CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TALK
DELIVERED BY FR. CHARLES AT MASSES ON
AUGUST 23/24, 2008

THE GOSPEL READING FOR TODAY PRESENTS EACH OF US WITH A CHALLENGE.   IN LISTENING TO THIS EXCHANGE BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS DISCIPLES WE MAY NOT FEEL THE CHALLENGE THAT IS BEING GIVEN TO US.     CHRIST IS LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR WHAT HE EXPECTS FROM HIS FOLLOWERS – AND THAT INCLUDES US.  THE CHURCH WAS TO BE BUILT ON THE FOUNDATION OF PETER’S AND THE APOSTLES UNDERSTANDING OF WHO JESUS WAS.   BUT THEY HAD TO KNOW, AND WE HAVE TO KNOW, JESUS SO THAT WE TOO CAN HELP BUILD  HIS CHURCH.

• PETER WAS TO BUILD THE CHURCH BUT FOR 2000 YEARS THE CHURCH CONTINUES TO BE BUILT!
• WE, THROUGH OUR BAPTISM, ARE CALLED TO HELP BUILD UP THE CHURCH AND WE DO THAT THROUGH OUR VARIOUS LITURGIES AND THROUGH OUR  MINISTRIES:
• OUR SCHOOL;  RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR OUR ENGLISH AND SPANISH STUDENTS; OUR “COMING HOME” MINISTRY;  THE RCIA PROGRAM AND RICA PROGRAM FOR THE SPANISH SPEAKING; 
• OUR BAPTISM PROGRAMS, PRE-CANA WORKSHOPS; BIBLE STUDY PROGRAMS (ENGLISH AND SPANISH),  CONFIRMATION AND YOUTH MINISTRY PROGRAMS,  OUR PARISH RETREATS
• AND OF COURSE OUR LEGION OF MARY, SMALL FAITH COMMUNITIES, OUR BOY SCOUTS, AND LITTLE FLOWERS, OUR 50+ CLUB, OUR KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS WHO PROVIDE SO MUCH FOR THE VARIOIUS PROGRAMS SPONSORED BY THE PARISH.
• AND NEW PROGRAMS ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION

ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL NEWS, AND TO BE A WELCOMING COMMUNITY TO THOSE WHO WISH TO JOIN US.

• BUT THESE MINISTRIES REQUIRE SPACE TO PROVIDE THE PROGRAMS FOR ALL OF  OUR PEOPLE.

 

• WHEN THIS CHURCH WAS STARTED IN 1965  PEOPLE WERE QUESTIONING THE VERY SIZE OF THE CHURCH THAT WE NOW ENJOY.  FR. MCCABE WAS

CRITICIZED FOR BUILDING A “CATHEDRAL IN ORCUTT”….I WAS A YOUNG NOVICE WHEN THEY BROKE GROUND FOR THIS CHURCH;  I STOOD ON THE CEMENT FOUNDATIONS OF THIS BUILDING IN 1966 AND YET….HIS FORESIGHT SOME 43 YEARS AGO WAS PROVIDENTIAL, PRUDENT, AND VISIONARY.

• SINCE THEN WE HAVE STEADILY GROWN, AND CONTINUE TO GROW TO OVER 3200 FAMILIES.
• AND MANY OF THE PROGRAMS I HAVE MENTIONED,  DID NOT EXIST THEN BUT NOW THEY ARE A SIGN OF THE VIBRANCY OF A PARISH COMMUNITY, STRIVING TO “BECOME ONE FAMILY IN CHRIST.”

 

CHRIST CHALLENGED HIS DISCIPLES AND APOSTLES;  HE WAS DEALING WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO BELIEVED IN HIM, BUT DIDN’T HAVE THE VISION HE HAD FOR THE FUTURE OF HIS CHURCH.   

IN SPITE OF THEIR SHORTCOMINGS,  WE MARVEL AT THEIR  MARTYRDOM FOR THE FAITH. AND  WE ARE THE BENEFICIARIES OF THOSE WHO HAD THE VISION BEFORE US TO BUILD OUR PARISH, OUR SCHOOL, OUR HALL, TO PURCHASE THE MODULAR BUILDINGS WE USE.

NOW OUR TIME TO BUILD FOR THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE IS BEFORE US.

DEACON DOUG ANNOUNCED A CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE MODULAR 1 OVER A YEAR AGO.  SINCE THEN WE RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM THE COUNTY OF SB FOR  OUR MASTER PLAN WHICH WAS A PLAN FOR YEARS TO COME AND INCLUDED NOT ONLY THE REPLACEMENT TO MOD, 1, BUT IMPROVEMENTS FOR OUR SCHOOL.

