"Good stewards" make Centennial Campaign a success

November 21, 2002

Dear Friends In Christ,

Over the past few months, you've probably heard me utter this phrase; "I would rather die for the faith than raise money for it!" Then, in the next breath, I would ask for a donation! Thus goes the life of a bishop.

Earlier this year, in recognition of our 100th anniversary, we launched the Centennial Campaign for Excellence. The $20 million diocesan-wide campaign was designed to address four critical needs of our Church: teacher salaries in Catholic Schools, adult formation, multicultural ministries and Catholic Charities. During the ensuing months, I have had the good fortune to visit with hundreds of the faithful about the relevance of our goals. You are opened your mind and heart to that message and I am humbled with your response.

In this issue of The Globe, we are pleased to present this update to the diocese on the success of the Centennial Campaign for Excellence. The news is overwhelmingly positive. More than 12,000 of the faithful made a commitment to the campaign. Some of the gifts were in the single digits, others were six figures. In every instance, the gift was critical to the success of the campaign. You'll read in these pages that the current number stands at just under $15 million. Given current market conditions and critical issues within the Church, that response is tremendous and reassuring.

My sincere thanks goes to the thousands of donors who truly epitomize the concept of "good stewards." I also extend my appreciation to the priests and volunteer lay leaders who worked so hard to make this campaign a success. I will always be grateful for what you have done to build and strengthen our church in the Diocese of Sioux City.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

†Most Rev. Daniel N. DiNardo
Bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City