Sacred Heart of Jesus Capital Campaign at 156 Valley SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504 US - About Our Capital Campaign

Our Legacy of Faith

Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish was formed in the late 1800s in response to the need of Polish immigrants on the southwest side of Grand Rapids. At the cost of tremendous personal sacrifice, these faithful Catholics pooled their resources to build a church and school for the purpose of spreading the Gospel - to their children and to the community.

Renewing Our Legacy of Faith

For almost 90 years our church building has served us well, and the people of Sacred Heart of Jesus have benefited from the sacrifices of our founding families. Now our beautiful church is in need of extensive repairs. These repairs, which can only be made at the cost of tremendous personal sacrifice on our part, are necessary to continue the mission and legacy with which we have been entrusted.

While not the spiritual heart of our parish, our church building, is nonetheless the physical center of all of our ministries and services that provide for the spiritual needs of our parishioners. From the altar servers to the funeral lunch program, and from the CCD teachers to the St. Vincent DePaul Society, every ministry at Sacred Heart of Jesus serves a purpose and serves a person. Renewing our church building provides a venue to carry on all of our important ministries.

The Capital Stewardship Campaign

In order to provide the funds needed to make repairs and improvements to our church, each parishioner will be asked to make a pledge, a three-year commitment over and above his/her current level of giving. This will be a decision which must be prayerfully considered. Personal prayer by each parishioner and a willingness to share the blessings God has given us will guide the parish to a successful conclusion and will enable future parishioners to benefit from Renewing Our Legacy of Faith.

The goal is to raise $2.1 million to fix the south tower, roof, and exterior mortar and brickwork; repair the church windows; and finally to install an elevator and upgrade the ventilation system in the church basement.

The Most Important Point

A critical point of this campaign, which cannot be overlooked, is the aspect of faith. Certainly the money is a vital part of this campaign, but our pledge cannot be made as a financial decision. This cannot be just another bill to pay. Each of us is asked to pray to recognize God’s gifts to us and to know how He wants us to use them for Sacred Heart of Jesus parish. This decision has to be made with a humble trust in God, depending on Him to help us through the struggles that are sure to follow.  “Entrust your works to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3)