IN DISCUSSIONS THIS PAST YEAR WITH THE ARCHDIOCESE CONSTRUCTION DEPT;  URBAN PLANNING CONCEPTS,  OUR NEW CONSULTANT, STEVE JANSSEN,  AND IN WORKING WITH HALSELL BUILDERS WHO ARE DEVELOPING THE PLANS…WE HAVE LEARNED THAT WE WOULD BE SPENDNG SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IF WE WERE TO ONLY BUILD THE MOD. 1 REPLACMENT AND TO START AGAIN WITH THE BIDDING, PERMIT PROCESS IN A FEW YEARS TIME FOR THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS.   SO TODAY I AM ANNOUNCING A PLAN TO BUILD THE ENTIRE PROJECT, WHICH WILL ADD 15,000 SQ. FT OF NEW CONSTRUCTION.

THE PLANS FOR THE SCHOOL WILL INCLUDE  A REMODEL OF THE FRONT OFFICE AND FACULTY LOUNGE, 3 JR. HIGH CLASSROOMS, A 2500 SQ FT. MULTI-PURPOSE BUILDING AND STORAGE SPACE OF 3000 SQ FT. UNDER THE THREE   CLASSROOMS,    THE STORAGE SPACE WILL ALLOW US TO DISCARD THE EXISTING STORAGE CONTAINERS ON THE FIELD.
THIS WILL ENTAIL RELOCATING THE COMPUTER LAB, KINDERGARDEN, AND SCHOOL LIBRARY INTO THE SCHOOL’S COURTYARD ROOMS.   THE CURRENT LIBRARY WILL BE CONVERTED TO A YOUTH CENTER.

THIS IS AN EXCITING AND VERY CHALLENGING TIME FOR US HERE AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE SAME TYPE OF VISION THAT FR. MC CABE  AND THOSE ORIGINAL PARISHIONERS, SOME OF THEM WHO ARE STILL HERE, HAD WHEN HE STARTED THIS PARISH AND BUILT THE ORIGINAL SCHOOL AND CHURCH.  

FOR THE PRESENT AND FUTURE, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED A STEERING COMMITTEE FOR THIS  CAMPAIGN HEADED BY TRENT BENEDETTI AS OUR GENERAL CHAIRMAN.  TRENT IS TAKING OVER FROM JOHN MAHAN WHOSE HEALTH PROBLEMS HAVE FORCED HIM TO STEP ASIDE FROM THE DAY TO DAY LEADERSHIP  BUT HE WILL CONTINUE IN AN ADVISORY ROLE.    MAIN COMMITTEE CHAIRS ARE:  SANDY CARTY,  PATRICE MOSBY, JOE SHEAFF, JOHN CAMERON, YOLANDA CHARETTE, MIKE YOUNG, ELIAS BARRIAGA AND LUIS PEREZ.
WE WILL BE CONDUCTING THIS CAMPAIGN IN FOUR SPECIFIC PHASES, EACH WITH A BEGINNING AND ENDING TIME. SO, WHILE SOME OF YOU WILL BE SPOKEN TO EARLY IN THE PROGRAM, OTHERS WILL BE CONTACTED LATER AND SOME BY MAIL.
THIS IS A VOLUNTEER DRIVEN CAMPAIGN. AS SUCH WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR MANY VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST OVER THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST YOUR PARISH TO “PREPARE AND BUILD FOR THE FUTURE,” WE NEED YOU.  THIS WILL NOT BE A LONG DRAWN-OUT COMMITMENT ON YOUR PART AND WILL TAKE LESS THAN 40 HOURS OF YOUR TIME – TOTAL!!
MORE DETAILS WILL FOLLOW OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS AND YOU WILL BE KEPT INFORMED.

YES, THE ECONOMY IS AFFECTING ALL OF OUR FAMILIES AND OUR PARISHIONERS; IT WAS LIKE THAT WHEN THIS PARISH OPENED; I CAN RECALL SEEING ABANDONED HOUSES AND HOUSES FOR SALE AS VAFB CUT BACK.    THERE WERE ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES THEN WHICH THE PEOPLE OVERCAME, AND WE WILL WEATHER THE CURRENT STORM. WE ARE  TRUSTING IN THE GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, YOUR PROVEN ABILITY AND WILLINGNESS TO SUPPORT  YOUR PARISH. 

OUR NEW CAPITAL CAMPAIGN “PREPARING AND BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE”  WILL EXPAND ON WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE MADE A PLEDGE AND PAYMENT WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL, BUT GIVEN OUR EXPANSION WE WILL BE ASKING YOU TO CONSIDER ADDING TO YOUR PLEDGE.   WE HAVE PLEDGES AND CASH COMMITMENTS AMOUNTING TO  $1,1 MILLION.   BY ADDING THE SCHOOL TO THE PROJECT WE NOW HAVE A GOAL THAT WILL REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL SUM OF $2.5 MILLION.

IT IS OUR HOPE TO BEGIN WORK IN 2010.   I INVITE YOU TO LOOK AT THE NEW SCALE MODEL IN THE GATHERING AREA  FOR THE SCHOOL, ALONG WITH THE ORIGINAL MODEL FOR THE MOD. 1 REPLACEMENT

I SINCERELY WISH TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF YOUR PARISH AND I PRAY YOU WILL SHARE WITH METHE HOPE FOR THE EXPANDING FUTURE OF OUR CHURCH AND SCHOOL.