Stewardship

Thanks to all who have already begun making your donations to the Under One Roof campaign! We are relying on your donations to pay for the roof work that will be starting soon. If you have not yet done so, we invite you to set up regular payments through our Online Giving. This will save us from contacting everyone individually on a regular basis to remind you about each payment. 

Dear Parishioners,

    I would like to thank everyone who turned in a Commitment Card for our Under One Roof campaign at one of the Masses last weekend. Through the generosity of our supporters and the hard work of our campaign volunteers, our pledge total at the time I write this is approaching $1.6 million! I am very grateful for the generosity of our supporters and excited that we are moving closer and closer to our goal of installing a new roof and upgrading the HVAC for the Basilica along with renovating areas in the parish to provide additional meeting space for our thriving ministries.

     With large campaigns such as the one we have undertaken, it is very difficult to contact all supporters. It takes a large volunteer effort from parishioners who have busy lives themselves. If you have not been contacted regarding the campaign and weren’t at Mass last weekend, call the parish office to make your pledge or go online to stspeterandpaulbasilica.com and click “Give Online.”

Sincerely in Christ Jesus,

Fr. David Carter
Pastor and Rector

Question: How did you come up with my request amount?
Your request amount is based on giving history and answers shared in the planning study. Our goal is to challenge everyone to support the Basilica in a meaningful and sacrificial way that works for each family.

Question: Why should I support the campaign?
For 130 years, Sts. Peter and Paul has served as the mother church of the Chattanooga area. Catholics gather under her roof today just as they did 130 years ago to worship and grow in their Catholic faith. We are the current stewards of this magnificent Basilica, and it is our duty and privilege to care for it. The needs of the Basilica are real. The leaky roof needs immediate attention. We need to bring the heating and air conditioning up to current standards. We need additional meeting space. Let us pray for guidance on our pledges to ensure this effort is a success.

Question: Does the Diocese of Knoxville get any share of the funds that are raised in the Under One Roof campaign?
The answer to that question is no. The previous HOME campaign was conducted by the Diocese of Knoxville primarily for the goal of building the new Cathedral in Knoxville. 50% of the funds we raised in the HOME campaign remained at our parish and funded, among other initiatives, our recent sanctuary renovation. In contrast, our current Under One Roof campaign is a Basilica campaign. 95% of the funds raised will stay here in our parish to replace our roof, repair and upgrade our heating and air conditioning, and renovate areas in the parish to provide more meeting space for our ministries. 5% of the funds raised will be donated to our sister parish in Haiti, who recently lost their church to fire.

Question: What are the various ways of giving?
There are a number of different ways to give to the campaign: check, credit cards, or gifts of stock and other appreciated assets. Another giving option, if you are at least 70½ years old and own a traditional IRA is a Charitable Rollover, also called a “qualified charitable distribution.” This is a direct transfer of up to $100,000 from your Traditional IRA to a qualified charity like the Basilica’s Under One Roof campaign. Because the donation is made directly to the campaign, you benefit by not being required to count the donated amount as income for tax purposes. This can be particularly helpful in excluding all or part of your required minimum distribution. We suggest you contact your financial advisor for more information and to see if it makes sense for you. If you choose to do it, instruct your IRA trustee or administrator to make the contribution from your IRA directly to the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. They will have forms for you to complete.

See our Frequently Asked Questions flyer for more information.