2020 Donor Impact Report

DONOR IMPACT 2019-2020 REPORT

We put our hope in you!

Dear Newman Family, Hope is an internal light. It says that this person, this Church, this God is trustworthy. As such, with hope, we will continue to walk forward even in the face of great darkness.

Catholic Campus Ministry at St. Thomas More Newman Center is focused on facilitating encounters between each person who crosses our door (actually or virtually) with Christ and His Church. The mission of Newman is not about Newman. Our mission is cor ad cor - heart to heart - always centered around and inspired by the encounter of the human heart to the divine heart. And to tell the truth, Newman’s mission is not just ours. It also belongs to you, a faithful supporter.

I’ve been Pastor at Newman for just over a month, but I can see how the mission permeates everything we do. We don’t always do it perfectly—make no mistake!

But we never forget the mission: the heart to heart encounters that bring hope to a desperately searching world.

Today’s world needs authentic encounters more than ever. We have our work cut out for us, especially in these challenging times. I’m very glad to be part of Newman. I thank you for your role in furthering our shared mission!

Fr. Dan Merz, SLD | Pastor

“We put our hope in you” Psalm 33:22

GIVEN A GIFT, FREE TO CHOOSE

Jefferson Daubitz, senior Geography major

I think it’s relatively easy to accept that Jesus Christ died for your sins. What becomes difficult is when you’re asked to understand your role in this. That we’re not just a passive participant in our own salvation, but that we’re active in the process.

Serving as Awakenings Rector for this coming year has been an interesting process. It has been a lot of improvising and working through the planning process.

It’s hard. How are we supposed to plan for a retreat three months away when we’re getting new information every week? However, I’ve felt really grateful that the Campus Ministry team and student staff have been meeting virtually and praying individually.

The biggest thing I hope for the Awakeners and the staff on Awakenings #40 is to get a deeper understanding that we have been given a gift. It is inherent in our human nature to be reunited fully with God. This is what we are called to be; it has been planted on our souls since the beginning of creation. If we can share that message with the Awakeners, that’s my hope.

ENCOUNTERING CHRIST, FINDING A HOME Jaynie Vanatta, junior Communications major Faith has always been very important to me. I was baptized Methodist, but the church I was going to didn’t seem right to me. Coming into college, I was open to the idea of joining a new denomination. Within that first week of freshman year, a few friends introduced me to Newman. The biggest thing that drew me to the Catholic Church was the first time I went to Adoration.

Before, I didn’t know that prayer was more than asking God for things.

When I went to Adoration, I realized it was possible to have a much deeper interaction with God. The people here were so welcoming and helped me to ease that transition. Although I just wrapped up this year-long journey in RCIA, my faith has only just begun!

Jaynie with sponsor, Alaina Hand (MU’21)

“Although I just wrapped up this year-long journey, my faith has only just begun!”

UNITED EVEN WHEN DIVIDED

David & Mandy Estrada Paz, graduate students Over the past few months, we had to reschedule our wedding five times! Throughout everything, we just kept saying, “God will provide, no matter what.”

We came to Mizzou and Newman in 2017 to study biochemistry (Mandy) and journalism (David). We’ve attended E3, have gone on every Awakenings, and do all the graduate student activities. We also are liturgical ministers lector (Mandy) and eucharistic minister (David).

We had planned to get married in Honduras but had to change plans due to the pandemic. Finally, we decided to get married at Newman with Fr. Rich presiding.

Even with all the changes, we were able to have everything we wanted, in a different way. Our family was able to click a link and attend our wedding online. We had a reception in our backyard, with lots of borrowed items from Newman and friends. When the day finally came, we just enjoyed everything. As we start our married life, we tell each other, “All we need is God, you and me, and a tomato and we’ll make it through!”

GROUNDED IN TOUGH TIMES

Mitchell Sedgwick, sophomore engineering major I really grew a family here at Newman. I can talk to people, it’s a good place to study, and - of course - the Sacraments. The people here push me higher. The friends that I’ve made at Newman always push me to be a better person - spiritually, mentally, and physically. They kept me grounded throughout the craziness of quarantine.

My prayer life during quarantine was difficult. I found myself slacking most days, but I had a friend who would call and ask how he could pray for me. I wanted to reciprocate so I would pray for his intentions. He pushed me to be better.

I was happy when I could go back to Mass. The Eucharist is something I was missing and it was really nice to participate in person versus watching on a screen. The staff asked if I could serve as Eucharistic Minister and running the sound board since I was young. I was happy to help.

Quarantine has been difficult, but together, we can get through this! My favorite scripture, John 1:5, is perfect for this time: ‘The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.’

Mitchell and sister, Taylor (MU’20)

The Fruits of Your Generosity Chart Title Expenses

Figures listed on these pages are for July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020.

