VISION FOR THE FUTURE
From the beginning of Divine Mercy Parish, three becoming one, we have always come together to support our community. We are blessed to serve 588 registered parish families including 176 students in our Parish School of Religion and 75 recipients of Sacraments of Initiation in 2021-2022 alone. From the original vision of St. Joseph, St. Mary, and St. John the Baptist, to the leadership that made our current parish possible, we have been established in a legacy of faith. Today we are called to join in this tremendous legacy with our own stamp on Divine Mercy’s history.
To make your pledge online visit – https://www.livingchristcampaign.org/donate
FUNDING PRIORITIES
CAMPAIGN GOAL – $1,800,000
REPAIRING & MAINTAINING OUR PARISH FACILITIES – $600,000
As we bring together three locations into one unified campus, we must prepare the Paulding campus to welcome all of our parish families. Our needs include exterior building repairs to the church, repaving our parking lots, heating and air conditioning replacements in both the church and the Education Center, and other painting and electrical upgrades.
SUPPORTING OUR BROADER DIOCESAN CATHOLIC COMMUNITY – $367,250
United with the diocesan Living Christ campaign, we have a blessed opportunity to join with all the parishes in our Northwest Ohio Catholic community. Divine Mercy will fulfill the above total fundraising goal for Living Christ and will retain all additional funds at the parish level. The Living Christ initiative will support important endowment, programmatic, and capital needs across the diocese including:
Strengthening Our Parishes
Funds will create a Fostering Healthy Parishes Endowment aimed at maintaining the wellbeing of our parish communities.
Supporting Our Clergy
Living Christ will bolster the existing seminarian education endowment and will fund enhanced care to clergy through the Priest Retirement Fund.
Caring for the Poor
The Diocese of Toledo will establish an endowment to maintain and extend its support of Catholic Charities as well as make capital investments in facilities for the Helping Hands food pantry, soup kitchen, and clothing center.
Empowering Emerging Disciples
Living Christ will strengthen Catholic education through endowed funds that will support ongoing priorities of the education office and will establish a Young Adult and Campus Ministry Endowment to strengthen the Catholic presence in our universities.
Restoring Our Mother Church
Living Christ will provide funds for immediate heating and air conditioning, exterior, and organ repair needs at the Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral.
Forming Lay Leaders
Living Christ will fund a new online learning platform for the training and education of lay leaders at all parishes and schools across the diocese.
INVESTING IN OUR LOCAL CATHOLIC STUDENTS – $100,000
Divine Mercy Catholic School is blessed with quality educators and administrators that serve the needs of our students both academically and spiritually every day. Our educators and students deserve a healthy and safe learning environment. Therefore, we are upgrading our school’s gym facilities with necessary sporting equipment, addressing outstanding floor, wall, and window maintenance, and prioritizing student safety by securing our school entrance.
REVITALIZING OUR SANCTUARY – $250,000
In addition to the necessary repairs to the church building, our community has the desire to beautify the interior of our church. Our goal is to utilize furnishings from each campus and add detailed painting to honor the faith of those who have gone before us and to inspire parishioners for the future.
PROVIDING FOR THE FUTURE – $450,000+
Any funds raised beyond the specific project needs outlined above will be used to build Divine Mercy’s savings to plan for future maintenance, upkeep, and administrative needs. Sustainability and fiscal responsibility are paramount to the longevity of our parish, and this campaign will not only meet the needs of today but will provide for our parish for years to come.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW WAS THE DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A $1.8 MILLION CAMPAIGN REACHED?
Starting in Fall 2021, Divine Mercy held public Town Hall Meetings to hear parishioner feedback on critical projects needed on Divine Mercy’s campuses and in the Summer of 2022 launched a campaign feasibility study that collected interview and survey responses from 179 parishioner families. This study concluded that the parish had both the ability and excitement to move forward with a successful campaign to support our parish needs. With the launch of the Diocese of Toledo Living Christ campaign, Divine Mercy was offered the opportunity to benefit from significant campaign resources at the diocesan level to conduct a combined campaign within the Living Christ initiative in 2022. After much prayer and deliberate consideration, Divine Mercy Parish leadership decided to take advantage of these campaign resources and move forward with a capital campaign called United in Christ to serve both our parish and our broader diocesan community.
HOW WILL THE UNITED IN CHRIST CAMPAING AFFECT DIVINE MERCY’S ANNUAL OFFERTORY?
While this campaign will raise much-needed funds toward the special projects outlined in this proposal, our annual offertory supports the day-to-day operations of the parish. We are asking each family to prayerfully consider their ability to support this campaign outside of their usual offertory giving.
WHY ARE DONORS ASKED TO COMPLETE A PLEDGE?
Pledges record and acknowledge campaign commitments as well as provide donors with a reminder of their requested payment schedule. Donors sign a pledge card to help the parish plan ahead and understand what projects will be possible to fund through this campaign over the next five years. A pledge card also allows a donor to select their preferences for reminders throughout the 5-year pledge redemption period for the campaign.
WHAT IS THE LIVING CHRIST CAMPAIGN AND HOW WILL IT AFFECT THE UNITED IN CHRIST CAMPAIGN?
Living Christ is a capital and endowment campaign to support all parishes across the Diocese of Toledo. Divine Mercy has elected to combine our capital campaign efforts so that our parish families can support both efforts with one convenient pledge.
WILL THE DIOCESAN CAMPAIGN GOAL NEED TO BE MET FOR DIVINE MERCY TO RECEIVE CAMPAIGN FUNDS?
From the very first pledge payment to the United in Christ campaign, funds will be split 50/50 between the diocese and the parish until our diocesan goal of $367,250 is met. All remaining funds from the United in Christ campaign will be retained by Divine Mercy Parish.
I AM ONLY INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THE UNITED IN CHRIST CAMPAIGN. CAN I OPT OUT OF THE LIVING CHRIST CAMPAIGN?
All donors will give to both the United in Christ and Living Christ campaign efforts. However, donors may choose to designate their Living Christ donation to one or more specific causes: strengthening parishes, supporting clergy, caring for the poor, empowering emerging disciples, forming lay leaders, and supporting the Holy Rosary Cathedral.
WHY EMPHASIZE PLEDGED GIFTS?
Pledges may be paid in installments over five years, allowing families to make larger commitments than they might otherwise consider. Pledged gifts are typically four to five times larger than a one-time gift.
WHEN WILL I BE ASKED TO GIVE A PLEDGE?
Over the next few weeks, all Divine Mercy families will be invited to join the United in Christ campaign by a member of our Campaign Executive Committee. Please answer their call with kind hearts and open minds. If you are excited to have your meeting and to speak with a member of the Campaign Executive Committee, please reach out to Dianne at the parish office at djones@dmcparish.com.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PLEDGE, BUT OUR BUDGET IS ESPECIALLY TIGHT THIS YEAR. HOW CAN I STILL PARTICIPATE?
First, it is important to note that all gifts, no matter their size, are valued within this campaign. We are encouraging participation from all of our parishioners as we want our families to be invested in the vision of the future of our parish and community. Whether it is a one-time gift or a delayed start time on the payment of your pledge, we are happy to work with you to explore the most appropriate option for you and your family.
ARE GIFTS TO THE CAMPAIGN TAX-DEDUCTIBLE?
Yes, by law all gifts are in fact tax-deductible. You will receive an acknowledgment of your gift for tax purposes. Please consult with your tax and financial advisors for additional help on this matter.
To make your pledge online visit – https://www.livingchristcampaign.org/donate
