church ($500,000) and for the School ($1 million). As of this weekend, we have received over $10 million in cash and commitments to the campaign!

We have officially moved out of the church! Our construction company, Garbutt Construction, is busy setting up the staging areas in the parking lot and in the Church for work to get started - pews being removed and scaffolding going up! Construction on the access road behind the school will begin in November and will be completed before school returns from Christmas break in January of 2025.

This is a momentous and exciting time in the history of St. James the Less Catholic Church and School and I invite everyone to help make this vision a reality by joining us on this journey! Please visit our website for pictures, plans, and information.

Please pray for the success of our Charging Forward in Faith and Education Capital Campaign, for successful fundraising and for the projects themselves!

St. James the Less, pray for us and all our endeavors and plans!

May the Lord Jesus bless you and your families!

Peace in Christ,

Fr. Daniel Firmin

CLICK HERE Capital Campaign Kickoff Photos

Leadership Committee

Campaign Leadership Team

Campaign Co-Chairs

Brian & Sally Kennedy

Executive Leadership Committee

Bill & Peggy Boyden

Jonathan & Rachel Lane

Griff & Denise Lynch

Tom & Molly Mahoney

Rob Massey

Gregg & Mary Schroeder

Building Committee Chair

Ed Hissam

Campaign Public Phase Chair and Vice Chair

Abigail Cail and Nicole Mayberry

Father Daniel Firmin, Pastor

Sr. Joan O’Reilly, Principal

Stephanie Painter, Advancement Director

Greg Markiton, Campaign Counsel, Partners in Mission

Proposed renovations to the Church

Campaign Update

Priority	Goals	Commitments	Percent of Goal
Facilities	$14,000,000	$8,994,192	64%
Endowment	$1,500,000	$1,310,000	87%
Totals	$15,500,000	$10,304,192	66%

Design of the new school entrance with improved safety

Campaign Priorities

Spiritual Life of the Parish - $3,000,000

Renovations to the sanctuary of the church
Replacing reredos
New chancel furnishings
Reconfiguring the choir area
Updating the audio and lighting
Refurbishing the pews
Replacing the existing flooring

Academic Expansion - $11,000,000

Rebuilding the front entrance to the school to improve safety and enhance aesthetics
Building a new junior high with six new classroom spaces

Endowments - $1,500,000

Help fund capital expenses and operations for the Parish
Help make Catholic education more accessible and provide professional development opportunities for the School

Full Case Statement

List of Donors

St. James Legacy Society

Leave A Legacy - Join the St. James Legacy Society Today

Have you remembered St. James in your will or estate plan? As we continue to build a legacy of faith and service, we invite you to consider joining the St. James Legacy Society—a special opportunity to leave a lasting impact on our beloved School and Parish.

If you are considering joining the St. James Legacy Society or have any questions, please reach out to Stephanie Painter, Director of Advancement, at 912-355-1523 or SPainter@stjamessav.com for confidential assistance.