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.
It is with immense joy and heartfelt gratitude that I announce the launch of Called to Renew at St. John the Baptist Church! This campaign will provide needed funding for parishes throughout the Archdiocese and especially allow us to beautify our parish and complete some once-in-a-lifetime, incredibly important projects that I want to share with you in the following page.
Each parish has been given a goal for the campaign to be completed in the next 5 years. Our goal is $1,135,000, of which 50 percent will remain at our parish. We will also retain 100 percent of the funds we collect over our goal. If our campaign is successful, we will receive enough funds to cover the costs of our proposed projects which will strengthen our community for many years to come.
St. John the Baptist has a rich history in Baldwin Park. Called to Renew will ensure we can continue to be a vital presence in our community.Your family has likely celebrated many rites of passage here, such as Baptism and First Communion. You may have exchanged wedding vows in our church or bid farewell to a loved one in the comfort of your spiritual home. Truly, our parish plays a vital role throughout our lives.
Just as we now benefit from the generosity of those who came before us, we, too, are called to renew our Church to ensure future generations can worship and encounter Christ.
Please take a moment to prayerfully discern how you can most generously support this campaign. I also encourage you to consider making a five-year pledge, which will allow us the best opportunity to reach our goal. This is a wonderful parish, and I am amazed at how our community has always worked together to meet needs that arise. I know you will do whatever you can to make this campaign a success.
We entrust our Called to Renew campaign to the intercessions of our Blessed Mother and our patron, St. John the Baptist.
Pledged over 5 years for the Called to Renew Campaign.
Our Parish Receives
$567,500
To renew our parish and strengthen ministries.
Parish Needs
Church Restroom Renovations
This improvement would rebuild the restrooms for the church, making them safer, more accessible, more environmentally friendly, larger and useful for the community. This has been a frequent topic for parishioners.
Adoration Chapel
Our parish is privileged that it has an Adoration Chapel open twenty-four hours seven days a week. It is a blessing to announce that we plan to remodel it, to beautify it and especially to attend to some safety concerns for people who come late at night to pray.
Retreat Center
This improvement would create a retreat center along with a reflection garden. It would allow for more spiritual development and events, while also lessening shortage of meeting and event space. It will create a space to organize kerygmatic retreats helping more people have an encounter with Christ and grow in their Faith.
Parking Lot
The parking lot is the first thing people see when they come on campus. This improvement will reseal and renew the parking lot using part of our Called to Renew funds. It will allow us to plant some trees to beautify the space. Most importantly it will allow us to redesign and increase the number of parking spaces. It will also look at ways to improve drainage issues during storms. This will create a more welcoming and safe environment.
Lighting for Parking Lot, Church and Classrooms
Improved lighting will make St. John the Baptist safer and also be more environmentally friendly for the many events and users of the facilities.
Youth/LIFETEEN Room
We want to create a more youth friendly room for the youth and LIFETEEN programs. The youth are the future of the Church. We want to support them in whatever way we can so they can succeed as they grow and journey as disciples of Christ.
Parish School Ceiling and Teachers’ Lounge
The school is an important part of our parish community. Perhaps you have children who have attended, or currently attend our school. Maybe you are an alumnus. Studies show that students who attend Catholic Schools are more likely to remain Catholic as adults. We want to support our school by repairing the ceiling in the hallway, making it safer for use by the school and religious education program students and teachers. We also plan to create a teachers’ lounge adjacent to the classrooms to support the teachers by giving them a place to rest, have lunch or have meetings.
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.