Capital Campaign Update, March 2024

Greetings fellow parishioners,

 

It has been a while since we shared updates on the progress of our capital campaign. There have been quite a few bumps in the road since our last communication. The parish and finance councils, along with our maintenance and renovation committee members, have been hard at work trying to find a viable, fiscally responsible solution to move forward with plans. Here is a brief overview of what has happened to this point:

 

Our initial feasibility study conducted by Greater Mission estimated that we would need a total of $400,000 to meet the demand for a freestanding building for a food pantry, adult education space, and a nursery. Our pledges to date have met and even slightly exceeded this goal, but actual proceeds will take up to five years to fully achieve. We proceeded to work with a diocesan-recommended architect and contractor to begin the process of drawing up plans and estimating costs. The very modest building we proposed came in at nearly $850,000. Obviously, this is not feasible, and there would be no easy way we could come back to you to ask for more money. We're not sure why the initial study by Greater Mission so greatly underestimated the price of traditional supplies, but this is the reality of what has happened. So we have been working these past five months to come up with an alternative plan. 

 

Our first step was to reach out to the diocese for help as our feasibility study was obviously not realistic. The diocese suggested modifications to our plan, such as a phase A and B construction, asking for a second capital campaign, delaying construction - all things that we wanted to avoid. Even with modifications to the plan, reduction in square footage, and other bare-bones options, all of our stick-built or modular options were coming in at more than $600,000. So we went back to the diocese and asked them to take a look at the Living Our Mission campaign one more time. We asked two questions: Could we eliminate the requirement for a "freestanding" building? Some paperwork from Father Biber, and corroboration from Deacon, does indicate that the freestanding nature of the campaign was not as "written in stone" as originally believed. The diocese agreed that we could modify that part if needed. The second question we asked was, can we divorce the three elements of the Living Our Mission campaign (Food Pantry, Nursery, Adult Formation Space) from one another? The diocese is also permitting us to do this.

 

So - with this new guidance, we began looking at creative ways to reduce costs. We looked for non-stick-built alternatives for building the structure. We reached out to a group called Morton Builders. They specialize in a different type of material that is much cheaper but not the type of typical "steel building" construction you may be familiar with. Here's what their website says:

 

Unlike commercial steel buildings, Morton Buildings utilizes post-frame construction, a highly engineered wood-frame building system that features large, laminated columns instead of wood studs, steel framing, or concrete masonry, and that meets local, state, and national building codes. 

 

Halting our original plans meant reassessing the location of the building once more to ensure we didn't overlook something. So, we met with Morton's representative (at no cost) and walked the property to see where a building may work best. 

 - We looked at the kitchen side of the parish hall. The steep grading and significant brush and tree clearing would be a potential cost driver. In addition, with upcoming plans for access to our Oliver Cemetery in the rear of our propertyit could conflict with plans that are already in the works for that side of the building. Is it possible? Yes. Is it ideal? Maybe not.

- Next we looked at the courtyard space behind the narthex between the double doors and the shed. Morton's rep felt this would be a great place for the building and would provide about 1350 square feet of space for our project with the right amount of space between the new building and existing building and we would not connect the roofline to the existing structure. It would stand by itself with only the double doors being modified to connect as a through-way to the new building. The problem is that Morton needs to bring in larger equipment to construct its buildings (we heard things like cranes and so forth), and current access to that area is problematic for larger machines. The rep said they could still get it done, but that the manual labor costs would increase dramatically as they would need more laborers using ladders and other types of alternatives to construct the building. In addition, attaching a modern building to an existing structure, even just by connecting it through the doorway as we were planning, could mean costly upgrades and updates to the existing structure to bring it up to modern codes and standards. Lastly, the throughway for food pantry access would create some traffic issues through the narthex - not insurmountable, but inconvenient. Once again, is it possible? Yes. Is it ideal? For cost reasons, maybe not.

