Campaign Goal: $20 million

Our responsibility as Catholics is to ensure future generations of disciples are well-formed, prepared and excited to embrace and share their faith with our world. We continually seek to support the spiritual development of our children and young adults as well as engage them in educational and formational opportunities.

There are three priorities within the pillar of Forming our Emerging Disciples:

Catechist Training | Catholic Schools
Campus Ministry

Faith Formation

An increasing number of children learn the faith in our parishes. An estimated 80,000 children in the diocese are enrolled in parish religious education programs, and this number will continue to increase as the Catholic population does. We must create vigorous and engaging programs for youth that address current cultural conditions, the realities of family life and the needs of diverse parishes. Expanded adult formation opportunities are also needed, ranging from catechesis and spiritual direction to retreats and sacramental preparation. In addition, we must work to provide essential resources directly to parishes, whether they are small and rural or large and suburban. These resources may include technology for remote learning, continuing education and certification for catechists, and financial support for parishes unable to employ religious education staff.

Providing a full spectrum of formation opportunities, from childhood through young adulthood, will ensure we are preparing, cultivating and emerging the next generation of disciples and leaders for our church.

Catechist Training & Certification: $7 million

Ensuring catechists and catechetical leaders are well-prepared to teach the faith is a key component of the commission to form all generations of Catholics into, in the words of Pope Francis, “missionary disciples” of Jesus Christ. Encountering Christ will set aside $7 million to support parish catechist training and certification efforts, including hosting webinars or onsite trainings for rural locations; developing partnerships with other Catholic institutions for advanced catechist preparation and education the diocese cannot provide on its own; and investing in Spanish-language catechetical training. In addition, we will help parishes find new and creative approaches to faith formation — both individually and in collaboration with others — and acquire the resources needed to upgrade and enhance their religious education programs. Of the $7 million, $3.5 million will immediately benefit these initiatives and the remaining $3.5 million will be set aside in an endowment to guarantee the long-term sustainability of these efforts and to meet future needs.

Catholic Schools: $6 million

Our 22 Catholic schools teach the faith to another 5,000 children and youth in our diocese. Catholic schools provide students with a comprehensive, faith-based education, preparing their minds for college and their hearts for discipleship.

Catholic schools play an important role in our diocese, and ensuring cost prevents no family from attending is a priority of Encountering Christ. An estimated 34 percent of families enrolled in Catholic schools require tuition assistance, and our diocese can do more to make Catholic education available to more families. We will reserve $5 million to establish a scholarship fund. This endowment will help us welcome more children to our schools for years to come, and spread the benefits of a Catholic education to more families.

In addition to increasing access to our Catholic schools, we must also invest in their continued excellence. A key component of educational success lies in equipping our schools with the tools needed to supplement and enhance their teaching. Encountering Christ will provide $1 million to the Advancing Our Mission Endowment, which provides grants to teachers and schools to make upgrades and purchase technology or other materials. These grants empower our schools by providing what they need to offer the strongest and most comprehensive educational experiences possible.

Campus Ministry: $7 million

Formation and catechesis continue after high school graduation, when youth enter young adulthood. Our diocese boasts one of the largest populations of Catholic college students in the country. Tens of thousands of college students across 14 colleges and universities in our area are served by campus ministry, missions and six university Catholic centers. These programs are vital to the life of our diocese, and we must continue to enhance them as well as our engagement with students.

Many of our campus ministry offices require building upgrades, expansions or improved signage and visibility. Although they may conduct their own fundraising, their teams are typically limited in their capacity to devote themselves to the level of fundraising activity necessary to be successful. We will reserve $7 million from Encountering Christ for our current campus ministry programs, including supporting capital investments so campuses have spacious and visible facilities to welcome and minister to students.