The Church’s witness to hope is needed now more than ever. In a recent podcast, O’Meara Ferguson president and founder Patrick O’Meara argues that as the stock market struggles to rebound and as trust in material things is fading, “the Church has the opportunity to speak with great conviction and with great efficacy.”
For O’Meara, this is not the time to put the brakes on parochial or diocesan capital projects. To do so would show “pusilanimity” in the face of the Lord’s promise that the Church will endure. Some capital projects might need to be adjusted due to the present economic climate. Pledges might be extended over five years rather than three. The time of preparation for the capital campaign might be lengthened in order to achieve higher rates of participation. But for O’Meara, the economy is not bad enough to stop building projects. People want to be generous, especially in difficult times.” Now is the time for us to speak with hope.”
O’Meara cites facts about the resiliency of the economy that are not being widely reported in the 24-hour news cycle. Click the podcasts below to learn more – You may listen to or download this podcast in full, or in three parts, whichever is more convenient for you.
Please Note: At 19:17 of the full-interview podcast (at 9:30 of Part II), Mr. O’Meara is asked to cite examples of current successful diocesan campaigns. In his first example, Mr. O’Meara refers to a campaign by the Archdiocese of Miami. His intention was to refer to the $105 million campaign by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. We apologize for any confusion this may cause.
Hope Amidst Difficult Times - Full Interview [35:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (184) Hope Amidst Difficult Times - Part I [10:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (8) Hope Amidst Difficult Times - Part II [15:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (9) Hope Amidst Difficult Times - Part III [10:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (5)
Tags: economy, hope, Patrick O'Meara, podcast