Jan. 11, 2017

Carthage - When Father Donald A. Robinson became pastor of St. James Church in June 2015, one of the first things he noticed was the beauty of the Church steeple. 

But with a closer examination, it was discovered that the three windows at the very top of the tower were in bad disrepair.  The frames around the glass windows had deteriorated so badly that one of the first duties of the new pastor was to replace the windows. 

That emergency repair led to a closer examination and survey of the entire tower and it was determined that the tower and also the exterior side walls of the Church needed critical repair work.

After numerous consultations with the trustees, the parish finance council and parish pastoral council, it was decided that the only way to address the needed stabilization of the tower was to conduct a capital campaign. 
The parish groups also believed that it was an appropriate time to freshen and update the interior of the church with new paint and flooring.  The church is also in need of new lighting. 

The firm of John Kearns and Associates from Orchard Park, New York, was retained to design and conduct the parish capital campaign which began in September.  The goal of the campaign was set at $850,000. 

The campaign theme chosen was: Inherited From The Past – Preserving For The Future. This theme seemed appropriate as the Church is over 150 years old and the present 900 families are the beneficiaries of a magnificent inheritance from many previous parishioners of St. James.  The St. James faith community was challenged to build on the foundation laid by the good and faithful parishioners of long ago.

The campaign program consisted of six receptions organized for the parishioners,  followed by home visits for those unable to attend the receptions.  

Parishioners were encouraged to make sacrificial pledges in order to ensure the success of the campaign.  There were different levels of contributions ranging from Leadership Gifts to Major Gifts to Community Gifts.
Wayne McIlroy and Robert Sliger served as co-chairs for the drive.

On the weekend of the Feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 8, Father Robinson announced that the Capital Campaign had exceeded its goal and had reached a level of $877,000 in donations and pledges.  An open house at the St. James Parish House was planned for that day to celebrate the successful conclusion of the campaign.

With diocesan approval, it is hoped that the restoration work on the tower will begin this Spring/Summer. 
The interior updates should begin at about the same time.  Lupini Construction, Utica will complete the exterior repair.