Answering the Call

As a parishioner of the St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral parish, we are called to restore and preserve this icon of faith. Our Cathedral, the Mother Church of our Diocese, is a magnificent temple of God and a very fitting place to worship our Creator. Even more so, is the temple which makes up the living Body of Christ – we who worship within its sacred walls. It has been nearly 60 years since the dedication and time has taken its toll.

Recently, it has become clear that moving forward with the renovation of St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral is both critical and urgent. Several heavy stone pieces from the steeple have already fallen, posing the risk of further structural damage and creating hazards. These fractures, left unattended, will only increase in size as will the cost of repair.

Measures have been taken to secure the area and restoration will begin shortly. We are now setting out prudently and swiftly to fund the costs of restoring our beloved Mother Church.

An Unprecedented Opportunity

In order to help fund this necessary and urgent restoration, St. Ambrose Financial Services, Inc. (the diocesan bank to which all parishes belong) has agreed to match $2 for every $1 generously pledged to this campaign up to $3 million. This is an exceptional opportunity for the Catholic community of the Diocese of La Crosse to unite and answer the call to restore our Cathedral.

The Christ Our Cornerstone campaign will repair the structure of our Cathedral and renew its impact diocesan-wide for generations to come.

While one-time donations are appreciated, we encourage you to consider one of the three-year pledge plans. This allows your intention to flourish and take full advantage of the $2 for $1 matching opportunity.

We are asking each household in our parish family to consider a minimum pledge of $3,000 to be paid over the next 36 months. This pledge would be a sacrifice of a $75 per month—a little more than $2 a day—to build a promising future for our Cathedral community.

Your gift may be tax deductible/exempt. Please consider:

  • For those who itemize, all annual contributions to our campaign are tax-deductible.
  • An IRA charitable gift up to $100,000, if you are aged 70½ or older, may qualify as part of your required minimum distribution (RMD). Only distributions payable directly to the Campaign are not taxed as income.
  • Gifts directly to the campaign of appreciated stock, held for more than one year, qualify for a tax deduction and avoid capital-gains tax.

We thank you for your consideration and generosity!