Capital Campaign: Upon this Rock

Resources

• Frequently Asked Questions

• Capital Campaign Prayer (PDF)

• Parish Details and Wave Assignments

• Capital Campaign Leadership

• Campaign Study

• Capital Campaign Case Statment

• Campaign Video Playlist

 

Campaign Priorities

The Diocese of Davenport’s Upon This Rock Capital Campaign, which will kick off in spring 2022, will focus on three key areas

1. Priests’ retirement and health care funding

In gratitude for priests’ life of service, the Priests’ Aid Society helps with the retirement and health care costs of the priests of the Diocese of Davenport. However, as of 2021, 73% of all diocesan priests either were retired or within 10 years of the retirement age of 70. This coming wave of retirements and the rising cost of health care means that the Priests’ Aid Society’s current income structure will not be able to keep up without additional funding. The Upon This Rock Campaign aims to fortify the Priests’ Aid Society funding for decades to come. In addition, the campaign will provide funding for the construction of an elevator at the St. Vincent Center, which is home for a number of retired diocesan priests. Without an elevator, several rooms on the second floor of the retirement wing of the center often go unused. The Upon This Rock Campaign will provide an elevator to be constructed on the south side of the building. The elevator also will make the diocesan archives in the basement of the building more accessible.

2. Seminarian education and formation

The men who answer the call of the Holy Spirit to the priesthood drive our belief in a bright future for our diocese and the Church. Yet there is work to do. Along with an increasing number of priests reaching retirement, there has also been a declining number of seminarians for the Diocese of Davenport. The Upon This Rock Campaign aims to answer for the foreseeable future a question that can deter a man from entering or continuing in the seminary: “How can I afford it?” Funds raised would bolster a fund managed by the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Davenport that covers the costs of seminary education and formation. Currently, about $100,000 per year is being withdrawn from the fund to cover the costs that go beyond investment income and the amount raised during the Annual Diocesan Appeal. Without additional money, the fund for seminarians could be depleted as soon as 2024.

3. Strengthening parishes

Our parish is our faith community, led by our pastor and made up of people with whom we share a love of Christ. Our parish’s desire is to spread our love and build up our spiritual home. For every dollar a parish raises in the Upon This Rock Campaign, the parish will have 20% returned to it for a purpose determined by that parish. When a parish exceeds its fundraising goal, 80% of each additional dollar raised will be returned to the parish. The parish share can go toward capital projects, such as new construction or renovations, but funds can also be used for priorities such as:

• • Evangelization

  • Outreach

  • Contingency or “rainy day” fund

  • Debt retirement

  • Additional staffing

  • A parish in need

The overriding goal for this aspect of the campaign is to strengthen all of our parishes and set up a more solid foundation for the future.