Cathedral Endowment Fund

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is a Historic Preservation Site. It is one of the finest cathedral churches to be seen anywhere, and the largest Roman Catholic cathedral in the southeast. It is a monument of great historicity and beauty, a valuable treasure to the entire City of Savannah.

A cathedral such as ours is a source of great joy and great obligation. The Mission Statement asks us to preserve this legacy for future generations. Doing so requires considerable funding. The Cathedral Endowment Fund, established after the last major restoration of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in November, 2000, was designed to finance major repairs and renovations of the cathedral complex. Provisions regulating the fund placed certain requirements on available monies: funds cannot be used for "routine maintenance," and interest only may be used; "there will be no withdrawal of principal."

Proceeds from the Cathedral Heritage Ball provide the majority of funding for the Cathedral Endowment Fund. Each year, the annual ball and auctions raise between $60,000 and $90,000. After many balls, the initial one million dollar fund-raising goal was reached in 2009. However, when market forces affected the value of the fund, another year was required to regain the goal. In the present market and for the near future, low interest rates hold little promise for providing sufficient interest to finance needed renovations.

The limitations of funding and rising costs of renovations reinforce the necessity of growing our investment so interest earned will produce enough income to avoid another major restoration drive. For this reason, the Cathedral Heritage Ball and Auctions are of great importance. Your support of these activities helps preserve the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist for the glory of God and for future generations to enjoy.

Even if you are not available to participate in the next Cathedral Heritage Ball on November 19, 2011, tour this webpage to learn about other ways of assisting in this important effort. Your support is greatly appreciated.