Our community is excited to participate alongside all parishes, missions and Catholic centers in the Archdiocese to strengthen and renew our Church for the future. Please continue reading to learn how this campaign will benefit us.
The seeds of our parish go back to January 1973, when the first Mass in Canyon Country was celebrated in a multipurpose room at Canyon High School. Almost immediately, the growing community moved to the gymnasium and then into our original church, which is now the Father Henry J. Banks Community Center.
Over the years, we have been blessed with the ability to purchase additional property and to build classrooms, meeting spaces, and our permanent church. Whenever a need presents itself, we proudly respond. In the last few years alone, we replaced the church roof and made extensive repairs to the parking lot.
St. Clare also has a proud history of working within the local community. Our annual Lenten fish fry builds fellowship while raising money to benefit our area’s most vulnerable. Each year, we support groups like A Bridge to Home, Family Promise, the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry, and the SCV Pregnancy Center, as well as offer direct assistance to those who find themselves in need.
Archbishop Gomez has now asked our parish to participate in Called to Renew. This capital and ministry campaign will provide much-needed funding for parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, including ours, as well as strengthen ministries and programs in the region.
Each parish has been given a goal for the campaign. Our goal is $975,000, of which 50 percent will remain within the parish. The funds raised for the Archdiocese will help other parishes, provide services to the most vulnerable in society, help fund religious education and faith formation programs, and support vocations to the priesthood. The funds remaining in our parish will benefit religious education and facility needs you can read about on the following page.
This is a unique opportunity for us to help provide for our needs and the needs of others. I invite you to prayerfully consider making a five-year pledge, which will allow us the best opportunity to make our goal. Please help make this a successful campaign for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and St. Clare.
Pledged over 5 years for the Called to Renew Campaign.
Our Parish Receives
$487,500
To renew our parish and strengthen ministries.
Parish Needs
Energy-Efficient Air Conditioning
Dating back to 1987, our current air conditioning system is too small for the building and is the church’s largest electricity drain. Installing new, larger air conditioning units will cool the space more quickly and efficiently, decrease our monthly utility expenses, and make our worship more comfortable.
Technological Improvements for Religious Education
Religious education is a top priority for our parish, and we strive to find create ways to engage students in our faith. Improving our classroom technology to be state of the art will enrich the experiences of parishioners, staff members, and students.
Religious Education Endowment for Programs
In order for religious education to remain a vital ministry of our community, we must secure funding for the future. Establishing an endowment will allow us to provide scholarships for students unable to afford fees, train and certify catechists, support teen mission trips, update our youth fellowship room, and ensure staff members are fully trained in religious education development and sustainment for years to come.
A Bold Plan of Renewal
We — the Catholic faithful — are the agents of renewal for Church and society. I am grateful for this opportunity to walk alongside clergy and parishioners in strengthening our parishes and ministries, the heart of our Archdiocese.