#iGiveCatholic funds will help parishes, schools tackle projects

Two of the Shrine of St. Martin of Tours’ three church bells are pictured on Dec. 6. The bells are original, “cast and installed in the mid-1800s,” according to the shrine’s #iGiveCatholic website. (Record Photo by Gabrielle Krumpelman)

As Christmastime approaches with every tick of the clock, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Louisville have shown their concern for the inoperable spire clock and silent bells at the Shrine of St. Martin of Tours. 

Participants in the #iGiveCatholic campaign gave $111,461 for the restoration work at St. Martin, located at 639 S. Shelby St.

In all, 29 Archdiocese of Louisville parishes and schools participated in this year’s #iGiveCatholic campaign on Dec. 3. 

The fundraiser, held each year on Giving Tuesday, provides an opportunity for parishes and schools to raise money for a specific need. Together, they raised a total of $465,073 from 1,376 donors, as of 9 a.m. on Dec. 10.

The fundraising effort in the archdiocese had 476 more donors than last year — the archdiocese’s first year participating. And donations were more than double last year’s.

Of the local participants, nine surpassed their goal, including the Shrine of St. Martin of Tours, which raised 111% of its $100,000 goal.

The Shrine of St. Martin of Tours’ original, four-way timepiece is pictured on Dec. 6. The shrine plans to restore the clock’s functionality with funds raised by its #iGiveCatholic campaign. (Record Photo by Gabrielle Krumpelman)

The shrine also raised the most funds in the archdiocese for the second year in a row and had the greatest number of donors, with 244 contributors. It also ranked 23rd nationally for the most funds raised.

Many others made significant progress towards their financial goal, such as Holy Angels Academy, which brought in the second-most funds, raising $41,682, 83% of its $50,000 goal. The funds will help the school replace its HVAC system.

Participating schools and parishes drew attention to their projects with creative multimedia and social media campaigns. 

Ascension School, which raised funds to redo its playground surfaces, created a video depicting students on the playground making a plea to prospective donors. The parish also created a social media campaign, providing incentives to those who shared posts or made comments. 

St. John Paul II Academy and its parish created comedic videos featuring the pastor, Father Casey Sanders. 

And, the Shrine of St. Martin dubbed a trailer of the 1945 film, “The Bells of St. Mary’s,” replacing the title with “The Bells of St. Martins.” The shrine also shared the spiritual significance of church bells and details about the proposed project on its social media.

“The church itself is a representative of the faith,” said Father Paul Beach, rector of the shrine, in a recent interview.

The bells represent the voice of the church and call individuals to prayer, he said. The bells are “a voice that rings out the presence of God” and are “a public way to pronounce the faith,” he said.

But, “the voice of St. Martin’s has fallen silent over the years,” he noted. Each of the shrine’s three bells has four hammers that strike the bells, he said. But, currently, only one bell and one hammer work. 

The funds raised will be used to restore the full functionality of the bells, said Father Beach.

The three church bells, which were made in Cincinnati and Louisville, are original, “cast and installed in the mid-1800s,” according to the shrine’s #iGiveCatholic website. They weigh 3,500 lbs., 1,800 lbs. and 800 lbs.

The restoration of the bells is exciting, said Father Beach. 

“No one that I know of remembers what the bells sound like in their fullness when they are all functioning. No one remembers what it sounds like for all of the bells to be ringing at the same time,” he said.

The funds will also be used to restore the original spire clock, which has not operated since 2022, he said. Originally, it was driven by lead weights which required “winding” once a week. In the late 1940s, an electric motor was attached.

The following reached their financial goals during #iGiveCatholic this year: 

  • St. John Paul II Church raised $15,761, 105% of its $15,000 goal, with 47 donors. The funds will be used to upgrade the church doors, including the installation of an electronic locking system and video security camera. This will allow the church to be open “so that parishioners and visitors can safely visit for personal prayer on their own schedule,” according to the website.
    Its school, John Paul II Academy, raised $31,740, 106% of its $30,000 goal, with 60 donors. The school will use the funds to reseal and restripe the parking lot, according to the website.
  • St. Raphael Church raised $34,496, 115% of its $30,000 goal, with 65 donors. The church will use the funds for the “Raphael Room,” a “highly used space,” according to the website. The project will make the existing bathroom handicap-accessible and build a second bathroom.
  • St. Michael Church raised $31,000, 124% of its $25,000 goal, with 120 donors. The church will use the funds for accessible, automatic doors throughout the church, school and campus, according to the website.
  • St. Albert the Great Church raised $23,295, 291% of their $8,000 goal, with 85 donors. The funds will be used to install a permanent camera in the church, according to the website.
  • Holy Trinity Church raised $22,612, 226% of its $10,000 goal, with 65 donors. The funds will be used to install new kneelers in the church, according to the website.
  • Immaculata Classical Academy raised $6,949, 116% of its $6,000 goal, with 14 donors. The funds will be used for a new security system, according to the website.
  • St. Bernadette Church raised $16,235, 101% of its $16,000 goal, with 96 donors. The funds will help support St. Louis de Gonzague Church in Haiti — the parish’s “twinned parish,” according to the website.

Olivia Castlen
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Olivia Castlen
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