About that Last Supper...
Now how did they do that?
I have been in the fundraising ministry, primarily for the Catholic Church, for over 25 years, and that question occasionally pops into my head. Here was the event that started an evening the outcome of which changed the world forever. I wonder who ran ahead, who got the funds, set up the room, ordered the food, arranged the seating, made sure they were alone in their own area, paid the staff, and helped to set the stage for Christ’s last meal and the beginning of new life for all the world? I do not think our Lord had a fundraiser per se on staff. Our Lord had good lay people – volunteers, donors, and contributors – who made it all come together. After all, His ministry was to help us all see the best in each other and to come together to achieve the greatest good. In the end, like the Last Supper, the best cause and mission requires our support and contributions to achieve its purposes.
Each of us has a vitally important part in performing ministry…
…in raising funds for the mission of the Augustinians. Whether we are donors, volunteers, staff, or professed Augustinians, our prayers, words of encouragement, and financial support are all vital contributions to the holy mission that brings us together in the first place. Asking for support of a good and holy cause is evangelizing; it is a form of ministry. When any of us help a young man to be formed as an Augustinian, or help a professed man who has given all of his life in service as an Augustinian to have a modest retirement in community with his brothers, or help the rural, poor Peruvians we minister to in the Andean foothills of Northern Peru, we are doing ministry; we are evangelizing. We are also creating a powerful legacy which will impact our heirs and the world for many generations long after we have gone on to our real home. Hopefully now you understand better our passion in seeking your support – not just we few staff, but also the many wonderful lay volunteers who work side-by-side with us in this ministry. We ask because we must and because we should, or the table does not get set and the work cannot go on. If not you and us for the Augustinians, then who? When you choose to join us in our capital campaign, in our annual fund, in a bequest, in the gala, or in any fundraising event, you are spreading the good news, you are ministering, and you are making the world better in every way possible for now and for eternity. Thank you! God bless you.
Michael is a veteran fundraiser of Catholic causes for over 29 years. He began working with the Augustinians in 2011. Michael is the Chief Advancement Officer for the Augustinians and the Campaign Director of the Continuing Our Journey of Faith capital campaign.
