If you have a question that is not answered on this or any of the other pages, please do not hesitate to reach out! Contact the Pastor & Rector, Father Jerabek, and he will be glad to provide additional information.
Q. When is the work to begin and how long is it expected to take?
A. Due to Bishop Raica’s support and accommodation (see below for more on that), work will begin on November 6, 2023 and proceed until about late-May 2024. During this time, the priests should be able to continue occupying the house (except for perhaps three days when the natural gas will be cut off), as most of the work being done is external in nature; internal work mostly affects the first floor dining room.
Q. This project seems too expensive. Why not tear down the house and possibly build a new one – or have the priest(s) live off-site, perhaps in a downtown condo?
A. When the decision was made to renovate the Cathedral Life Center (CLC) some 20 years ago, parishioners were asked then whether perhaps it should be torn down instead of having a top-to-bottom renovation. Overwhelmingly, they supported keeping the historic structure over and against removing/replacing it. The same has been the case when considering the Rectory – particularly because of its historic connection with Father James E. Coyle and the history of Catholicism and Civil Rights in the City of Birmingham. There were some who were more in favor of razing the building nonetheless, but then the consideration of attempting to build on a similar footprint but with modern code requirements and contemporary new construction pricing became ponderous. And the idea of the priest(s) living off-site was not seen as ideal for various reasons – particularly from the standpoint of security in an urban setting: it is always better to have a continuous physical presence on a property like ours to deter problems.
Q. Most churches hire a consulting firm to run a campaign like this – and the firm takes a certain amount off the top. Is that the case with this campaign?
A. Due to the modest nature of this phase of the ‘Honoring Father Coyle’ Capital Campaign, we decided to handle it in-house. Which means that 100% of the funds you donate will go toward the goal and the expenses associated with this project.
Q. But the Diocese gets its cut, right? Aren’t there parish taxes?
A. Some categories of revenue, such as Offertory Donations, are taxed by the Diocese, to help the Bishop with the expenses of running the administrative office, fund the priest retirement plan, support One Voice, and certain other categories. However, a parish that has an approved capital campaign does not have to pay taxes on funds collected for it. Therefore, none of the funds received for the ‘Honoring Father Coyle’ campaign will go toward diocesan tax assessments. One hundred percent of funds received will go toward our project.
Q. What about the diocesan “Cathedral Tax”? Shouldn’t the revenue from it go towards the cost of this project?
A. Within the parish tax scheme, 1% is allocated toward the upkeep of the Cathedral. However, when that tax was instituted, it was never foreseen to go toward expenses connected with the Cathedral Rectory. Moreover, its revenue is still servicing the debt caused by the extensive envelope restoration of the Cathedral church that was completed approx. eight years ago. Once that note has been paid in full, the revenue stream will be available to help with other projects connected with the Cathedral church – and there are really many possibilities in that regard (repairing plaster/re-painting, re-doing the lighting, sound system remediation, sanctuary improvements, etc.). It will be a few more years before it is possible to contemplate such projects that those funds might help facilitate. In any case, unfortunately, that funding is not applicable toward the Rectory.
Q. The parish only has two priests at present, and it is foreseeable that there could be but one resident priest in the future, given vocational trends and diocesan personnel needs. Why such a big house for so few residents? Isn’t it time to downsize?
A. There are a few things to keep in mind. The first is that the Cathedral Rectory was built in a grand style, with a first floor that was designed mostly to have public spaces. Thus there are three parlors (one of which used to be the parish office), a grand central hallway, a large dining room, and a large kitchen. If we were to build a new rectory today, we probably would allocate the space rather differently – but that was how they built such homes “back then”. With regard to the living areas on the second and third floors, there are a total of five suites of differing sizes and one guest bedroom (i.e., without a connected sitting room). While that is more than we need on many days, yet the Cathedral regularly provides hospitality to visiting priests and seminarians. (This summer, in fact, we had three seminarians living with the two priests.) Moreover, it is plausible that a future bishop will want to live at the Cathedral, due to its vicinity to the Chancery, so we hold open that possibility as well. Finally, the majority of our parishes around the Diocese have much smaller rectories; having a few larger ones provides flexibility for needs like those of offering hospitality and housing priests with nearby assignments (e.g., hospital chaplains).
