Invitation from Monsignor Dougherty
Saint Margaret Parish is embarking on an exciting new capital campaign, Forward in Faith: Together we Thrive, to carry out the vision that our founders began almost 125 years ago. Our mission of evangelization and education by embracing Christ and being His witnesses within our families and our communities will be the primary tenet of our capital campaign. Through the joyful offering of sacramental, spiritual, educational, and social programs, we welcome our entire community to grow with us in the love of God and in service to our neighbor.
The funds raised in this campaign will be targeted toward repairs and enhancements that will preserve the future of our parish and allow the community to gather for many more years to come. Our parish community is more than just a building: it is a gathering space for our community to be with Christ. St. Margaret Parish is a place where we sing, pray, love, and are forgiven. We have learned how important strong relationships are to the health of our community at large and each other individually. This project will help shape the future of our parish as we continue to grow and serve.
Saint Margaret Parish relies on the charitable contributions and sacrificial gifts from its faith-filled parishioners and trusted friends to continue the great work of promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I take this opportunity to express how sincerely grateful I am for your support of and love for Saint Margaret Parish. We could not make this parish a home without you.
I invite you to read this brochure carefully to learn the details behind the case for this campaign. Please join me in this journey of preparing our community to thrive for future generations.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Msgr. Paul Dougherty
Our History
December 25, 1900
St. Margaret’s Parish is established, and its first Mass was celebrated with Founding Pastor Rev. Richard F. Cowley.
March 22, 1922
The present church was dedicated.
1922
The parish school opened.
January 4, 1926
A school building was built and dedicated.
1966
Monsignor Gleason installed air conditioning in the church.
1968
The present school was built, and 2,000 volunteers moved all the schoolbooks to the new school.
1968
A new convent was built to help ease the crowding of the Motherhouse in Merion.
2022
St. Margaret School celebrates 100 years.
2025
St. Margaret Parish will celebrate its 125th anniversary.
Our Mission Statement
We the people of St. Margaret Parish, Narberth, baptized into the life of Christ and his Church, answer our baptismal call to grow as a community of faith.
We commit ourselves to help one another to:
• Participate joyfully in the spiritual and sacramental life of the Church, especially through the celebration of the Eucharist.
• Live our faith by imitating Jesus Christ in our relationships with Christians and non-Christians within and beyond our parish boundaries.
• Teach the message of Jesus to people of all ages through evangelization and education based on the Sacred Scriptures and on-going Tradition of the Church.
• Use our talents and gifts of faith to promote the dignity of life, to work for economic and social justice for all, and to speak out against all forms of prejudice and oppression.
• Pray for the faithful departed of our parish whose faith has built and sustained the faith we now enjoy.
• Become a loving, forgiving, friendly and welcoming community.
“We pray to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through the intercession of Mary our Mother and our patroness, St. Margaret of Antioch, to guide us as we move forward in our mission.”
Our Vision for the Future
To fulfill this mission and reach as many people in our community as we can, our parish is a beacon of faith, hope and love through our coming together to worship and learn in beautiful, welcoming, and safe settings from which we go forth to spread the light of the gospel.
We strive to maintain our value and good standing in the community while evangelizing and attracting new families to our parish and church. To not only sustain but to thrive as a school, we must keep investing in the building, the programming, and the students. One of our goals is to increase school enrollment, provide more students a high-quality Catholic-based education, and use the school as a meeting point of evangelization in the Narberth community.
St. Margaret’s is celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2022 and 2025. We will honor our past success by continuing to invest in our parish home and school for the future. Our community of faith, hope, and love is a jewel in a world that is desperately looking for God’s love. Our campaign will be the foundation to allow us to continue to share the love and life of Christ with all of the families that come through our doors.
Forward in Faith: Together we Thrive Campaign
To realize our goals, we are raising funds for capital expenditures that will sustain our facilities and enhance and grow our community:
• A new roof for our School ($500,000): The current roof has been repaired numerous times, it needs to be taken down to the frame and rebuilt. We are required to comply with various regulations related to flat roof replacements that necessitate a pitch being added to the roof and other elements.
• Renovation of the Antioch Annex ($300,000): The Antioch Annex is our primary space for Parish meetings. We have the opportunity to redesign the space to be more welcoming and efficient for increased and enhanced meeting and prayer space. The new design enables multiple meetings to happen simultaneously and includes a dedicated chapel area for prayer and small spiritual gatherings. Utilizing a modular configuration provides the flexibility to accommodate larger gatherings as well, like the additional Masses on Easter and Christmas. We are confident enhanced amenities and space flexibility support increased utilization enhancing the vitality of parish life.
