Lord Renew Your Church

The school is working really hard to increase our enrollment.  Current size is 45 students k-5 with just as many in the pre-school.  We have become nationally certified in STEAM.  This is a national certification with only three other schools in the nation achieving accreditation.  The teachers and students are very excited about this program. One of the visions is to move the gym to a level above the new narthex on the same level as the STEM labs on the 3rd floor.

It is a requirement for all 185 parishes to participate in the Archdiocesan campaign.  The archdiocesan campaign started on January 1, 2025, and will end on June 30, 2029.  St. Bart’s decided to start on January 1, 2026.  We have felt that our weekly mass attendance has been increasing, and engagement and programs have ramped up in the last year.  We started Radical Hospitality, and it’s been a huge hit.  We want to capitalize on that!  Great stock market too!

In the Fall, 2025, we held a number of listening sessions that involved a cross section of our parish and school community.  During the listening sessions, these were the four things that were consistently discussed. There were many things discussed and are still visions for the future – gym on upper level, revamped lower level, 2nd elevator, etc.

40% up to $2.63 million raised and not more than $1.447 million in total. The more we raise the more we retain.  Once we hit $5.2m we retain 100% of money. 

Pledges can be made and/or paid online by going to the online donation page or by completing a pledge card and mailing it back to the office or drop it in the offertory basket.  Pledges can be paid by credit card, check, ACH, stock, retirement fund and Donor Advised Funds.  Pledges can be spread out over three years. Does not have to be equal amounts each year.

Marilyn Nelson – mnelson@st-barts.org or 952-745-4572.  If you are going to donate stock, please let Marilyn know.

41- 0711478, Acct # RP06704, DTC # 0221 needed for stock transfer donations

We hope that all will continue their regular stewardship pledge. Stewardship pledges pay for the general operations of the church and school.  Capital campaign funds are extraordinary funds that go to specific capital initiatives.

2014.  We raised $4 million to retire the debt on the mortgage on the church.  Before that was 2007 when we built the new church.  We raised $7 million then.

We are ahead in our stewardship collections.  We have $2.3 million in our savings account, and we have a nearly $2 million Education endowment which allows annual withdrawals of earnings.

The Archdiocese assigned us a goal of $2.63 million which is based on 138% of our stewardship giving.  We have established a stretch goal of $6 million to fund our opportunities.

So much.  Kids are enjoying their individualized, small class size.  We raised funds for two new STEM rooms and they are all outfitted with robotic lego programs, three 3D printers and space to explore.  We also just received a nearly $200,000 gift to fund Principal Vance’s wish list which includes updating the library, purchasing new furniture for the classrooms, training for the teachers in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and much more.  This fall, after what happened with Annunciation School, we met with Homeland Security and other security companies to ensure our students and staff are safe.  Again, thanks to generous parents and grandparents additional security practices and items have been put in place.