Growing in Faith aims to support Cardinal Nichols’ vision for the future of our Diocese. His vision is to have:
- Parishes which are sound, prayerful and sustainable
- Priests who are strengthened in their commitment, well formed, sustained in ministry and old age and renewed by new vocations
- A vibrant programme of outreach to those in need in every parish with the active support of our Diocese
After much consultation with clergy and laity from across the Diocese, Growing in Faith is a special fundraising campaign, which will help us build on our strong history and will see parishes working together to address our shared needs. Growing in Faith aims to support the Diocese through prayer, volunteering and financial support.
Our priorities have a cost to them and there is no doubt that we must generate additional funding to support these needs. This is the consequence of having a desire to grow – for our parishes, our priests, and our ministry to the poor.
Parishes which are sound, prayerful and sustainable
Every parish will have the opportunity to participate and parishes are the single largest beneficiaries of the campaign. Some will use Growing in Faith to invest in pastoral and spiritual programmes, while others will renew and expand their facilities. For example, individual parishes or groups of parishes working together could:
- Improve catechesis to help parishioners become more knowledgeable and confident in their faith.
- Develop volunteering to increase their involvement in the life of the parish and the wider community.
- Renovate parish buildings, including churches, presbyteries and parish halls.
- Support other parishes that are vibrant and rich in spirit but poor in financial resource.
Our Future as a Diocese, as a Parish – Growing in Faith
To grow in faith is something we can do as an individual or together as a community. Growing in Faith is a diocesan initiative which offers us as individuals the opportunity to reflect upon our personal commitment and contribution to the life of the Church. At the same time, Growing in Faith gives us, as a community the opportunity to focus on the three pillars of the Cardinal’s vision:
- The vibrancy of parish life.
- The sacramental dimension to our faith which is so central to all we do and which is facilitated and underpinned by the training, formation and care of the clergy.
- Our response to the “Social Gospel” which sees its greatest expression in Catholic social teaching and action.
Growing in Faith is also an opportunity to do something practical that can enhance our parish life through a parish project.
Invested Needed
Our Parish Project
We are blessed to have a church of great beauty, which was wonderfully restored through the hard work and generosity of many of you, but there is one area in which there is still work to be done. The east end is bright and beautiful but the body of the church is gloomy and it is almost impossible even to read a missal or a hymnbook! Many of the present fittings are broken, and are no longer made, so we must look at a scheme to relight the church and this will involve considerable expense!
Further to this, many of you are aware that the roof of the Presbytery has got to be replaced. Years of temporary repairs has left us with a huge task, for listed buildings require specialist repair!
And finally we do not have a decent hall! The room at number 62 is sadly inadequate and we are looking to see if space can be found and developed as a modern, purpose built venue.
It is quite impossible, at this stage, to estimate what all of these projects will cost but the vision and the initiative is there and we move forward hopefully to see what can be done.
Building for the Future.
To undertake our local project and play our part in Growing in Faith we have established a £235,000 target (a sum collected across the next 5 years) to be raised in pledges over the next 15 weeks. I know this is an ambitious figure, but one I believe is well within our capacity. The money we hope to raise will help to fund the initiatives outlined on the previous page as well as supporting the Cardinals’ vision.
Transparency and accountability
All funds raised through Growing in Faith are overseen by a Campaign Committee. All funds are ring-fenced and can only be used for the priorities outlined by Growing in Faith. All supporters will also receive regular updates.
Growing in Faith is a collective effort, with gifts and pledges advancing all aspects of the campaign. All funds raised will support projects that are consistent with the stated aims of the campaign. Local parish leaders and a Campaign Committee provide oversight to ensure that these ring-fenced funds are spent wisely. All supporters will receive regular updates from the Growing in Faith office.
To learn more about the campaign and what is happening around the Diocese, please visit the following:
St Thomas of Canterbury homepage:
The Growing in Faith website:
http://rcdow.org.uk/diocese/growing-in-faith/
The Caritas homepage:
The St. John Southworth Fund:
http://rcdow.org.uk/att/files/caritas/st+john+southworth/2011.pdf
St Thomas of Canterbury Fulham 