Expenses Salaries & Benefits

$212,582 | Salaries & Benefits

Fundraising Football

Football Retreat &notice Event You may that oneFees of the $39,890 | Retreats primary sources ofEndowmen our revenue Retreat & Event Fees $10,112 | Evangelization & Formation

comes Parish from “Parish Support.” The | Leadership Expenses Leadership reat & Event&Fees Endowment Income Support vangelization FOCUS $11,319 Expenses Retreats St. Thomas More Newman Center

ent Income OCUS Salaries & Benefits Leadership

is also a parish comprised of 850+ Parish Support Expenses Admin & Fundraising households. The parish’s primary

60,000 | FOCUS

$37,986 | Administration & Fundraising

Revenue Expenses Evangelization & FOCUS

Expenses Retreats

Expenses FOCUSTitle Chart

Expenses Admin & Fundraising

Expenses Salaries & Benefits

$104,101 | Fundraising

Fundraising Football

Football Retreat & Event Fees $19,621 | Retreat & Event Fees Retreat & Event Fees Endowmen

$42,168 | Football Parking

Expenses Leadership Endowment Income Parish Support $95,999 | Parish Support Parish Support

reat & Event Fees

$110,000 | Endowment Income

ent Income Fundraising

Football

Retreat & Event Fees

Endowment Income

ministry is the encouragement and development of Catholic students through Campus Ministry.

However, our goal is to make our student ministry self-sustaining.

Although the parish community will always be dedicated to supporting the students, your gifts are moving us toward a sustainable future.

Parish Support

Serving the students on their faith journey in college is only made possible through our generous supporters like YOU!

Our Partners in Mission 63 Parents of current students 13 Alumni Parents of current students

111 Alumni

137 Friends of Campus Ministry

30 current students

6 Businesses & Foundations

360 individual donors 16% of our supporters are

monthly givers 28% of our supporters gave more than one gift over the course of the year 27% of our supporters are under the age of 35

Thank You to Our Loyal Business Sponsors!

Knights of Columbus Council #7231 Mpix.com Richmond Place Rolling Hills Veterinary Hospital Columbia Landcare

Campus Ministry Endowment Fiscal year end 2018-19: $2,481,973 Fiscal year end 2019-20: $2,539,732

Generous donors, including the Legacy Fund members, made $14,682 in gifts to the endowment in this last year.

Blessed Be God!

Three Newman Alumni Make Final Commitments

“I

love when people ask me about my story of being called. It’s a story of falling in love. When I went to college at Mizzou, I really wanted to grow in my relationship with God. I wanted so badly to know who he was, share myself with him, and discover who I was.

For me, I had one moment of clarity where I was overwhelmed with this sense that God was calling me to be a sister. I was at a Sunday mass at Newman and it was during the reading of the Gospel. What does that even mean? Do young people even become sisters?

That was the beginning of a long journey. On the one hand, I felt a lot of certainty, but there was a lot of fear as well. During that time, Newman provided me with a rich sacramental experience and intellectually stimulating catechesis.

The more I look back, the more I see that God totally provided for me. I had a vibrant Campus Ministry and Newman Center. I realize now not every place has that! I felt supported by the staff and priests; I had so many good mentors. I had a community of peers who had God in their life. I could have never gotten here on my own without the support I had at Newman.”

Sr. Elizabeth Doyle, ASCJ (MU’12) professed her perpetual vows on August 1.

Fr. Joseph Paul Albin, OP

Fr. Joseph Paul graduated from MU in 2008. He served as the intern before moving to New Orleans for graduate studies. Two years ago, he professed final vows in the southern Dominican Province and was ordained July 25 of this year.

Sr. M. Caterina Vola, FSGM

Sr. M. Caterina spent her freshman year at Mizzou in 2008 and was involved at Newman in a small group. She left Mizzou to enter the the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George in Alton, Illinois. She professed her final vows on August 3.

2020 Goals

New Look, Same Mission

Our goals in this coming school year will, for obvious reasons, look different than in years past. Regardless, our mission remains the same: share Christ’s light on campus!

With your support, this year we are: Preparing to pivot all ministries to meet the new realities of this year. We are exploring how to have safe inperson events and are planning hybrid and online ministry events to implement as needed.

Securing support by adding to our numbers of steadfast monthly supporters. In order to continue our ministry to the students, we need your consistent support!

Standing strong as a place of prayer and encounter with the sacraments on campus.

THANK YOU for investing in Campus Ministry during the 2019-20 school year. We invite you – our extended Newman family – to join us in sustaining this positive momentum as we minister in these challenging times!

TWO WAYS YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE:

THANK YOU

for your ‘yes’ and for investing in our student community!

Please join us in mission again in the coming school year!

1. Pray for our students, especially for the unique challenges they will face in this coming year.

2. Help stabilize our finances in these uncertain times by becoming a monthly donor (comonewman.org/givecm)

After providing for your family, would you consider including Newman in your will? When you commit to giving a planned gift, you continue to support the Church, create a legacy, and benefit yourself and your heirs. comonewman.org/planned-giving   

St. Thomas More Newman Center

602 Turner Avenue | Columbia, Missouri 65201 (573) 449-5424 | www.comonewman.org/givecm Follow us:

.com/comonewmancm |

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