Stewardship

The Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul is a unique treasure to Catholics in Chattanooga and the community at large. The Under One Roof Capital Campaign will provide funds to replace the leaking roof and gutters on the Basilica and update the heating and air conditioning systems. Any additional funds raised will help Sts. Peter and Paul renovate aging buildings to provide meeting space for thriving ministries in the parish. Your support will help preserve this beautiful Basilica for generations to come. Following the planning study and input from our parishioners, we have begun the first phase of our Under One Roof campaign and have the following resources to share with you:

Our Under One Roof projects are about to begin, and we are asking for your help with additional pledges. Due to the sharp price increases since the projects were originally quoted, we now need an additional $500,000 to meet expenses. We are asking everyone during this season of Lent to consider helping us raise this amount by making a new pledge or increasing your pledge. 

To give you a basic breakdown of our additional costs:

• The HVAC project doubled in cost (original quote was $450K; the current quote $900K).
• The roof project increased due to materials costs (from $750K to $900K).
• Several families will not be able to fulfill their pledges because they have moved, had death or illness, or have fallen on hard times (We estimate $50K-$110K).
• This totals about $700K more funds needed than we planned. We had allowed some extra room when we set our campaign goals, but not that much. We are now asking for $500,000 in pledges to make up the difference. If we don’t raise enough, we will need to get a loan. (Currently, we are debt-free as a parish.)

If you would like to help us, you can pick up a pledge card in the vestibule or contact the parish office at [email protected] or 423-266-1618.

We are grateful for those who support our parish offertory and our Under One Roof campaign, and we need your continued support to preserve our beautiful Basilica. We invite you to set up regular payments through our Online Giving to make your regular donations easier. 

Subject:  Heating and air replacement began this week!

Dear Basilica Parishioner,

We have been preparing for quite some time for the major renovations that have been supported by our Under One Roof capital campaign. I am pleased to announce that we have achieved several substantial milestones towards these endeavors. Allow me to share these steps in the journey with you so that you might celebrate with me what we are able to accomplish together.

The replacement of the heating and air system in the Basilica started this week! On Monday, April 25, the crew began the demolition necessary to begin removing the pipes and preparing the way for the new ductwork of the heating and air system we will be installing. We are on track and hopeful to finish that project by the end of July. 

Another milestone is that we are in the final negotiations of our contract with roof. The latest hold-up has been the permitting process for the scaffolding needed, due to our high roof and its steep pitch. It is my hope that by next week, we will see movement on that project, too.

We have achieved milestones in the funding of these projects as well. So far, the fruit of our $500,000 stretch campaign to cover the cost increases has been the generous gift of $129,882 in new pledges to our Under One Roof capital campaign, bringing the total pledged amount to $1,882,188. What an awesome sign of the support people have for our beautiful church building and our Strategic Priority of preserving this facility for generations to come!

But a second milestone on the financial side is that we have surpassed the $1 million mark in fulfilled pledges. This helps us cash-flow these expensive capital projects and helps keep our parish out of substantial debt. 

Keeping in mind these milestones, we have an eye towards their conclusion, which we hope will be sometime in August, when we will all bask in the glow of a dried-in new roof and state-of-the-art heating and air for our venerable old church building. In the meanwhile, we must bear the burden of inconvenience while these projects are carried out. 

Starting this coming Monday, May 2, our daily Masses will take place in the rectory chapel. This will present a unique set of challenges, to find adequate space for those accessing the Sacraments, with limited resources. We have posted signs that give further instructions that will be helpful for you. 

As soon as the roof project does begin, our adjacent parking lot will be out of commission for the duration of the time the crane is in use, which will present so many inconveniences that we will have to endure. We will let you know when that begins. 

A bright light in this is that our weekend Masses and sacraments will not be affected, and we will continue to have access to the church during those times, albeit without access to Varallo Parish Hall and the parking lot for a time. Of course, we are all familiar with the price of progress, and we have to fight the tendency to complain. I acknowledge that it will be frustrating, but I hope that you will join with me in anticipating the joy that these future projects’ completion will bring to our community of faith.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. David Carter, Pastor and Rector
The Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
stspeterandpaulbasilica.com