• Establishing a savings fund for the school ($200,000): It is essential to establish a savings fund for the school to provide a predictable source of revenue. To successfully recruit and retain students in a competitive environment, our facilities and school resources need to continuously be upgraded. This will allow us to be opportunistic in meeting the needs of the school in our dynamically changing environment.
• Other School priorities, such as marketing and academic needs
($100,000): We are planning to increase and improve our communication and marketing efforts to better share the value we offer our students, their families, and the community. Improved engagement with current families will bolster the connection between the school’s programming and our community. Targeting new families and students, we will create enrollment initiatives and additional special initiatives to welcome them into our community.
• Other Church priorities ($100,000): Our buildings are aging and in need of ongoing repairs and improvements for longevity and safety. Our current list of needs includes snow railings for the church roof, electrical improvements to the rectory, and the pointing of the high church tower, completing the pointing of the church’s entire exterior.
The estimated cost of these projects is $1.2 million and our original hope was to raise half of the project cost. Our community has shown such excitement and generosity towards this campaign thus far, so we are now working towards a goal of $800,000. Remaining project costs will be met with current reserve funds of the parish and school, as our community has been generous over the years and the parish has been able to build up a reserve. We are conducting this campaign so that we do not drive down too extensively or exhaust our reserves and remain ready for a bright future.
Call to Action
Our parish family, united with our priests and leadership, shares in the responsibility of ensuring Saint Margaret’s viability for future generations. As our founders and former parishioners did before us, we too must impress our mark on the future of our Saint Margaret family to come.
While there are plans in place to manage the day-to-day activities of our parish, we must now come together for this special initiative to support our parish and help it to thrive.
Together, we take on a capital campaign seeking to raise $800,000 over a 3year period. Please join us in the enhancement of Saint Margaret Parish and School. When the projects are complete, the buildings will reflect the beauty and resolve of those whose faith is formed here and continue to build on the initial vision of those who came before us, so that it can be passed on to future generations.
Our Partner
The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia (CFGP) is an independent, nonprofit community foundation committed to growing philanthropy according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Grounded in the principles of faith and service, CFGP meets the diverse needs of donors and Catholic institutions through charitable fund management and development consulting. They focus on faith, growing support for the ministries of the Church in Philadelphia and ensuring an investment in our faith for generations to come. They ensure your philanthropy is stewarded to the causes and ministries that are making the biggest impact in our community. And lastly, they provide transparency, striving to provide all donors and clients with the tools they need to feel comfortable with their fundraising and giving.
We selected CFGP to be our trusted partner for the Forward in Faith: Together we Thrive Capital Campaign because their consulting services are unparalleled and, as a nonprofit themselves, are offered well below the industry standard costs. We are holding the funds for this campaign with CFGP because of their dependable charitable fund management and their commitment to investing in the future of the Catholic Church.
Ways to Give
To successfully carry out the plan above, we have a fundraising goal of $800,000 over a 3-year pledge period. This will go towards our overall anticipated project expense total of $1.2 million.
You can contribute to this campaign in many ways, each offering potential tax benefits. All gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Sacrificial pledge gift
We encourage you to consider a pledged commitment. Giving in this way can make a larger gift possible as compared to a one-time gift. A pledged gift may be paid over a period of 3 years, payable monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. If possible, please include your first installment when you return your sacrificial gift commitment.
Checks can be made payable to The CFGP with Saint Margaret Parish Fund in the memo section. Please mail contributions to:
The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia
PO Box 71224
Philadelphia, PA 19176
Online giving
Gifts, pledged commitments, and installments may be made through the St. Margaret e-giving and through the St. Margaret fund with The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia.
Visit TheCFGP.org/Donate/St-Margaret-Parish-Fund.
Gifts of security
A gift of stock or securities is one way to make a significant contribution to St. Margaret at a reduced cost to you. Federal tax law allows a charitable deduction for the full market value of securities on the date of your gift. Please call The Catholic Foundation at (215) 587-5650 to facilitate a transfer.
Planned legacy giving
By making the parish a part of your will or estate plans, you leave a lasting legacy for our faith community. We pray you will consider this type of gift as it offers many financial and tax benefits to you and your loved ones. More importantly, it provides an enduring testament to your values and ensures what you have spent a lifetime building is allocated according to your wishes.
