Bishop Kemme Announces Results of Campaign Feasibility Study

Dear Friends in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.” – Psalm 118

In the Diocese of Wichita, we have many reasons to rejoice and be glad. Our parishes are diverse and vibrant communities of faith. Our schools are centers of prayer, fellowship and learning, and our ministries impact lives each day. In so many ways, our Catholic community bears witness to the hope of our Risen Lord.

However, we know that God calls us to continually build up His Church. For this reason, our diocese recently conducted a study to evaluate the possibility of a major fundraising effort to advance our mission and strengthen our parishes, schools and ministries. Thank you to the more than 2,000 Catholic families from across the diocese who participated in that study. Your input is helping us plan and discern the future of our local Church.

I write today to share the results of the feasibility study. I am pleased to share that the feedback was overwhelmingly positive: People believe in our diocesan mission; they are supportive of the proposed goals and priorities; many are willing to help lead the campaign, and even more said they would make a sacrificial gift when the time comes. What a remarkable show of support for our Catholic Church in Wichita!

After weeks of prayer, discernment and discussion with my leadership team and brother priests, I am announcing that we are moving forward with planning and executing a diocesan-wide campaign. I know it will not be easy – nothing worthwhile is – but I am confident it will be a transformational experience for our Catholic community, an opportunity to renew a spirit of faith and generosity and embrace our call to live as stewards with apostolic courage.

There are many details to work out in the coming months: finalizing campaign priorities, how and when each parish will participate in the campaign, identifying and recruiting volunteers, and more. I ask for your patience and prayers, especially during these early months of planning.

Please look for more information on the campaign in the coming weeks and months. Thank you again for your support and partnership as we work to build up the Church in the Diocese of Wichita. I remain,