- So then we looked at the area we originally planned. The Morton rep said the amount of trees to remove and grading in that area would be expensive. To save money on leveling, clearing, and access, we decided to take a look at the level section of ground where our playground currently sits. The playground is broken, dry rotted, and in need of replacement (more on that in a minute). If we reduce the size of the building to about 1,000 – 2,000 square feet and make it only a food pantry space, we can move the existing food storage (the need for which is continuing to expand) and pantry to a new building, on the current site of the playground and encroaching just a little into the forest area, all for about $250,000-$350,000, including site prep. Our earlier paid site research showed that we could tie into the existing sewage system. Our drain field sits on, pretty much, the entire field area next to our church sanctuary building all the way to the woodline. With this proposed building site, grading will be minimal, and we can use the path of the existing sidewalk to create an asphalt drive and loop for cars to pull up in front of the building, gather their food supplies, and exit. We will share the proposed plan soon - Morton is currently in the process of creating those plans. The cost is $5,000 for Morton to create all plans from the ground up, including plumbing, electrical, etc. which become our plans permanently whether we decide to move forward with them as our builder and general contractor or not. The good news is that we have site surveys and other geographic studies that have already been conducted and can be reused by Morton and incorporated into their plans. We hope to have the full plans back from Morton within the next few weeks so we can review and change/modify at no cost as needed. 

 

So then, what about the nursery and classrooms? With the food pantry exiting our parish hall, we will reclaim several spaces fully as classrooms. We will have the funds to be able to do renovations to those spaces and potentially add classroom walls to the current cubicle situation in the hall. We should also be able to update the bathrooms which are in need of renovation. Current potential collection for the capital campaign will put us right around $475,000 if all funds are collected as pledged (including the $75,000 from the Living Our Mission campaign.) We will need to discuss whether a nursery is really something that we need currently. We need input on these two aspects - classrooms and nursery.

 

Circling back to the playground - we would have funds to purchase a playground replacement and could reuse the existing plastic border that designates the playground area to section off an area near the woodline in the field for this purpose. Any memorials or other plaques currently located in the playground area would be moved to this new location.

 

Lastly - our plan includes another town hall meeting to be announced within the next several weeks. While we are doing our very best to ensure we meet the needs of the parish and remain fiscally responsible with the capital campaign plans, ultimately, we are here at your service. We want to represent your wishes and ideas so that we can build a lasting legacy both structurally and spiritually for the generations to come. And, if you wish to be a part of this capital campaign process, please step up and volunteer. We're doing the best we can with the knowledge and experience we have as volunteers. Please, if you have relevant knowledge and expertise, or want to be involved in any way, we need and welcome you.

 

In your service - 

Your Pastor, Parish Council, Finance Council, and Renovation and Maintenance Committee members

 

An Update From Father Michael Renninger

 Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I hope this letter finds you well and in good spirits.  I would like to provide you an update on Fr. Muddu and allow you to know how the Diocese is seeking to assist the very important needs of Father Muddu and the parishioners here in Ladysmith. 

 As you may be aware, Fr. Muddu is currently unable to work due to the fact that he is awaiting the approval of his EAD Card (“Work Card”).  The work permit is necessary for Father to legally work during the processing of his Green Card.  

 Fr. Muddu has been working all along with the immigration attorneys that assist the Diocese to ensure that he has been timely in his application process.  Unfortunately, there has been a backlog in U.S. Immigration that has slowed down the normal process for Fr. Muddu and others within the system.  While we are blessed that Fr. Muddu is legally here in the United States, it is unfortunate that he is unable to work until he receives his work permit.  

In the meantime, the Diocese has been consulting with immigration attorneys to assist that Fr. Muddu, and all international priests serving in the Diocese are compliant with the immigration laws and guidelines provided by the federal government.  

 Bishop Knestout recognizes the hardship that this places upon Fr. Muddu, as well as the hardship that this places upon you.  Your needs and concerns are most important and are a matter of great concern to the bishop.

 As such, in order to care for the pastoral and administrative needs of Saint Mary of the Annunciation parish, Bishop Knestout has named me as administrator of the parish on a temporary basis.  In the days ahead I will continue to be working with the staff and leadership, as well as the Diocese, to be attentive to your needs.   These are extraordinary times, but it is my pleasure to work with you to ensure that the ministry of St. Mary of the Annunciation continues and flourishes.  

