St. John the Apostle Catholic Parish

As the youngest parish in Virginia Beach, St. John the Apostle is one of the most blessed parishes because of strong faith-filled parishioners who are invested in building a strong faith-filled community. As your pastor, I have witnessed first-hand the exponential growth of the parish since I arrived in 2009. At that time, SJA was a mere 1,700 families and currently we host 3,100 families that is still growing because of all the new housing developments under construction and the attraction of this community to the greater Tidewater area. People love SJA!
 
Because of this increased growth, we have undergone numerous renovations: i.e., new parish offices onsite, complete renovation of the sanctuary, addition of the Grotto, renovations of bathrooms and work sacristy, and new outdoor columbarium. All of these additions and renovations have been paid for by your continuous generosity such that SJA has no debt – including the $5 million school debt that was paid off in advance!
 
It is now time to embark upon a larger endeavor, the much needed SJA Parish Hall. Our Achilles heel from the very beginning has always been a lack of adequate space to meet: for both small and large groups, both children and adult catechetical formation, youth and elderly gatherings, all receptions for any occasion, and ministry meeting space for our 77 existing ministries. SJA has been unable to meet all the current needs of our ever-growing parish community and therefore has had to postpone addition al requests received from all of the above.
 
Humbly, I now come before you to request your sacrificial offering to “Building Community…Forging Our Future” for this much needed parish hall. Hopefully, you have had the opportunity to see all the renderings and diagrams posted in the church’s common that were already approved by both the Diocesan Building Commission and Diocesan Body of Bishop’s Consultors.
 
Please prayerfully review this brochure and join me and your fellow parishioners to make this parish hall a reality that will serve SJA for many years to come. SJA’s past generosity has always astounded me and I’m humbly grateful. I am now asking for your continued generosity and sacrifice to accomplish this goal! The current estimate for the parish hall is $9 million, but because of our ongoing campaign we have already raised $4 million in cash, which is most impressive! Therefore, we only need to raise an additional $5 million – hopefully in cash, so there will be no debt! Considering the past levels of giving, I am confident that we as a parish can meet this achievable challenge!
 
I am inviting you to prayerfully consider making a pledge payable over a 22-month period to help us reach our goal and create a brighter future for our parish. The specific time frame given is in order to avoid the 11% Cathedraticum tax from the Diocese of Richmond that would tax any donations past the end date of June 30, 2025.

Please join me in praying for the success of the capital campaign.
Rev. Robert J Cole
 

In order to accommodate the pastoral needs of our growing community, the necessity to build a new parish hall has become increasingly evident. The plan for our new hall was devised and approved by all diocesan bodies as well as the City of Virginia Beach.  The proposed building will be located adjacent to the existing Church Building and is comprised of approximately 27,000 square feet of gross building area, portions of which are housed on a second floor. This narrative building design is intended to carry forward the rich history of our church throughout the building plan, exterior, and site development.

Features

The plan boasts the following:
• A Main Banquet Hall will be able to accommodate up to 700 guests with tables and chairs 
• A commercial grade warming kitchen to prepare plenty of hospitality
• A Sizable Lobby/Hallway will allow for ease of circulation, fellowship, and mingling for prefunction activities
• Multiple Meeting Rooms – 6 rooms at roughly 600 square feet and 2 at roughly 1,600 square feet each will accommodate our many ministry, formation, and committee meetings
• Storage Rooms will be accessible from the exterior allowing for ease of storage and retrieval of items and supplies
• An Outdoor Terrace for open-air events and “spillover” space when necessary
• Ample Restrooms to accommodate our guests
• Fully Accessible throughout including an elevator between floors

The proposed parish hall will not only fulfill the current needs of the parish but will enliven our community and help us continue to grow. In addition to expanding our own activities, including banquets, concerts, and pageants, we look forward to hosting outside community activities as well.

Our Family of Faith Looks to the Future

As members of St. John the Apostle Catholic Church, we are faced with a challenge that we can only overcome together. Building a new parish hall is important to each and every member of St. John’s parish family. It is only by our generosity in making sacrificial gifts that we will be able to accomplish our objective.

