What A Cathedral Can Teach a Fundraiser

On an unusually warm day in the early fall of 1910, Thomas Conaty, then Bishop of the Diocese of Monterey – Los Angeles, returning from a Eucharistic Congress in Montreal, received a telegram from Patrick Ludden, the first Bishop of the Diocese of Syracuse. Requesting his presence at the dedication of the newly erected Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Bishop Conaty altered his travel plans to accommodate Bishop Ludden’s request.

Participating within “a brilliant and impressive ceremony in the presence of a great concourse of people,” Bishop Conaty and Bishop Ludden, standing with the newly completed sanctuary, consecrated the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on September 25, 1910.

Two generations after the Cathedral’s dedication, Walter Foery, Bishop of Syracuse, called upon the faithful of the Diocese of Syracuse to support a massive renovation of the Cathedral. Over the span of two years, the decorative motif of the Cathedral’s interior was redesigned, essential operating systems were replaced and a baptistery and a day chapel were added to the existing footprint.

Over a half a century later the Diocese of Syracuse would consider a third restoration of their Cathedral, and would turn to Changing Our World in order to realize a new vision for the diocesan mother church.

A Diocese At The Crossroads

When established from territory excised from the Diocese of Albany, the 5,500 square miles comprising the Diocese of Syracuse contained numerous communities that the beneficiaries of one of the fastest growing commercial sectors in the United States. The Erie Canal, bisecting the Diocese of Syracuse, served as an essential corridor for the transportation of both raw materials and finished goods between the East Coast and the communities west of the Mississippi River. Over time, great American brands such as Beechnut, Carrier, Corning, Oneida and IBM would claim the cities within the Diocese of Syracuse as their corporate headquarters and, over time, these communities grew and economically flourished.

As the use of the Erie Canal declined in the twentieth century and under increasing global competition, many of the companies that had served as economic engines within the cities of central New York relocated to larger, more centrally located venues. As such, as in much of the Northeast, until the advent of the twenty first century, the urban cores within the Diocese of Syracuse experienced significant decreases in population and contended with decreasing levels of economic prosperity. Amid these economic and demographic shifts, the Diocese of Syracuse experienced, as many of their neighboring dioceses had, decreasing levels in mass attendance.

The dawn of a new century saw the emergence of emerging industries making their home in the cities and communities within the Diocese of Syracuse. These new firms, many of them operating in the burgeoning technology sector, quickly reclaimed those spaces vacated by the previous occupants and, over time, began to settle a new generation in the cities and towns of western New York.

As population and economic trending began to improve within the Diocese of Syracuse, so too did the performance of diocesan fundraising programs, and, by 2015, , the diocesan annual program had increased over thirty five percent and was experiencing record participation levels.

It was at this moment of abundance that the Diocese of Syracuse turned to the renovation of its mother church, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

A Hearth of Devotion For The People

Although the maintenance of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception had been ongoing since its dedication in 1910, the impact of both use and the harsh winters of central New York had, over time, significantly compromised essential operating systems. The slate roof, set in place when the Cathedral was constructed, had numerous leaks that had damaged interior decorative surfaces. An underfloor heating system was failing, resulting in the buckling of the Cathedral’s tile floor. Additionally, electrical systems were aged and interior paint schemes were faded.

Prior to considering fundraising counsel, the Diocese of Syracuse embarked upon a year long planning process involving leaders from the community, the diocese and parishes, to develop a plan to address a growing list of deficiencies within the Cathedral. This planning process would become an essential element that would ensure the success of the campaign to restore the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception – We Are All Its Guardians

Upon engagement by the Diocese of Syracuse, Changing Our World identified the core challenges associated with the successful realization of this campaign:

• The Diocese of Syracuse is geographically expansive, with some parish communities almost three hours from the city of Syracuse. As such, many of the faithful within those communities have either never or have rarely been to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
• In a previous study conducted by the Diocese of Syracuse, the diocesan presbyterate indicated that “supporting the Cathedral in the context of a diocesan wide campaign” was their least favored case element. As clergy would be leading this campaign on a local level, engendering the support of the presbyterate was essential to campaign success.
• Prior to the start of the campaign, the national media reported strong backlashes from the Holy See regarding varied capital improvement projects within dioceses and archdioceses within the United States. Clearly communicating the necessity and scope of this project was, therefore, essential.

Creating A Sense of Ownership

Although many of the faithful within the Diocese of Syracuse had little knowledge of or had never visited the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, establishing broad based support was essential for the success of this campaign. As such, the case for support did not begin with an explanation of the needs that would be addressed by the campaign or the essential role that a cathedral has in any diocese or archdiocese. Rather, Changing Our World first positioned this campaign as the stewardship of the significant sacrifices that were made by previous generations in the building of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. As such, significant emphasis was made in telling the story of the varied immigrant groups who had supported the initial construction and ongoing maintenance of the Cathedral. The story of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was not one about a building, but about the people who made the sacrifices to ensure that it was built. To support the case, Changing Our World engaged a producer to film a campaign video to be viewed on regional television.

Give What You Can – Not What We Tell You To Give

In order to garner the broad based support of clergy, Changing Our World conducted several regional meetings with the clergy of the Diocese of Syracuse to explain, in depth, the rationale for the campaign and to review the Cathedral’s restoration plans. Additionally, Changing Our World dispensed with the typical methodology of assigning mandatory participation “assessments” for each parish, simply requesting each pastor to do “the best they could.”

Communicate Often

Throughout the campaign and within all campaign collaterals, Changing Our World positioned the campaign as a restoration of the existing facility. As such, campaign collaterals stressed that the campaign was an exercise in stewardship.