It is my hope that a positive resolution will take place as soon as possible. Please know that you and Fr. Muddu remain in my prayers.  

Sincerely,

Fr. Michael A. Renninger 

 

 

 

 

FOOD PANTRY GRANT UPDATE

The Food Pantry of Saint Mary of the Annunciation received a generous grant for $5000 from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia/Catherine and J. Hamilton Lambert Fund for Northern Virginia for the purchase of Food Pantry equipment in honor of James Kauffmann.   This grant embodies our faithful belief that the Lord will provide!

We have purchased two freezers (pictured below) with the grant.

Please continue to pray for the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia/Catherine and J. Hamilton Lambert Fund for Northern Virginia in thanksgiving.  And as always give praise and thanks to the Lord. 

 

St. Mary's Parish Tailgate - Sunday, September 26th at 12:30 PM

Who Needs a Picnic . . .

 . . . When You Can Have a Tailgate!

This year our annual parish fellowship event will be a Parish Tailgate on Sunday, 9/26, beginning at 12:30 p.m.!  You don’t have to actually have a tailgate to participate – just roll up in whatever you’re driving and take a spot in the parking lot!  Bring your own lawn chairs, pop-up shelters, coolers, grills, snacks, lunches, drinks – whatever you need for the ultimate tailgate set-up.  There will be:

  • Games for kids of all ages on the lawn

  • A kids vs. grown-ups kick ball game (sign up in the narthex)

  • A Tasty Tailgate Treat contest to showcase the best dip, snack, appetizer, etc. (register the day of the event)

  • A Cookie Contest (register the day of the event)

 The tailgate format gives us the opportunity to gather and enjoy some fellowship, while also respecting personal space and preferences as we continue to responsibly navigate the ongoing, ever-changing pandemic as a faith community. 

  • There will be no food or drinks provided.

  • Except for small samples provided for the contests, to judges comfortable sampling them, there will be no dishes to pass/food for sharing.

  • Except for use of the bathrooms, all parish facilities will be off-limits during the event, including the kitchen, parish hall, narthex, barbeque area, and pavilion.

See you there!

Religious Education Curriculum Showcase! August 1st and August 8th Between Sunday Masses

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Religious Education Curriculum Showcase 

Aug 1st and Aug 8th, between Sunday Masses (approx. 9:45 am), in the main hall.

Come and learn about the changes to St. Mary's religious education curriculum! See what this years' format will look like and what to expect from the classes. 

Kari Campbell will be presenting information on the curriculum changes and will be available to answer questions. 

Additional religious ed. information will be coming in the month of August! 

 

Children's Liturgy and Religious Ed Classes

Childrens Liturgy and Religious Ed classes will begin on September 12th. 

Teachers and volunteers are still needed for both! 

Children's liturgy volunteers teach once per month; Religious Ed teachers and volunteers are needed to teach class each week. 

Please remember to register your children for religious education classes, we need to know how many kids will be in each class so that we can assign the correct size of classroom. 

Contact Annette (annetteg65@yahoo.com) for Children's Liturgy, 

Kari Campbell (religioused@saintmarycc.org) for Religious Ed classes to volunteer. 

Changes To Haiti Twining Ministry

Haiti Twinning Ministry

College St. Martin – 12 Student Scholarships

Message from Fr. Alex Muddu

Change for Haiti Twinning Donations as of June 2021

As many of you are aware, our parish has enjoyed a special twinning relationship with College St. Martin de Porres in Hinche, Haiti, that began in 2006.  Our twinning was part of the Diocese of Richmond’s Haiti Twinning Ministry, which began in 1985.  Donations collected from our parish on a quarterly basis were sent to College St. Martin annually to fund scholarships for a specific number of students.  Because of this community’s generosity, St. Mary’s was able to send funds this year to cover scholarships for 12 students!

