We are asking all parishioners to support four important stewardship initiatives:
October 18, 2024
Dear Basilica Parishioner,
I love the fall! I think it stems from the fact that I was born in the fall. The cooler weather gives us a break from the heat of summer and prepares us for the many festivities, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, that are soon to follow. But it also becomes a season of nostalgia in which we recall all the many good things that have come to us throughout the year and then give thanks for the blessings received. 2024 has been a full year here at Sts. Peter and Paul. And there is still so much yet to come. From our ongoing efforts to renovate our aging facilities to the many efforts to accommodate our growing and active community, all these things have been possible because of the generosity of the people of Sts. Peter and Paul. Even though we are scheduled to do a major renovation to the St. Dominic building, we have not gone into debt, and the response to the summer pledge drive was very favorable.
The success of our parish is aided by the capacity to budget. This means giving in a recordable way through the use of the envelopes, a check, or our online giving option. Every year, we have a new opportunity to make our stewardship pledge to the parish. We will conduct the in-pew pledge on Oct. 26-27 and Nov. 2-3. Our total offertory collection has grown by 8% from last year, but our growth in attendance and expenses are increasing at a faster pace than the offertory. Currently only 64% of registered parishioners are participating in our offertory in a recordable way, and there are many who have not yet registered. I am inviting everyone who calls the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul your home parish, especially families who have never pledged before, to make a stewardship commitment. Please see our Annual Stewardship Appeal pledge form and consider the convenient option of Online Giving. Take a moment and pray how the Lord is directing you to make a return to Him from the goodness He has shown to you. Thank you for your continued generosity!
Sincerely in Christ,
Very Rev. J. David Carter, JCL, JV, Pastor and Rector
As an alternative to the paper pledge form, you may download and fill out the above form, save the document, and email it to [email protected].
You may also set up Online Giving here to make your pledge payments easier.
When [Jesus] looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”
— Luke 21:1-4
2023 Stewardship (10-22-23)
Stewardship: Remain faithful (10-16-22)
Money (1-31-21) / Dinero (31 de enero de 2021)
LISTEN
Render to God What Is God's (10-18-20)
Stewardship: A Christian Imperative (8-4-19)
LISTEN
Please help us reach 100% participation!
To make your stewardship commitment, please complete the form below (fill it out electronically or on a hardcopy) and place it in the offertory basket or turn it in to the parish office. You may also email your completed form to [email protected].
Thank you for your generous gift, which helps to sustain our parish and our priests!
You may recall that when we began the Under One Roof project in 2021, we highlighted the needs of our historic St. Dominic Building. We’ve been scraping by for years with an unreliable boiler and window AC units, and one year when the boiler failed, we had to resort to kerosene heaters. We were unable to address these infrastructure upgrades during the Under One Roof renovations, but the time has come. We need to raise $500,000 this summer to install an HVAC system and the required electrical updates to support our religious education and all the programs that meet in the St. Dominic Building.
We will conduct a pledge drive at Mass the weekend of June 8 & 9, 2024, and we would like to complete the fund drive by the end of 2024.
Religious Education for all ages is vital to our Basilica community now and for generations to come. We ask that you prayerfully consider donating to support this fundamental priority of our parish. You can donate specifically to this project through our Online Giving under the St. Dominic option, or by check or cash with the note “St. Dominic”.
The first $100k donated will be matched by a generous Basilica family!
Donate Now
To make a pledge, please download the pledge form, fill it out, and return it to the collection or the parish office:
Donate Now
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Your gift not only funds many of the operations of the Diocese of Knoxville, it funds services that are of great help to the ministries here in our parish, including: Religious Education programs, Campus Ministry, Youth Ministry, Hispanic Ministry, Tribunal, and Catholic Charities. Each Appeal gift enables the diocese to build up the kingdom of God throughout East Tennessee. Please answer Bishop Stika’s request and make a commitment to the annual appeal.
Commitment Weekend is Feb. 3-4, 2024
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.