November 2

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Given the fact that this weekend, the parish’s Stewardship Report is available, which outlines where the parish is in terms of the finances, ongoing maintenance projects, and the ministry and sacramental numbers, I thought it would be appropriate to give an update on the parish’s ongoing Capital Campaign project.

First, let me very briefly, summarize the Capital Campaign for anyone that needs a refresher or is unfamiliar with it. We embarked upon a fundraising effort with two particular goals in mind: the construction of an additional PreK building to meet the burgeoning population and high demand for our existing program and to establish an endowment for the school. In order to accomplish this, we envisioned reaching a goal of somewhere between $1.5-1.8 Million, as was established by a feasibility study done by Ruotolo Associates, the same company we contracted to help run the actual Capital Campaign as well. Having begun the quiet phase in the Fall of 2023, we proceeded through the pledge phase in the hopes of wrapping it up in the early Fall of 2024. As we are now in the Fall of 2025, we find ourselves in the redemption phase of the campaign itself.

But where did we actually land with any of these things? In terms of money pledged versus the overall goal, the reality is, the campaign only received a little over $1.1 Million, of which approximately $725,000 has come in. Now, I’m extraordinarily grateful to all the families and individuals who have so generously given, and I’m proud of these results. But realistically, it fell short of the goal, with a variety of factors playing into that: changes in staffing at Ruotolo, the general economy, my own inexperience with the process, the timeline of the campaign, etc.

And in a very real way, the needs of the parish have changed. Now that the Cinnaminson School District is offering free PreK for residents through a State grant, the demand for our PreK program has stabilized and by all indications, we no longer need the additional classroom space. That said, the parish AND school could really use some additional space for meetings and other activities, though the physical size of such a building would seem to be less. But the need of for an endowment I hope is evident, given the Stewardship Report and the sizeable subsidy paid by the parish this past year.

And so, for those that have made a pledge to the campaign, please expect a letter in the next week or so, outlining the adjustments to the campaign, confirming your information regarding your current pledge, and the opportunity on your part to continue or adjust your pledge given these changes. Again, I want to thank all our parishioners for their continued support of the parish: financially, spiritually, in ministry, and beyond. St. Charles exists because of your efforts and support, and everyone helps contribute to the beautiful parish we have.