St. Austin Catholic Parish
Greetings, fellow St. Austin parishioners. A Letter from Fr. Chuck We live in a vibrant, unique and special city, Austin, Texas. I believe we also are members of a vibrant, unique and special parish, St. Austin Catholic Parish. Located in the very heart of the city and influenced by the University of Texas, our parish celebrates with a diverse and faithful community that has been continuously served by the Paulist Fathers for over 100 years. This parish is special. This uniqueness did not happen overnight. In 1908 Fr. Michael Paul Smith, CSP, our first pastor, arrived here with a letter from the bishop of the Diocese of Galveston. Bishop Gallagher requested that the Paulists create a center of missionary activity for Catholics and non-catholics throughout the south west and exercise a special care and supervision over the Catholic young men and women who are students in the State University. Over the next century, parishioners and Paulists built on their foundation, creating the parish you know today, with nearly 2000 families from over 85 zip codes in the greater Austin metro area. The original church was built in 1908, and our current church was built in 1953. As you can see in the photographs included in this brochure and through your own personal experience, our wonderful church, tower and rectory are now in desperate need of repair. Just as previous generations of Austinites created our spiritual home and Mission, we now need to faithfully repair these buildings for our successors in Christ. In taking advantage of what for many of us is a once in a lifetime opportunity, we are creating an improved exterior façade that matches the interior beauty and spiritual mission of our parish. Forged by the Holy Spirit, our mission is a message of evangelization that we need to showcase to Austin and the world. We believe this campaign will do that in a manner that reaches out to so many, the way Fr. Hecker and his friends intended the Paulists to do when they were founded in 1858. Along with this opportunity to renew the exterior of our church and rectory, we also have the opportunity to pay down our debt, so that more resources will be available in coming years to do the creative and quality ministry that is a hallmark of this faith-living parish. As you peruse this brochure, please pray over how you are being called to invest in the future of St. Austin Catholic Parish through our Faithful to Our Mission capital campaign. Ask yourself and your family if you are ready to announce our presence more boldly, more beautifully, and to reach out in invitation to the students moving into West Campus, to the families and professionals that drive by our church every day. I am asking you to honor our past successes and our mission and to invest in our future, a future that is as exciting as it is worthwhile. God Bless, Rev. Charles Kullmann, CSP Pastor
or more than a century, St. Austin has responded to the needs of both the diocese and the city for a growing Catholic home in the heart of Austin. Named in honor of St. Augustine of Canterbury, the parish was founded in 1908 when The Most Rev. N.A. Gallagher, bishop of Galveston, invited the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle (Paulist Fathers) to establish a parish in the capital city. Bishop Gallagher asked the Paulists to make their house a center of missionary activity for Catholics and non-catholics and to exercise a special care and supervision over the Catholic young men and women who are students at the State University. The first solemn Mass was held in the new church at Guadalupe and 21st Streets on Christmas morning 1908. Shortly after the first church building was dedicated, a fire destroyed the chapel. It was immediately rebuilt, and the second building was used through 1952. In 1917 Newman Elementary School was added to the St. Austin campus, and in 1918 Newman Club was built as a university student center. Recognizing the growing number of university students and Austinites attending Mass, a new church and rectory were built on the same Guadalupe property and dedicated in 1953, and the current school building was opened in 1955. In 1969 Newman Hall was added to the campus as a dormitory for Catholic women attending UT. The Dominican sisters ran the dormitory, adding an additional wing in 1977. The parish center/school gymnasium was constructed in 1984. After the Newman Hall dormitory closed, the Paulist Hall and Newman Hall buildings were renovated to their current configuration, expanding classroom space for St. Austin Catholic School, providing parish office and meeting spaces, and offering economical office space to other nonprofits whose missions are in accordance with the Catholic faith. Following years of planning and expected further growth, the parish built a parking garage and accompanying retail space across San Antonio Street from the school. The facility opened in 2009 and allows the parishioners to easily attend church and school functions in the dense urban area of central Austin. From its earliest days, St. Austin parishioners have repeatedly answered the call to create a welcoming Catholic home. Generations