HELENA — The Helena Diocese Foundation is aiming to raise $30 million for their Because He First Loved Us Catholic Life Campaign.
“$30 million capital campaign for the future of our faith,” said Dan Thies, the Executive Director for the Foundation for the Diocese of Helena.
A feasibility study the foundation came up with determined the $30 million goal.
The money will go towards projects caring for older priests and the restoration of the St. Helena Cathedral which sustained damage from a powerful windstorm a couple of years ago.
“A beautiful thing that we want to maintain and have all peoples be able to encounter God through the beauty that we see in the cathedral and then finally we have a portion going toward an evangelization endowment,” Thies said.
Along with also caring for local parishes.
“$9 million of that $30 million goes to are parishes communities around the western part of the state,” said Thies.
The foundation didn’t go into specifics about how they will raise the $30 million but did note it is planned to be a 5-year process.
“We found almost 100 percent of the people we interviewed we excited about investing in the future of our faith,” Thies said.
Less than a decade ago in 2014, the Diocese of Helena filed for bankruptcy following abuse allegations against past clergy members.
A more than $20 million settlement was set up to compensate the 360 victims.
The southern spire of the cathedral is currently undergoing significant repairs, and the norther spire is expected to undergo similar work next year.
