Dear Community of Saint Joseph’s;

 

Whenever people visit our church they are always complimentary about its beauty.  Guests to Saint Joseph’s notice the stained glass windows, the soaring ceiling, the proximity to the ocean and the warmth of the community.

 

And then they ask how to get downstairs…?

 

When I explain that in order to enter our parish hall they need to go down a flight of concrete steps there is immediate dismay, especially if they have difficulty walking or are in a wheelchair.   Consequently there has been a series of plans for designing and building a transport between the church and parish hall.  Please see the box at the bottom of this letter for an overview of the history of this project.  I believe that the time has come to realize this essential addition to our parish campus by constructing an elevator that will integrate into the design of the building and be a great service to the people of Saint Joseph’s.  Building an elevator is an expensive proposition especially in such a financially stressful time and it could take us several years to fund this project or if you are particularly enthusiastic, perhaps you might consider giving a larger one-time gift in memory of a loved one to help Saint Joseph’s provide for this very worthwhile addition.  We will acknowledge those being remembered by name on a plaque placed upon the elevator structure.

 

I propose we begin to accomplish this tremendous goal by utilizing our Bishop’s Annual Ministries Appeal (BAMA).  The Catholic Community of Saint Joseph’s is a part of the Diocese of Monterey that provides for ministries in our parish.  Each year the Bishop requests that we support him in the mission and ministry of the diocese through this appeal. The diocese assigns each parish a goal that is based upon the parish’s offertory income.  All funds raised in excess of this goal are returned to the parish for its own use.  This program provides us with the capital to undertake major projects that cannot be funded from our weekly collections.  In past years your generosity to the Bishop’s Appeal has enabled us to update and improve our parish sound system, refurbish all the parish pews and renovate our church restrooms.

 

This year Saint Joseph’s BAMA assigned goal is $47,200.  The new parish elevator will cost approximately $200,000.  We have the previous fund raising base of $20,000.  In order to meet our parish BAMA goal and fund the elevator we would need to raise $227,200.   We are asking for your help by giving your support to this year’s BAMA Fund Raising Program.  We have enclosed a Pledge Envelope for you to complete and return to our parish office or during our liturgies in the Month of May.  We thank you for your presence, your generosity and your prayerful support to provide an environment where everyone can access the church, hall and parking lot with ease. 

 

 

With gratitude for your constant generosity~

 

 

                       

Father Matt Pennington, Pastor             

 

 

 

Andy Armanino,  Finance Council Chairperson                                                                 

 

 

Gay Pollock

BAMA Chairperson 2009

Founder of Ministries to People With Disabilities