Q. I would like to contribute but I feel bad that I cannot necessarily make a pledge. Or, I think I could make a pledge, but it would not be very large. Is that OK?
A. Yes! It is better to give a small gift than none at all! Also, many discover that when they make a sacrifice of this sort for the Lord, He provides for all their needs. As with any gift given to the Church, it is given to the Lord, and “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7). All amounts, small and large, are crucial to the success of a campaign like this. Several people will give larger gifts – but the many smaller gifts will add up to drive it home. And if you are unable to pledge, please know that we will continue our practice of having the second collection for the Capital Campaign on the First Sunday of each month. Take it to prayer – then give as you are able and in the amount you are able.
Q. I have been giving a certain amount to the regular Offertory (i.e., the First Collection), but I see the importance of this project and this campaign. What if I took a portion of my regular gift and diverted it to the campaign instead?
A. Please know that we rely heavily on your regular Offertory giving so that we can maintain our annual operating budget: salaries, programs, utilities, security, insurance, and other expenses. We ask that, insofar as possible, you make your Capital Campaign gift be over and above your usual giving. Of course, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to speak with Father Jerabek.
Q. On the “Priorities and Goals” page, it says that Bishop Raica provided special and generous accommodations to help us with this effort. Can you say more about that?
A. Yes! We are most grateful to Bishop Raica, who sees the importance of this project and of preserving our Cathedral campus for generations to come, especially in honor of the great Father Coyle, who gave his life while ministering on our grounds. Normally, according to diocesan regulations, for a project like this to move forward, 50% of the cash needed must already be on hand and there must already be pledges for the other 50%. Bishop dispensed from this requirement by providing a financial guarantee so that it could begin right away. This agreement was reached on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29, 2023), and Father Jerabek plans to honor these saints in specific ways throughout our project, in gratitude for their heavenly encouragement.
Q. Does this mean that a debt solution will be used?
A. Yes. To the extent that it is needed, construction financing will be pursued so that all payments to the contractor, the architect, and other costs associated with the project can be made on time and in full. However, it is hoped and expected that any debt will be short-term in nature. This hope is well-founded given how we were able to complete and pay on time and in cash both the new slate roof for the Office and the total replacement of the Pipe Organ in the span of just a few years.
Q. Since we paid in cash for the Office roof and the Pipe Organ, why not fundraise longer and do the same for the Rectory also?
A. This approach would no doubt be preferable, but the dramatic and urgent nature of the Rectory’s problems (detailed on the Priorities and Goals page), mean that we cannot wait any longer. In addition, with the current national economic situation and the volatile pricing environment for construction, waiting will almost certainly result in spending far more than we already have to.
Q. Are there any naming opportunities for this campaign?
A. Although the Rectory belongs to the parish and so has a quasi-public nature, it remains the residence of the priests and guests and so is generally not openly-accessible. For that reason, it does not seem opportune to name different elements of it. However, Father Jerabek wants to work with all donors to ensure they receive appropriate recognition, and is open to discussing any specific ideas in this regard.
Q. We have had a lot of capital campaigns at the Cathedral. Will it ever end?
A. God-willing! Father Jerabek is working with the Bishop on the development of a Cathedral Foundation (endowment fund) and accompanying Father Coyle Legacy Society, with an emphasis on estate giving. We know that with a beautiful and historic campus like ours, it will always be costly to maintain it. Hopefully, however, by developing good long-term funding solutions even as we continue to address short-term needs, we will get to a point where it will no longer be necessary to do fundraising campaigns. Let us pray!
Don’t see your question answered? Please contact Father Jerabek!
The Cathedral of Saint Paul 