Annual Appeal

Investing in Today, Tomorrow, and the Future

Over the past year, St. Jude of the Lake has experienced meaningful growth and renewal. We have welcomed new families, celebrated individuals entering the Catholic Church, and seen strong participation across our ministries. These blessings are a testament to a vibrant parish community committed to investing in faith, formation, and one another.

This past year has been marked by significant progress — both visible improvements to our campus and strategic investments that will sustain our parish for generations.

Investing in Tomorrow

Two major projects were completed that reflect our commitment to serving our parish families and students.

The newly renovated Jack Gunderson Memorial Gym, made possible through the generosity of the Gunderson Family and the Cossack Foundation, provides a safe and dynamic space for athletics, faith formation, and parish events. It serves as home court for our volleyball and basketball teams and functions as a central gathering space for our community.

In addition, a new playground was installed at the front of our campus for our youngest students. Beyond serving our school families, it has become a visible sign of the life and vitality within our parish.

Investing in the Future

St. Jude of the Lake was invited to participate in the first wave of the Lord, Renew Your Church Capital Campaign — the first archdiocesan capital campaign in more than two decades. Through this effort, parishes across the archdiocese are strengthening Catholic education, supporting clergy and teacher formation, restoring sacred spaces, and investing in long-term sustainability.

St. Jude’s was asked to raise $1.3 million, with $780,000 returning directly to our parish. In collaboration with parish leadership, funds have been directed toward:

Increasing parish endowments
Renovating Kohler Hall
Strengthening the Repair, Maintain, Replace, and Build Fund

Parishioner support exceeded expectations, allowing us to not only meet but significantly surpass our goal. As a result, we are positioned to address both long-term and immediate needs, including:

Campus security enhancements
Upgrading the church sound system
Improvements to heating and cooling systems

Most significantly, parish endowments will increase by more than 150% once all pledges are fulfilled. These endowments provide annual distributions to support parish and school ministries and ensure long-term financial stability for future generations.

Investing in Today

In addition to facility improvements and financial strengthening, our greatest investment continues to be our people.

We invite parishioners to:

Use and enjoy our facilities
Participate in parish ministries
Support outreach efforts such as the food shelf
Consider serving in liturgical ministries, music, hospitality, youth programming, and community events

We also welcome opportunities to connect personally with parishioners — especially those new to our community — to help foster meaningful relationships and strengthen our shared mission.

Ways to Give:

Offertory at Mass
Mail a check to the parish office
Online – click button below
Employer matching gifts
RMDs/charitable IRA distributions
Gifts of appreciated stock

For help with RMDs, stock transfers, or matching gifts, contact Celina Sheppeck at busadmin@stjudeofthelake.org.

Thank you for your generosity and support of our parish mission.