Capital Campaign Exceeds Goal
We are very excited to announce that “A Century of Capuchin Love & Service,” the campaign to help provide critical care for our older friars, has reached its target - as of April 1, nearly $4,150,000 in cash and pledges has been raised towards our Phase I target of $4 million!
The appeal began in January of 2012, and gifts to thecampaign have ranged from under $1,000 to greater than $100,000.
Fr. Matthew Elshoff, OFM Cap, Provincial Minister, expresses the friars’ deep appreciation, “Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the generous support of so many friends of the Capuchins throughout the Western America Province. The success of this campaign allows us to address immediate critical needs as well as long term ones. On behalf of the Capuchin friars, I want to thank all of you for your wonderful support, prayerful, moral, and financial. With grateful hearts our prayers are with you.”
The campaign’s success is due to the wonderful generosity of our friends and the dedication of our volunteer campaign Committee members (they are listed below). Their support of the Capuchins and this effort has been a source of great inspiration and strength!
In California, there are 16 Capuchin friars over the age of 70 and another seven over 65. Presently, the average cost to care for a friar in a friary is approximately $29,000 per year. Some friars need specialized care that cannot be provided in the friaries, and the average cost to care for a friar in a skilled nursing facility is approximately $80,000 per year.
Given these costs, the campaign’s success is especially significant. As Steve Rauwolf, CFO for the Western America Province, notes, “Thanks to the generosity of all the donors, the success of the campaign has established a solid financial foundation of funds to build upon for the current and future care of the retired friars.”
For more informationcontact Fr. Donal Burke, OFM Cap., the Province’s Vice-President for Advancement, or Rod Linhares, Director of Development, at 650-347-1505.
Click here to find out WHY this campaign is so critical to the Future of our Friars.
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