We have established a minimum goal of $5 Million

While this seems like a large amount, participation by all members of the parish family will make this goal not only attainable but surpassable. The more we raise now, the less we will need to finance in the future and the faster we can begin construction.

Suggested Giving Plans

In order to assist you as you consider making a pledge to this campaign, we have provided some suggested giving plans. We understand that each individual or family has different financial obligations and abilities. Even so, one of these plans should fit within the means of each member of the parish family. Please consider which plan best fits your monthly budget. This may be the best guideline for your commitment.  Remember, this campaign is based on equal sacrifice – not equal giving. If each family makes a truly sacrificial gift, we will reach and exceed our goal together.

Your Commitment

We are asking each household in our parish family to consider a minimum pledge of $4,000 to be paid over the next 22 months. This pledge would be a sacrifice of a little more than $6 a day to build a promising future for St. John the Apostle Catholic Church. Such a gift should not pose a burden for most parishioners. As you can see, this amount comes to about or even less than what many parishioners pay each month for streaming services.  

Please Consider a Special Commitment

Some of us have been especially blessed by the Lord with material means. A heartfelt appeal is made to those parishioners to reflect on their ability to make a very generous pledge to the campaign. We ask those who are capable of making pledges of $20,000, $50,000, $100,000 or more, to lay the foundation of success for this campaign.

Please Consider…

• Your commitment’s payments are made over a 22-month period.  * Giving plans are divided over a 22 Month timeframe in order to avoid the 11% Cathedraticum from the Diocese of Richmond that would tax any gifts received after the date of June 30, 2025. For this reason, we request
that all giving plans be completed by this date.
• Your commitment to St. John the Apostle’s Building Community…Forging Our Future campaign is in addition to your weekly contribution.
• Your financial contribution to this campaign will help ensure a strong future for our parish.
• Beginning in December 2023, payment reminders and envelopes will be mailed according to your payment preference.

Planned Giving, Wills, Estate Planning, Life Insurance

There are numerous planned giving opportunities that provide donors alternative methods of making their gifts to the campaign. These include but are not restricted to:
• Gifts of assets including real estate, stocks, bonds, coins, etc.
• Making St. John the Apostle Catholic Church a beneficiary of your will.
• Naming St. John the Apostle Catholic Church as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy.

Matching Gift Opportunities

Many employers have matching gift programs that provide employees the opportunity to multiply their gifts to educational institutions, social organizations, and charitable institutions. We encourage you to inquire with your Human Resources Department regarding the Matching Gift
Opportunities available to you.

Tax Advantages of Thoughtful Giving

• All annual contributions to our campaign are tax deductible for those who itemize their deductions.
• In December 2015, Congress passed legislation making the IRA Charitable Rollover permanent. If you have an IRA and are aged 70½ or older, you may opt to make a charitable contribution from your qualified IRA plan. When you do so, you may transfer up to $100,000 per year to St. John the Apostle Catholic Church. As a charitable gift, this distribution needs to be transferred directly from your IRA to the Parish. Therefore, it would not be taxed as income. If you receive the distribution first, it will be taxed like any other distribution. In addition, if you are required to take a minimum distribution (RMD), your charitable contribution can satisfy all or part of the amount of your required minimum distribution from your IRA. 
• You can give appreciated stock to the campaign. If you’ve held it for more than one year, you may take a charitable tax deduction for the current market value of the stock, and neither you nor the parish must pay capital-gains taxes when the stock is sold. The combination can result in a larger deduction (and more tax savings) for you and a greater gift for the campaign than if you sell the stock, pay the taxes, and donate the net proceeds.

Procedure to Transfer Stock
For details, please instruct your stockbroker or securities advisor to contact:
St. John the Apostle Catholic Church 
Tracey Dooley, Business Administrator
1968 Sandbridge Rd.
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
757-426-2180 • [email protected] • sjavb.org

Please indicate on your pledge card the number of shares and the name of the company (ticker).

Pledging
• You may be contacted by a volunteer to make your pledge.
• You may pick up a pledge card at the Welcome Desk or parish office throughout the months of October and November in the Church.
• You may drop off your completed pledge card at the parish office.
• You may also contact the parish office at 757-426-2180.