With our own Belvidere Catholic community in the mists of a building program, it is interesting to read about a a successful program elsewhere in the diocese. That parish was able to alter plans and diocesan demands to build a church which conformed to both its needs and financial abilities.
First the story from the Observer:
Click on the photocopy to enlarge:
The Chicago Tribune/WGN had a story on the groundbreaking and featured the history of this parish. The following is from: http://www.wgnradio.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-aurora-church-20110407,0,1783368.story?track=rss and represents just a short condensation of the story.
Originally attended by Aurora residents of French descent, Sacred Heart, at the corner of State and Fulton streets, has been a pillar of the community since 1898.
Now, the church holds three Spanish-language Masses that serve nearly 1,400 mostly Mexican immigrants, said the parish's pastor, Msgr. Arquimedes Vallejo.
The parishioners are tightknit — though many live in poverty — and they have a history of banding together to support the church, Vallejo said.
In 1987, as the parish faced a mounting debt, the diocese's Aurora Area Parish Planning Project recommended Sacred Heart merge with nearby St. Nicholas Parish.
But the merger proposal died after parishioners rallied and boosted the church's income by 20 percent.Instead of closing the parish, Sacred Heart's school folded and consolidated with two other area parochial schools. The consolidated school closed in 2009 due to lack of funding.
Authorities said a 15-year-old boy who had a previous arson conviction confessed that he started the 1998 fire with a lighter "for the fun of it." But a Kane County judge ruled in 1999 that the statement was inadmissible in court after the teen's defense attorney alleged that at least one investigator had lied about whether the teen had received an adequate explanation of his Miranda rights. The diocese did not press charges against the youth, said diocesan spokeswoman Penny Wiegert.
The parish received $1.2 million from insurance proceeds and used about $580,000 to pay down its debt, according to church officials. Tentative plans to build were approved in 1999 and again in 2005, but shelved by the diocese because of a lack of money. So parishioners got creative. They downsized building plans, held fundraisers and brought Sacred Heart's savings back up to about $1.2 million, Vallejo said. Last year, Bishop Thomas Dolan gave Sacred Heart the green light to rebuild.
Construction is expected to be completed by October, Vallejo said. The congregation needs about another $400,000, Vallejo said, but he is confident that will not be a problem.
"When the church was burned it was very painful for the community," Vallejo said. "The (parishioners) had this feeling that 'this is my church.'"
It was a long hard journey—apparently at time, there were many conflicts with the diocesan authorities in Rockford. The following a letter to the editor of an Aurora paper. See: http://www.americantowns.com/il/aurora/news/rockford-diocese-vs-sacred-heart-parish-1-7-million-battle-181840
Rockford Diocese vs. Sacred Heart
posted:April 23rd, 2009
This letter is to make you aware of the ongoing situation with the Rockford Diocese in Rockford, Illinois and the Sacred Heart Parish located on the East Side of Aurora, Illinois. And to extend an invitation to cover this story further when a group of parishioners make a trip to Rockford to continue their efforts in trying to meet with Bishop Doran regarding his the continued promises of support for rebuilding a church that burned over 10 years ago. It is now being said that they will be shut down and the $1.7 million raised by the parishioners will pay for other diocese debt. One of such debts is legal fees accumulated for representation of Father Campabello (a story that was covered by the Beacon News, Aurora) which accumulated to over $2 million.
Following is a synopsis of what the Parish has been through and how they have been led to believe they would get a new church if they raised funds. Now those funds are going to be stripped away and they will be left without a church:
The parish church burned down in December on 1998. It was an unfortunate situation which devastated the whole community. They immediately came together and found a solution to try to keep the community whole; they began holding masses in the basement of the school. Assured by the diocese that this would only be temporary until the new church was built they maintained their spirits high.
In late 1999 Father Camacho arrived at Sacred Heart Parish. He immediately became a fierce advocate for his new community and tried to work with the Diocese of Rockford to move on the promise they had made to rebuild the church. After tried conversations and letters with the Diocese, Bishop Doran published a response in the Observer (a Catholic Newsletter that goes out to parishioners of the Rockford Diocese) In that publication he stated that the Sacred Heart Parish would be given 18 months to liquidate all debt and prove that they would be able to sustain a new church. If they met that goal the Diocese would provide a percentage of the funds needed to have the church built. With new added hope the parish began to work diligently to meet the expectation.
Fast forward to present day issues–
With the insurance payoff of $800,000 and through many fundraisers which include family fairs, dances, and raffles the parish has been able to liquidate all debts and have a savings account of $1.7 million. Everything for these events has been donated.
When the Diocese began to notice that the debt had been liquidated and the bank account was quickly accumulating funds they were fast to approach Father Camacho via messages (never did they ask him to come in and meet with Bishop Doran or any other higher official at the diocese) and specifically advise him that only 2 fundraisers would be allowed per calendar year. The messages also relayed that it was not felt that there was not enough proof that the parish could sustain a new church and they should continue to raise funds.
A group of friends came together to brainstorm ideas on what needed to be done, so that the dream of having a new church would become a reality. They determined that the first step would be to have blueprints drawn up and available to show Bishop Doran or his representative. They paid an architect $18,000 (not part of the $1.7 million) to draw the blueprints. Once this was complete they were ready to present the blueprints and the continued desire of the community to have a church. They followed procedure in trying to obtain an appointment with Bishop Doran, they wrote a letter and mailed it to the diocese, after a period of waiting, there was not a response. Again they followed the same procedure and followed up with a phone call. In that phone conversation they were told that Bishop Doran reads all his correspondence and that he would get back to them. Again there was no response. They began a letter marathon and for one month straight they sent letter daily requesting the opportunity to meet with him, and again no answer. This has been an ongoing request for the past few years.
The most recent involvement that Bishop Doran has had with the parish is to advise that Father Camacho will be removed from the Parish and sent to Freeport. Father Camacho has been told that the $1.7 million will be used to pay off the debt St. Mary’s Church (also in Aurora) has, and that there may not be another priest available to cover the masses at Sacred Heart Church so the Parishioners will be asked to go to St. Nicholas or St. Mary’s.
With constant failed attempts to try to meet with the Bishop Doran a group of 10 people made the trip to Rockford, on Thursday April 16, 2009 to personally ask for an appointment to meet with Bishop Doran regarding two issues: the removal of Father Camacho and the plans for a new church. When they arrived they were able to go into the Diocese building but got no further than being met by the secretary of Monsignor Arquimides to be told that a letter needs to be set to ask for an appointment. They left without any accomplishment.
On Sunday April 19, 2009 hundreds of signatures were collected at the Parish masses asking Bishop Doran to please not remove Father Camacho from the Parish and to please consider building the church he promised.
Everyone has worked really hard and they feel that the diocese is stealing the money that has been raised and collected for the purpose of building a new church. It was never said that this money raised by Sacred Heart Parishioners (for a church that was promised) would be used to pay off debt of another parish.
This group of parishioners including many more will be heading back to Rockford to try to meet with Bishop Doran and we would like to invite the media to cover the story and make the public aware of the corruption this Bishop is causing.
The planned date of the trip is Tuesday, April 28, 2009. The buses will leave Aurora, IL at 7:30 am and arrive at 555 Coleman Center Dr., Rockford, IL 61125 at approximately 9:00 a.m.
Attached you will find the two latest letters that were sent to request a meeting.
Please let me know if you will be able to join us and make the public aware of what is happening. My contact information is Jesus Sanchez and I can be reached at 630-649-3136.
Sincerely,
Jesus Sanchez
Friends of Sacred Heart