However, over the course of this 2020-21 school year, due to a staffing change at College St. Martin, communications between our parish and the school administrator became difficult to the point that, for a short time, we were unable to determine if our funds had been received.  Once receipt was finally acknowledged by the new staff, it was incumbent upon them, as part of our twinning agreement, to provide St. Mary’s information related to the students we sponsor:  their identification, grade, final exam scores, and pass/fail status for the school year.  Although we did finally receive this information late, unfortunately, it was obtained after many attempts, coming from various sources, and was not provided in the timely and direct manner as it had been in the past.  Many thanks to Dorothy Summers for her relentless efforts to track down the details related to our donations and for preparing the enclosed insert about the students we sponsored this year.

Due to the difficulties in obtaining confirmation that our funds are being used in the manner in which they are intended, St. Mary’s Parish Council has made the difficult decision to end our direct twinning relationship with College St. Martin.

Funds already collected this year for the Haiti Twinning ministry (in anticipation of our donation to the next fiscal school year) will be directed to the following organization:

·         Diocese of Richmond – Haiti Education Support Team (HEST)

·         HEST works directly with the Bureau of Diocesan Education (BDE) in Hinche:

o    To support and sustain the education of teachers and students in over 170 Catholic schools, twinned and non-twinned, in the Diocese of Hinche. 

o    To pay for four supervisors who visit every school in the diocese and report back on each school's progress. 

o    To send students to secondary schools with scholarships from a diocesan endowment fund known as the Shalom Fund.

·         During the 2020-21 school year, the Shalom Fund provided 17 scholarships to deserving students, all chosen by the recommendations of principals, as well as the BDE.

o    HEST receives an autobiography and a progress report for each student at the end of each semester.

o    If the student is unable to keep up his or her grades, the scholarship is taken away and awarded to another deserving student.  

Going forward, as long as our parish continues to collect donations as part of the Diocese of Richmond Haiti Ministry, funds will be directed to the Shalom Fund as a way of following through with our parish’s commitment to provide scholarships for deserving students.

Interested parishioners are also welcome to donate online:

·         Go to the Diocese of Richmond, Haiti Giving webpage:  https://richmonddiocese.org/haitigiving/

·         Next, choose “Education” and your donation will go directly to HEST.

 

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2021 POLAR BEAR PLUNGE WINNERS!!!!

Congratulations to the St Mary's Polar Bear Plunge Team for winning the 2021 Polar Bear Plunge with a grand total of $7018.00!  A big thank you to all the plungers for their hard work and to Maria Bridge for coordinating the event.  The mo…

Congratulations to the St Mary's Polar Bear Plunge Team for winning the 2021 Polar Bear Plunge with a grand total of $7018.00!  A big thank you to all the plungers for their hard work and to Maria Bridge for coordinating the event.  The money was raised to support our Food Pantry and Homeless Ministry.  As it says in the Catechism of the Catholic Church "God blesses those who come to the aid of the poor"

Michelle LaMontagne
Travis Bingaman
Robert Bingaman
Melanie Squires
Butler Frank
Jack Frank
Thomas Biddulph
Michelle Moore

Polar Bear Plunge 2021!!!

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Polar Bear Plunge 2021

February 6, 2021 10:00 am Lake Land’or Beach

Support the St Mary of the Annunciation Polar Bear Plungers!

Once again several of our parishioners are bravely facing the frigid waters of Lake Land’or in the dead of winter for the benefit of St. Mary’s Food Pantry and Homeless Ministries.   This is the only fundraiser we have for the Food Pantry and Homeless Ministries and it provides the majority of the funds needed to purchase food and supplies through out the year. 

For the last few years, the St Mary’s Polar Bear Plungers team have been in the top 5 teams of the event thereby being awarded an additional $500.00 donated from the Ladysmith Ruritan Club.  Please donate to this worthy cause to insure one of those top 5 spots for our Food Pantry and Homeless Ministries.  To donate on line go to

https://www.mightycause.com/event/Pbp-Smota and choose the plunger you wish to support! 

