United as the Body of Christ

Dear Sisters and Brothers –

As you know, the Preservation & Promise Campaign is behind us, and it was an over-the-top success. Through the generosity of 791 households and foundations, we raised more than $27.4 million! (It’s important to note that about $800,000 of that total are earnings on the pledge payments. The members of our Finance Committee carefully invested those monies until we needed to pay our construction bills. Remarkable!) The lion’s share of the donations was for the restoration of St. Ignatius Church, which is now complete. In addition, nearly $1.7 million was pledged for the Social Ministries Endowment, the earnings of which will help pay the salary for a part-time Coordinator of Social Ministries. (We’re just a couple of weeks away from posting the job description.) I am extremely proud of what we accomplished, and I hope that you are, too. (Note: The donor wall to recognize those who participated in the campaign is in progress. We will have a celebration after its installation and formally end the campaign.) Now that that once-in-a-lifetime milestone has been achieved, we are able to turn our focus more fully to the ordinary business of the parish. Our lay leadership Commissions are returning to their pre-pandemic vigor. Our Neighbor-to-Neighbor ministry is being revived. The Solidarity Committee (immigration issues), Laudato Si’ Circle (care for Mother Earth, our common home), and ARC (antiracism) are vibrant, offering us the opportunity to engage these significant issues through our faith. And they’re producing a parish cookbook!

We have also been able to return to a familiar rhythm with regard to our parish fundraising. The campaign was, for obvious reasons, the primary focus for several years. Consequently, the timing of and emphasis on our Annual Parish Giving Appeal changed a few times between 2020 and 2024, out of respect for the campaign needs. And the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal (AAA) disappeared from our collective consciousness altogether. For those who are not familiar with the AAA, it is an annual campaign to raise money to pay an annual assessment given to us by the Archdiocese of San Francisco, in order to help them provide programs throughout the three-counties of the Archdiocese (Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo).

One of the great benefits of the AAA is that it reminds us that we are part of a larger Church. So much of our faith life is centered here at St. Ignatius, and with the exceptions of weddings and funerals, we likely rarely venture out. The AAA unites us with other parishes and other Catholics throughout the archdiocese, making more concrete, more real the notion of being the Body of Christ in the world. The Appeal enables us to support ministries from which we and our parishioners benefit. For example, the AAA supports the Office of Marriage and Family Life, which provides programs for engaged and married couples, as well as ministries for parents. The Office of Consecrated Life serves and collaborates with 32 religious communities who live and minister in the archdiocese (including the Jesuits!). The Metropolitan Tribunal helps the clergy here at St. Ignatius work with people seeking an annulment. The AAA provides subsidies to parishes and schools whose resources are few, as well as chaplains to prisons and hospitals, and it ensures the formation of permanent deacons (think Deacon Eddy!). These are things that we cannot do ourselves, and yet they are services that we need.

The goal for the Archdiocese is $6,400,000, and our assessment this year is $160,934. This number is 20 percent of 2023-24 income in the following categories: Sunday collection, including online offertory donations; Holy Days (including Christmas and Easter); weddings, baptisms, and funerals; and net candle sales. Note that we are not taxed on income from the annual Parish Giving Appeal, income from Preservation & Promise campaign pledge payments, or gifts to special programs such as Las Vecinas and Shelter Meals. We will join with other parishes in launching our drive these next weeks. I want to thank you in advance for your participation in this important project. The world around us is filled with such uncertainty, and Catholics everywhere are looking to their faith and their faith communities for solace, wisdom, and strength. We have an opportunity to ensure that faithful everywhere have what we do in abundance.

Oremus pro invicem,
Fr. Greg

Photo (L-R): Volunteer professional photographer Alejandro Velarde, Fr. Greg Bonfiglio, SJ, and director of development, Emily McFarland on the roof of St. Ignatius Church recently.