To Purchase Raffle Tickets or Donate Click HERE
Dear Parishioners,
As we enter the final week of Lent and we begin Holy Week, I am filled with reflection and hope. I am also filled with an appreciations for all of you. It is only with your stewardship in all forms that we are able to run our programs and ministries. After Easter, you will begin to learn more about an important fundraising endeavor for our parish to help us close the financial gap at the end the fiscal year which ends on June 30. The weekly offertory is not always enough to meet our operational expenses and while conversations about money are never easy, we must remember that it takes funding to operate our programs.
We are blessed to have Maria Allori as part of our staff to help us with all things related to development including communication, engagement and fundraising. Maria has helped raise millions throughout her career from annual parish fundraisers to higher level capital campaigns. Our fundraising initiative for this year is smaller but no less important. I ask for your generous support toward this project. By working together as a united faith community, we will be able to meet the financial needs of our parish. -Fr. Carl
We are blessed to have Maria Allori as part of our staff to help us with all things related to development including communication, engagement and fundraising. Maria has helped raise millions throughout her career from annual parish fundraisers to higher level capital campaigns. Our fundraising initiative for this year is smaller but no less important. I ask for your generous support toward this project. By working together as a united faith community, we will be able to meet the financial needs of our parish. -Fr. Carl
Parish Family,
I am a staff member of our unified parish serving you in the role of Director of Development. I also collaborate with our shared ministries across both Oak Park parishes and work closely with our pastor, Fr. Carl, aiding with broader communications. My responsibilities have expanded as parish needs have grown though the focus of my work remains centered around parishioner engagement which includes stewardship and fundraising among others areas.
For those to whom I am a new face, I wanted to share a little bit about myself. I have a diverse and vast background in the for-profit sector having worked for companies including Nestle USA and Sara Lee. While I am proud of my experience in the consumer goods industry, it has been my work in the not-for-profit sector, church ministry specifically, that has brought me the most fulfillment. I’ve spent many years working for the parishioners of St. Edmund as Director of Development and am very excited to be serving our larger family, the faith community of Ascension and St. Edmund. Thank you for your warmth and making me feel at home.
We have experienced many changes in the last year and despite challenges, the work of our parish and its many ministries has not waned. In fact, as Fr. Carl wrote in his letter last week, we have seen gains in important areas including sacramental preparation, education of our children in the faith, and our mission outreach work which is a hallmark of our parish. We are a community that is deeply rooted in service to others.
One of our current challenges is the need for funding so that we can continue to support the work of our parish. Your weekly offertory is our primary source of support. If you’ve had a chance to read the bulletin, you will see that we have fallen behind in meeting our forecast for the year as collections have been trending below what we’ve budgeted. One immediate way to bridge this financial gap is to raise funds via an additional revenue stream, a parish fundraiser, before the fiscal year ends on June 30.
In the next week, you will be receiving a special invitation to support a parish spring fundraiser. It is a raffle like no other which is sure to create excitement. If we have to work hard, we might as well have fun! The raffle kicks off after Easter and will run through the first week of June. It is designed to appeal to everyone and easy to participate. I promise they’ll be no knickknacks awarded but instead, prizes everyone wants.
In closing, I have seen firsthand what a faith community can accomplish together when its members are engaged, understand the needs and ultimately feel moved to help. I ask for your support toward this upcoming parish fundraiser which touches everything throughout our parish from ministry to operations.
I look forward to connecting with you after Mass. I welcome your input and appreciate it when you reach out.
On behalf of Fr. Carl, Fr. Rex and all of our staff, we thank you in advance for you faithful stewardship.
With gratitude,
Maria Allori