Parishes rush to meet Centennial Campaign goals
By Daniel F. DeLong, Globe editor
Posted April 11, 2002

CHARTER OAK - For Father Richard Ball, life is full of blessed moments - even when it comes to raising money.

Father Ball splits his time between three small parishes - Charter Oak St. Boniface, Ute St. Mary and Dow City St. Mary - putting about 30,000 miles on his car every year. While most people might find that schedule to be tiresome, he says it is invigorating.

"I truly enjoy every aspect of it," Father Ball said.

The best part of the job is the people who make up his parishes, generous folks who have moved quickly in response to the Centennial Campaign for Excellence of the Diocese of Sioux City.

One night recently Father Ball was driving home from a training session with St. Boniface parishioner Jim Sailer.

During the ride, Sailer told his pastor, "We have to succeed in making our goal. I don't want to stand before God some day and have him ask me about this opportunity and have to tell him that we failed."

Sailer, a farmer and father of six, mobilized the Knights of Columbus and together they made short work of reaching the goal.

"It only took about a month," Sailer said. "We simply divided up the list and called on people."

The parishioner said most people knew about the campaign and its goal, and understood exactly what had to be done.

"Some people made excuses," Sailer recalled. "But this effort is much more important than how some people would rather spend their money on things like going to the movies or something else."

The $20 million capital campaign is extremely important to all of the parishes in the diocese.

The funds will be used for the following endowments: $2 million for multi-cultural ministries; $3 million for adult formation, religious education and youth ministry; $4.5 million for Catholic Charities and $10.5 million for Catholic schools.

With about $5.2 million already raised, the campaign is now at about 26 percent of its goal.

"We are grateful and enthused with the response we have seen from all parts of the diocese," said Jim Wharton, director of stewardship and planned giving. "The Centennial Campaign for Excellence is gaining momentum and we continue to pray that all parishioners will lend their support to this crucial initiative."

At Ute St. Mary, another one of Father Ball's parishes, organizers found that members were eager to help.

Jeff Gotto, who along with his wife, Diane, and about 30 KC members, managed to reach the parish goal in about a month.

"It's a pretty hard thing to ask people for money," conceded Gotto, "so we tried to divide our list by friends and relatives."

In the end, Gotto said, the "combined effort" by all of those who participated worked well.

Father Ball's other parish, St. Mary of Dow City, is just getting started. The effort is being organized by Allen Thams and Jim Muff.

"All parishes, like people, have different personalities," Father Ball said. "I am certain that Dow City will do just as well as the other two parishes."