The Diocese of Sacramento’s “Preserving Our Past, Building Our Future” capital campaign will officially kickoff this month with a Mass at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and 32 parishes that will begin their fund-raising efforts.

The campaign seeks to raise at least $50 million for Catholic education and formation, parish support, restoration of the cathedral, priests’ retirement and retirement housing, and Catholic social ministries.

As of Jan. 7, the campaign has netted the diocese $13.2 million so far from 10 pilot parishes that have completed their fund-raising drives, as well as some major gifts.

Although the diocese began its campaign in the pilot parishes immediately following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America, “people have continued to be generous to the diocese’s needs,” said Mimi Scherber, director of stewardship and development for the diocese, who is also working on the capital campaign.

“People are giving in accordance with their values and their belief in involvement in their parishes,” she said. “Many people have recognized this time as an opportunity to reach out to others as they try to do their part to achieve peace and justice for the many who will benefit from his local campaign.”

Scherber noted that all 10 pilot parishes have met or exceeded their campaign goals and nearly eight out of 10 parishioners who have been invited to pledge in the campaign have said yes.

Parishioners from the eight pilot parishes with standard campaigns have pledged an average gift of $2,500, while the average pledged gift from the two pilot parishes running combined campaigns is more than $9,600.

Some pilot parishes have significantly exceeded their campaign goals, including Our Lady of the Assumption in Carmichael, which has raised $2.1 million (193 percent of goal); the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento, which has raised $880,000 (176 percent of goal); Holy Family Parish in Portola, which has raised $282,000 (175 percent of goal); and Immaculate Conception Parish in Corning, which has raised $184,000 (161 percent of goal).

A second group of 32 parishes (called Bloc 1) will kickoff their fund-raising efforts Jan. 19-20. (See complete list in box on this page.). Parishes in Bloc 1 have a combined goal of $19.8 million. The remaining 57 parishes in the diocese will conduct their campaigns March through June.

Campaign leaders and volunteers from the Bloc 1 and pilot parishes will gather for a special Mass celebrated by Bishop William K. Weigand at the cathedral on Sunday, Jan. 13 at 3 p.m. Father James Murphy, rector of the cathedral, will be the homilist.

Peter Hoskow of Community Counseling Services, the consulting firm conducting the capital campaign, said the four hallmarks of parishes’ fund-raising efforts are personal visits from parish leaders to fellow parishioners; proportionate giving based on stewardship (those who have more should be asked for larger gifts); a phase-by-phase approach seeking “pace-setting gifts to lead the way”; and pledge-type giving over a three-to five-year period.

Campaign officials said three laypeople are serving as coordinators of major gifts for the diocesan campaign: Michael Hackard of St. Ignatius Parish in Sacramento, Jean Runyon of St. Anthony Parish in Sacramento and Pat McClain of Holy Trinity Parish in El Dorado Hills.

Hackard is a lifelong member of St. Ignatius who has been involved in previous fund-raising efforts there and at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Carmichael. He is an attorney with the law firm of Hackard and Holt in Gold River, specializing in pharmaceutical litigation.

He and his wife, Lisa, wanted to become involved in the campaign because “we should be giving back to people who are in need,” he said, and “in this effort the local church has identified some significant needs: Catholic education, restoration of the cathedral, social services and taking care of our older priests.”

Hackard said restoration of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament is a special concern to him. “I’ve always found the cathedral to be a place of solace and it’s a beautiful part of our Sacramento history. It’s a house of God and a gathering place for people of all faiths.”

Runyon, founder and president of the Sacramento public relations firm, Runyon, Saltzman and Einhorn, and her husband, Jack Murphy, have been members of St. Anthony for more than 20 years.

Runyon, a public relations trailblazer for 40 years who has been involved in numerous charitable fund-raising efforts, views the capital campaign as “a historic moment” for the Sacramento area.

“This is not a campaign exclusive to Catholics,” she said. “We should all participate in saving the cathedral because it is one of the most beautiful churches in our state. When people find out about all the needs this campaign addresses, they will want to give.”

McClain and his wife, Kathy, are members of Holy Trinity Parish in El Dorado Hills and have been involved in the pilot phase of the parish campaign and in previous fund-raising efforts at the parish.

McClain, a senior financial advisor and a co-founder of Hanson McClain Retirement Planning in Sacramento, has also worked with many local charities and is on the board of Sacramento Food Bank Services, supporting the organization with the annual Thanksgiving morning Hanson McClain “Run to Feed the Hungry.”

“The local church has given so much to me and to my family by helping to shape our ethics, that I feel it’s incumbent upon me to become involved in this campaign that will pass on the same ideals of giving and service to future generations,” McClain said.

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