Thanks to our plungers: (in alphabetical order)

Thomas Biddulph 

Robert Bingaham

Travis Bingaham 

Butler Frank

Jack Frank

Michelle LaMontagne

Michelle Moore 

Melanie Squires

St. Mary's Joins ShopWithScrip Fundraising

St. Mary’s is joining thousands of other organizations in ShopWithScrip, a fundraising program that rewards organizations with rebates from participating retailers.  You, the parishioners, shop like you normally would, and St. Mary’s wins!  

 It’s easy!  Through ShopWithScrip, parishioners purchase gift cards to retailers they normally patronize.  There are hundreds of retailers who participate, including most of those in our own community!  St. Mary’s receives a rebate on each gift card purchase, and you use the gift card to shop like you normally do – in person or online.  How much the parish gets back depends on the retailer, but usually it’s between 2-10%, with some retailers offering up to 20%.  That may not seem like much, but with many people making purchases, those small rebates add up!  

 Although ShopWithScrip makes it possible to order physical gift cards distributed to you by the parish, St. Mary’s can currently only support the online purchase and distribution of gift cards.  Check it out HERE to learn more, and please consider giving it a try!  

Followup From Ugandan Shoe-Drive - Shoes Have Been Delivered!!!

Good news! All of the shoes donated last Lent to children in Uganda arrived last week and have been given to the children at Saint Joseph’s Aid society in Kigando, Uganda! Please note that the girls were not present at the time of this distribution, but rest assured, they will receive their shoes soon! A great feeling to see all of those happy faces.

Thank you to all who donated shoes. This drive will continue in future Lenten seasons.

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Message from Father Muddu Regarding Ugandan Shoe Drive

“Thanks to all who got a chance this past Lenten season to donate shoes for the boys and girls in Uganda. At the beginning of Lent, 35 pairs of shoes for both boys and girls were delivered in the shoe box. Unfortunately, the ongoing pandemic of Covid-19 shattered our drive which God willing with be pushed in the future Lent season. If you bought shoes and happen to keep them at your homes you can drop them off at church whenever you get a chance. I plan to ship them to Uganda soon.”

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New HVAC System Installed!!!

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As reported in an earlier update one of the two large HVAC systems that heats/cools the Church stopped working. It was determined that it was too old and costly to repair. Estimates to replace the unit were over $18,000.  Unfortunately, we had to replace all of the duct work connecting the system which added $5800 to the cost of the project. We were given a Home Mission Grant for $10,000 and are working to cover the rest of the costs through our general fund. 

 

The good news is that the project is now complete and the new unit is installed and working! Imagine when we all get back into St. Mary's how great it will be in the church.  

We would like to sincerely thank the Infrastructure Crew for their work to get this project completed. It meant meeting the company doing the work at the church, solving issues as they came up and keeping the project on track.

 

Home Mission Grant Given to Saint Mary of the Annunciation

 

In December of 2019, one of the two large HVAC systems that heats/cools the Church stopped working. It was determined that it was too old and costly to repair. Estimates to replace the unit was over $18,000. With limited cash on hand and other repairs that needed funding, we did not have the money necessary to complete the purchase. We requested an emergency Home Mision Grant from the Diocesan Home Mission Program. We have been blessed to have been granted $10,000. This means we can move forward with the purchase the unit without taking out any additional loans.

 

We would like to sincerely thank the Diocese of Richmond for making this grant available to us.   Home Mission Grant funding is provided through the Diocesan Annual Appeal. It is part of the Office of the Propagation of Faith, a Diocesan branch of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith. This office helps in the procurement of funds for the support of Catholic mis- sions in Virginia, the United States and in foreign countries. It administers the Mission Cooperative Program and the Home Mission Grant program to support our mission parishes. It also provides aide to smaller parishes such as Saint Mary of the Annunci- ation outside of the Home Mission designation.

 

Money our parishioners donate to the Diocesan Annual Appeal, reaches a broad range of those in need from our Diocese. As the Diocesan Annual Appeal kicks off for 2020, please contribute with the good of the whole Diocese in mind.