Father Terry Fulton, pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Chico, was quick to volunteer his parish for the pilot phase of “Preserving Our Past, Building Our Future,” the diocese’s first major capital campaign in 40 years.

“I volunteered for the pilot program because I wanted to finish fund raising before Christmas,” he said with characteristic pragmatism and humor.

The campaign was going to be launched at St. John’s on Sunday, Sept. 18, but that plan was delayed by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Despite the one-week delay in its campaign kickoff, the parish is already two-thirds of the way toward reaching its goal of nearly $644,000.

According to campaign chairwoman Jane Lohse, prayer, dedication and generosity are the reasons for that success. From its inception, the campaign has been offered as a special intention during the prayers of the faithful at Mass. The campaign, which was launched with a core team of five volunteers, now boasts 20.

Father Terry Fulton, center, gathers with fund-raising volunteers at St. John the Baptist Parish in Chico who are making personal visits to parishioners. Dana Mildebrath/Herald photo

"This has been a wonderful learning experience for me," Lohse said. "The generosity of people takes my breath away."

At the beginning of the campaign, parishioners watched a short video presentation by Bishop William K. Weigand. Father Fulton next sent letters to parishioners, followed by a detailed packet of information, including a brochure and a letter from the bishop.

Father Fulton asked recipients to prayerfully consider their contribution and graciously receive the volunteers who would follow up with a phone call and a visit.

“The ability to go out and meet new people, and to spend time with people that you know but don’t normally get to see, has increased our sense of being an extended family,” according to assistant chairman Don Carlson.

Personal visits during the campaign have created the opportunity for ministry, as needs—from illnesses to accidents—have been communicated back to the parish.

"The hardest part about running a campaign like this is getting enough volunteers to do the work," said Mark Billings of Community Counseling Services, the consulting firm overseeing the campaign. "If you have a good volunteer base, people who are willing to do the work, there’s pretty much nothing that can’t get done."

"It's evident that St. John the Baptist has that kind of volunteers," he added. "They understand that they are not asking for anything for themselves—they are asking for money on behalf of the bishop for the good of their church. They work very hard, yet they refuse to take credit for their good work. That kind of generosity is heartwarming."

The $12 million component for parish support in the "Preserving Our Past, Building Our Future" capital campaign represents a "fair share" formula, in which parishes in the diocese get back 25 percent of all funds raised in the parish up to its target goal, and 50 percent of all funds thereafter. Plans are not yet final for the $161,000 that St. John's will receive for reaching its goal.

"We might re-do the kitchen and cafeteria in our school," Father Fulton said. "However, Bishop Weigand is anticipating a new elementary school in Chico that would hold 1,000 students from kindergarten through eighth grade, so we might save the money for that. There would be no point in renovating our kitchen and cafeteria if this school is closed and a new school is opened."

Because "Preserving Our Past, Building Our Future" will fund needs throughout the diocese, parishioners could find many reasons to be generous, according to Carlson. "As Christians we know that we’re helping people wherever they are located," he said.

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