Old St. Mary's Church - Cincinnati, Ohio
Traditions of Faith, Service and History Preserved
In 1842, a community of devout and determined German Catholic immigrants dedicated Old St. Mary's Church in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. They had lovingly built the church brick-by-brick with their own hands. Over 150 years later, a group of equally devout and determined Catholics celebrated the victory of their fundraising campaign, raising $1.1 million on a $900,000 goal for The Old St. Mary's Preservation Fund. The funds were used to make crucial repairs and to refurbish the historic church, school and rectory buildings.
With the campaign's success, much more has been preserved than buildings. More importantly, the traditional values of the church have been kept alive for many future generations. With its brilliant Bavarian-style stained glass windows and other artistic treasures, Old St. Mary's Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and stands as an enduring monument to the rich German history of the city.
The revitalization of the church also preserves a commitment to stay in one of Cincinnati's most crime-ridden areas, helping to meet the needs of the financially and spiritually impoverished and to anchor redevelopment efforts in this downtown neighborhood.
What Made It Happen?
The Old St. Mary's Parish recognized that raising $900,000 for their church posed a great challenge. The parish leadership asked Skystone Ryan to help them develop a detailed fundraising plan to accomplish this ambitious yet critical goal. The results of the feasibility study conducted by the firm's consultants revealed that success would rest with the church's ability to define a donor constituency that went well beyond parish members.
Subsequently, Skystone Ryan helped leadership conduct a multifaceted campaign, reaching out first to parishioners, then to the German-American community, historic preservationists, foundations with an interest in urban revitalization and social services and the corporate community. The idea of preserving Cincinnati's oldest Catholic church captured the interest of all these groups and a committee of some of the city's leading CEOs and senior corporate executives led the effort to surpass the goal.
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