Mark your calendars and join us on Saturday, February 14th, 2009 at 10 AM for the second annual Firefighters’ Memorial Mass at St. John’s. At this Mass, we will honor the memory of the four firefighters who died as a result of fighting the great fire of 1899 that destroyed much of St. John’s and several surrounding buildings. We will also remember all firefighters who have been killed in the line of duty and we will pray for those who continue to protect us daily, many of whom will be in attendance.
Also this year, we will dedicate memorial plaques for each of the four who died in 1899. In collaboration with Local 22 of the Firefighters’ Union and through the generosity of donations from last year’s memorial Mass and a grant from Partners for Sacred Places, we have secured funding for these plaques which will be placed on the grounds of the church.
Please turn out and show your support for our firefighters!
A reception will follow the dedication ceremony.
Year-end is a great time for giving. When you make a donation by December 31 to Saint John the Evangelist, you aren’t just giving money. You are perpetuating our faith by supporting St. John’s ministry to the people of Center City Philadelphia.
Before making a year-end gift, talk to your tax advisor. A CPA, attorney, or other advisor can help you understand the impact of your gift on your income tax return and estate. It also applies to life-income gifts (gift annuities, trust arrangements, etc.). Take the time to calculate your income and do some planning while you still have the opportunity to make a year-end gift. Try to get a handle on your tax liability for the year. Did your unearned income increase? Did you sell any appreciated assets? Will you owe more taxes? This alone may motivate you to increase your giving before December 31.
Finally, do your giving early. This is especially true if you want to make a gift of non-cash assets (stock, real estate, etc.). Transfer of these assets can take time. To make a gift to Saint John the Evangelist Parish please call the parish office (215) 563-4145.
On December 4, 2008, Keast & Hood structural engineers came to St. John’s to check on the status of the tower renovation. Following the visit, they sent the committee a PDF with 16 images documenting the progress. They observed that the voids in the walls had been filled; the masonry had been repointed; and a new ladder had been installed at the bell level, among other improvements. Click here to view their photos of the improvements.
Over 30 percent of the parish participated in our in-pew survey. We collected 226 surveys in all. The results are being sent to a keypunch service, which will tabulate the findings and return them to the committee.
In the meantime, the Capital Campaign is hard at work developing text and gathering photos for a new brochure. Once completed, it will be a great asset to our renovation and revitalization effort.
Brightly colored Electronic News Sign Up cards will soon be appearing in pews at St. John’s. Take one, sign up, and you’ll receive capital campaign news delivered right to your inbox. What an easy way to stay informed!
The last of our scheduled town meetings took place this past Thursday. Thank you to all the parishioners who came out to learn about St. John’s repair and rebuilding project. Your input is greatly appreciated!
The 30 participants in this past Sunday’s town hall meeting came up with some great questions and comments for the capital committee. Here are some highlights from the discussion:
Comment: The parish should play up the value/leverage of what we’re doing with the project Home/Bethesda Project- Hidden Asset, Community Value.
Response: We agree that St. John’s will be the beneficiary of lots of positive attention thanks to this collaboration which we hope will generate funding and good publicity.
Comment: The printers Mass drew huge crowds at 2:15 AM on Sunday. This would be a good “alumni” source to tap into.
Question: When will this capital campaign start?
Answer: We have been in the planning phase for 2 years and we are now organizing the working campaign around the 1st of the year. We will begin the actual solicitation phase and will go through May – for the Parish phase. Beyond that, we will go out to seek foundation and grant support.
Question: Is there a timeline for the Towers and do we have to rebuild them? There was also a rumor that one option was to take them completely down.
Answer: While permanent removal was one of the options given to us by the architects, it is not really a viable option because of Historic Commission requirements. The Towers are more damaged than originally thought so they have required additional work. We hope it will be completed by the end of year.
Question: What is the actual cost of the Towers?
Answer: We have borrowed money on an emergency basis from the Archdiocese and the cost is approximately $1.3 million.
Comment: The amount of weekly contributions is down, yet the parish base is growing which shows folks are hurt by the current state of the economy.
Response: We are working to address this and need to assure that weekly contributions are not further diverted or redirected to the capital campaign.
Question: Are there plans to clean up the immediate area which might be seen as an incentive to the other local businesses?
Answer: Yes, between St. John’s and the new project (St. John’s Home) there will be much more focus on these areas, in fact the City is already doing a better job keeping the dumpsters cleared in a timely fashion.
It was great to see everyone at Sunday’s Town Hall Meeting. Around 30 people turned out to hear about the renovation and rebuilding projects at St. John’s. So glad you were able to join us. Thank you!
We’re looking forward to hearing from more parishioners and friends at tomorrow’s meeting — Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008, 5:45 p.m. in the parish center.
Hope you can make it!
The Capital Campaign is hosting several town meetings in the next month to introduce parishioners to St. John’s renovation and fundraising plans.
We anticipate that each meeting will be 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours in length and all will be held in the Parish Center. The dates and times are:
Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008, following the 12:30 p.m. Mass
Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008, at 5:45 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008, at 5:45 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008, following the 6:00 p.m. Mass
Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008, Midday mini-meeting. Stop by anytime between noon and 2 p.m.
Come out and join us!
– the Capital Committee