Generations of Generosity-United in Faith

The history of St. Mary’s is one of glory to our Lord Jesus Christ under the patronage of Mary, His Blessed Mother. We take pride in our parish family and in the generations of the faithful who have graced our halls and grown through their Catholic education in our parish school. As we strive to live out our faith, needs have been identified that have necessitated considerable planning and construction, which presently continues.

In 1998, a long-range planning process was begun to identify wants, needs, hopes, and dreams for St. Mary’s parish family. The fruits of that wise and prudent planning are evident today on both our campus and on the campus of Sacred Heart of Jesus High School. For generations, the builders and benefactors of St. Mary’s have sacrificed for the blessings we enjoy today.

As soon as the Ministry Center was dedicated in 2011, the next phase of our Building Our Faith and Future Campaign was initiated for a new administration building, youth activity center, and gym. By spring 2015, basic plans for a youth activities center and a new gym had been prepared. The design placed the youth center and new gym attached to and extending north from the current St. Mary’s School gym. Unfortunately, the project’s scope was much greater than anticipated and the funds raised did not rise to a level to allow construction to begin.

When it became clear that St. Mary’s lacked the funds needed for an additional gym and youth center, the Sacred Heart of Jesus High School community came together to build a modern gymnasium on its campus in North Jackson. Because this project did not require Diocesan approval, it could move forward with its collected capital, supplemented by a bank loan. Sacred Heart leadership pledged that its gym would be made available for use by St. Mary’s school athletic teams and the high school teams. At that point, several parishioners who had made contributions and pledges to the capital campaign for the St. Mary’s gym and youth activity center were permitted to generously transfer $350,000 of collected pledges over to Sacred
Heart to help fund the building of the gymnasium.

In early 2017, we initiated the Capstone capital campaign with a goal to raise $1.2 million, which, when coupled with the earlier $1.5M in funds that we still held from the Building Our Faith and Future campaign, would enable us to construct the youth activity center and new administration building, improve access to the Church and Holy Family Hall (with special attention to the needs of elderly and disabled parishioners), and to expand and improve parking areas. Construction has been challenged by the Covid pandemic and subsequent price inflation. Due to these hurdles, we prioritized the new administration building and are planning for completion and occupancy by the end of 2022.

As plans for the administration building were being finalized, many parishioners inquired about constructing a memorial garden and columbarium between the ministry center and the new office building. That project was designed and funded almost entirely by interested individuals and has received only about $50,000 in funding from the parish’s capital account. It is anticipated that the sale of spaces in the columbarium will refund most or all of that parish funding.

When the new parish office building is occupied, the old office structure will be razed, and work can begin on improving the access to the church and to Holy Family Hall. All of these projects, and the considerable generosity of the families of St. Mary parish, all led us to today, and in God’s time, we are called to Generations of Generosity – United in Faith.

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FAQ

What is Generations of Generosity – United in Faith?

It is a parish capital campaign to raise $3.9M in pledges to be paid out over the next 3 years.

What will the campaign funds be used for?

$500,000 – Replacement/Repair of Flat Roofs
$2,900,000 – Construction of St. Joseph Activity Center
$477,000 – Obligation the diocesan United in Faith Capital Campaign, includes 2022 Annual Catholic Appeal of $80,000

Challenge Goal Includes:

$130,000 – Beautification of School Front
$125,000 – New Parking on the site of the former parish office
$50,000 – installation of fencing around the perimeter of campus
$30,000 – repaving, resealing of current driveways and parking lots
$75,000-$175,000 refurbishment of pews in the church

Can these funds be used for anything outside the campaign?

The campaign funds are legally restricted to be used ONLY for the campaign case elements. They cannot be used for alternative projects, lawsuits, debt, etc.

What is the diocesan support going towards?

The diocesan support will fulfill our obligation to the 2022 Annual Catholic Appeal. The remaining funds will be used to contribute to the diocesan United in Faith capital campaign, which is raising funds to establish endowments for Seminarian Education, Diaconate Education, Priest Retirement, and Youth, College, & Young Adult Ministry. The endowments will be professionally managed by The Catholic Foundation of West Tennessee to provide oversight and accountability of funds raised. If you would like to learn more, please visit unitedinfaithcampaign.org

How can I help with the Generations of Generosity – United in Faith campaign?

PRAY. Please pray for our success and perseverance! You can also financially support the campaign on the parish website.

What sort of gifts are you looking for?

We are asking for a sacrificial gift, payable over the next 3 years. All gifts of all sizes are welcome and important.

How do I make my gift?

Gifts may be made on the paper pledge card or through our normal parish online giving portal, just be sure to enter your gift into the “Generations of Generosity – United in Faith” line item.

Can I use my IRA or Stocks to make a gift?

Yes, using your RMDs from an IRA is a great way to make a tax beneficial gift. Gifts of stock can be beneficial as well. To initiate a stock/IRA gift, please contact Rosemary Gill at the parish office (rgill@stmarys.tn.org).

I have questions or reservations. Who should I speak with?

If you still have questions or reservations please contact Rosemary Gill at the parish office (rgill@stmarys.tn.org).