Each parish in the diocese is rooted in the church but has its own identity and charism — and unique needs. Encountering Christ will have a significant impact on parishes, with $22.5 million of the campaign’s $85 million goal remaining in parishes to address local needs.

Saint Mary, Church of the Assumption has much to be thankful for. God has blessed us abundantly and we are called to reflect on the many blessings the Lord has given us and, recognizing that all our material goods are gifts from the Lord, give back a portion of these gifts in thanksgiving for God's generosity and goodness to us.

Our parish goal is $330,000. If we meet our goal, we will receive $99,000 to meet local needs. In addition, we will retain 70 percent of any money raised over the goal. After prayerful thought and consideration, we have decided to focus on three major areas in our parish:

1. Adding $20,000 toward our Catholic education tuition assistance fund,
2. Adding $10,000 for our homeless lunch program and
3. Adding $69,000 for current maintenance and facility needs.

$20,000 toward our Catholic education tuition assistance fund
Saint Mary’s parish, through its school trust fund, provides tuition assistance for students from the parish who attend local Catholic schools. The trust fund also provides financial support to our parish religious education program. Funds received from the Encountering Christ Campaign will help maintain this trust fund into the future.

$10,000 for our homeless lunch program
Our homeless lunch program has fed upward of 1,100 mouths a month for 10 years, as well as provided toiletries, feminine products and warm winter clothes. This program is entirely funded with donations and run by volunteers, many of whom are younger members of our parish. Allocating campaign funds to our homeless lunch program will greatly expand our positive impact on the surrounding community.

$69,000 for current maintenance and facility needs
The remainder of our parish rebate will be directed toward installing a new sprinkler system around the church, updating the church sound system, replacing the broken retaining wall behind the rectory, resealing the parking lot, purchasing new hymnals to replace the current set that is over 20 years old and adding to our maintenance contingency fund.

Encountering Christ allows us to continue to advance Christ’s mission by joining together to address the needs of the diocese as well as the variety of needs our growing parish must address. The funds we receive from Encountering Christ will be directed toward our homeless lunch program, our Catholic education tuition assistance fund, and several of our parish’s current maintenance and facility needs.

This campaign will help us build a secure future for Saint Mary's by enabling us to begin to complete the vision set forth by past generations and ensure the church’s presence in the lives of our children and grandchildren. Every family in the parish will be invited to consider a sacrificial gift to Encountering Christ in the spirit of Christian stewardship. As we have been blessed, let us support the Encountering Christ Capital Campaign as Christians stewards and with God's grace we will continue to be an anchor of the Catholic faith in Waco.