Capital Campaign

DEAR PARISHIONERS AND FRIENDS OF EPIPHANY CATHEDRAL,

Forty years ago, on October 25, 1984, Pope St. John Paul II issued a Motu Propio officially founding the Diocese of Venice in Florida. Therefore, this year, Epiphany Cathedral will celebrate a truly historic milestone – its 40th Anniversary as the Cathedral and Mother Church of the Diocese. As the Mother Church for the Diocese of Venice, it is our privilege to host the different diocesan liturgies and prayer services. These special celebrations build up the life of the whole church in southwest Florida. With this in mind, we are presented with an opportunity to address the serious structural needs of our church building, as well as restructure the original parish church into a purposefully designed Diocesan Cathedral, which will serve the needs of the Diocese for many years to come.

Following several years of planning and a recent parish-wide Pre-Campaign Study conducted by Ruotolo Associates, the decision has been taken to move forward with Honoring Our Past, Building a Future in Faith Capital Campaign. As Rector, along with Bishop Dewane, the Pastoral Council, the Finance Council, and the Building Committee, it is our joy to invite you to participate in this vital campaign to renovate and beautify our Cathedral. This campaign will be an investment in our future and an opportunity to recommit ourselves to the sustainability of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Venice.

The Cathedral is not just a physical structure, but a sacred place where God’s people come together to worship, share their lives, remember their loved ones, and grow in faith. Rest assured that it is our commitment to honor the elements that represent our identity during this process while simultaneously investing in the future of our community and its people. It, therefore, is our hope and prayer that you will consider supporting our Capital Campaign and joining us in this important endeavor. Like Zacchaeus, who joyfully made haste to make a home for Christ with a remarkable spirit of generosity (cf. Lk 19:5-6), let us imitate this blessed disciple of our Lord, always mindful of the fact that “the Lord loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7). Indeed, though the needs are many, no challenge is great enough when inspired by charity, joy, courage, faith, and the knowledge that what the Lord has already begun, He will bring to fulfillment.

Only by joining hands in charity can our campaign goals be accomplished. Please take the time to review each page of this brochure, and after reading it, kindly and prayerfully consider your own commitment to this project and respond with a generous heart. Every gift matters, and every prayer for God’s blessing on the campaign is essential.

With assurances of my most heartfelt gratitude for the enthusiasm that so many have already shown for the Cathedral renovation project, may the Good Lord reward you for your kindness and consideration, and may He bless you and your family abundantly.

Faithfully yours in Christ,

Msgr. Patrick Dubois, V.F.

Rector