Ensuring Vibrant Parish Life
Ensuring vibrant parish life is a major component of the Ignite! Campaign. A percentage of funds raised at each of our 80 parishes will be returned directly to each parish to be used for its own approved specific needs. These funds will enable the parish's ability to grow in their pastoral vision and address growing pastoral priorities including building expansion, repairs and renovations, parish endowments, debt relief or assisting with the capital needs of a parochial school in parishes with a school. Funds may not be used for parish operating expenses. Approximately $7.5 million from the campaign will be returned to parishes, for the pastors and parish leaders to determine how best to use these resources.
“A key component of the Ignite! Campaign is giving back to the parishes. Parishes will
be entrusted to discern their own needs and how best to draw from resources that we as a diocesan family will be able to offer. We are one Church, and the glue of the Holy Spirit is uniting us ever more and then flowing from our laps out into the world and drawing others back to communion with Christ.”
Most Rev. William M. Joensen, Ph.D.
Bishop of Des Moines
Questions about Parish Share
| What can parish share funds be used for? |
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Parishes can use their parish share for debt retirement, capital projects, faith formation programming, operating reserve, and endowment fund creation or increase. Using parish share funds for operating expenses is not allowed. The Stewardship Office will collaborate with each parish to identify its intended use of the parish share funds. Each pastor, with parish leadership, will complete a needs-assessment form and submit it to Bishop Joensen. The Bishop’s final approval of each parish’s intended use of the parish share funds is required. After final approval from the Bishop on the use of parish share funds, alternative use of the funds is not permitted.
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| How will the campaign funds be distributed to the parishes? |
Parish funds will be distributed once 75% of the parish pledge goal is achieved. The Diocese will disburse the gifts to parishes on a quarterly basis, and payments will be based upon cash receipts. The campaign’s Clergy Committee has worked with the Diocese to outline when the funds will be distributed to the parishes.
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| What happens if my parish exceeds its goal? |
Your parish share will increase to 75% of every dollar raised in excess of its assigned campaign goal, with the remaining 25% going toward the Diocesan campaign initiatives.
For example, if a parish has a $1 million goal and a 15% parish share, but raises $1.5 million during the campaign:
The first $1 million: $850,000 goes to diocesan initiatives, $150,000 goes to parish share
The next $500,000: $125,000 goes to diocesan initiatives, $375,000 goes to parish share
Overall: $975,000 goes to diocesan initiatives, $525,000 goes to parish share
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Plant the Seeds of Faith
The IGNITE! Campaign honors the sacrifices of those who came before us by following their example and passing our faith on to future generations. We hope you will consider joining us in making our vision for the Catholic Church in Southwest Iowa a reality. Pledge today!