I was recently privileged to celebrate four Masses of Thanksgiving to mark the successful completion of the diocese’s first-ever Capital Endowment Campaign. I remain so grateful for the opportunity for us to gather, as a Diocese, in St. Mary Parish, Joplin; St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield; Sacred Heart Parish, Poplar Bluff, and St. Mary Cathedral in Cape Girardeau in order to give thanks to God and for me also to express my gratitude to you for your participation in this historic endeavor. Whether as a donor or as one who helped organize the solicitation for the campaign in your parish, it took the cooperation and participation of so many parishioners to make this campaign a success. As we look back now, we can see beyond all the strategic planning, all the meet and greets, all the phone calls and pledge cards and realize that the capital campaign wasn’t really about the capital campaign: It was about faith and trust. Read more