of families have devoted their time, talents and treasure to ensure that there is a parish always prepared to minister to the community and educate their children in the Paulist traditions of evangelization, ecumenism and reconciliation. Today s Faithful to Our Mission Capital Campaign continues the legacy of preparing this home for the future. Our History I started attending St. Austin s in the early 80 s (probably during a particularly stressful stretch of my schooling at UT). Then, as now, the Paulists message and the congregation s embrace steeled me for the coming week s tests and temptations. Later, when I was fortunate enough to meet my lovely bride, we attended St. Austin and were drawn to the mix of older, middle-aged and younger Catholics living and celebrating the Paulist s charisms of evangelization, reconciliation, and ecumenism. Fr. Rick Walsh helped prepare Laura and me for marriage and later baptized our first son. Paulists seem to bring a unique and distinctive philosophy to our shared tradition. Now, we are witnessing the Confirmation of our middle son and our youngest is an avid altar server. At every stage, St. Austin has welcomed, taught, and encouraged us---met us where we were---and built us up to face life s troubles. It s our turn to do the same for the church and prepare it for the generations that follow us. Steve and Laura Beuerlein General Chairs
Faithful to Our Mission is a campaign to support the Paulist mission of evangelization and outreach to the Austin community. This capital campaign will address two main concerns of the parish. Renovations are necessary to provide a safe and secure environment for our neighbors and ourselves. Furthermore it is necessary to allow the parish to restore its operating budget, which has been depleted to pay down debt related to previous obligations of the parish. Taken together, these critical fixes to the physical and fiscal structures will place the parish on stronger footing, poised to take on a greater role in the neighborhood and the diocese in coming years. Like most parishioners, I drive by other Catholic Churches each week to make my way to St. Austin s. I first walked through these doors over 30 years ago as a new UT student and today still find such a welcoming faith community. This campaign will reinforce our presence in this growing neighborhood and city we all call home. Christopher Kennedy General Chair For over 60 years St. Austin s Catholic Church has been an important part of the Austin community. It serves not only the student body at The University of Texas, but a wide range of parishioners, many of whom who have attended the church for over fifty years. All ages are in need of its spiritual guidance and consolation. The front of our church is falling into the street. It is time for all of us to help with its repair and restoration. Please prayerfully consider what you can do to help your church. Joe and Teresa Long Honorary Chairs Renovation Project The current church and rectory, built in 1953, have served the parish well for the past 61 years. However, as with any structure in its sixth decade, time and the elements have taken their toll. A condition known as spalling has caused the limestone block surrounding our buildings to crack and fall to the ground. Fortunately the broken pieces have been small and not caused any injury to parishioners or passers-by on the Drag, but this deterioration must be addressed. Over the last 18 months engineering consultants, contractors and architects have assessed the scope of necessary repairs and the costs associated with various courses of action. This process will be continually updated until parish leadership takes final action on a plan that provides the best options in relation to cost, design, function and funding. The more money we raise, the more of the buildings needs we can address, with priority on safety, ADA compliant bathrooms and overall appearance. As a result of the extensive research conducted to date, parish leadership has been advised that the cost of renovation will be approximately $3.25 million. We have a once in 50-year opportunity to repair our buildings in a manner that will allow St. Austin to continue to be the destination of parishioners from over 85 zip codes in central Texas and families visiting us from all over the globe. The project will also provide a more noticeable and appealing Catholic presence to the southwest approach of the University of Texas campus. Once complete, our church will be as beautiful on the outside as the people and ministries located within its walls.
Debt Reduction Like most American Catholic parishes, St. Austin Catholic Parish has run capital campaigns approximately once a decade to address needed improvements. In the past this has included the school, the stained glass in the church and the parking facility. The most recent campaign and construction project for the parking facility was hit by a perfect storm of unfortunate financial timing and national events that left the parish owing substantially more money than anticipated when the project was complete. Since that time, parish leadership has worked diligently to make significant debt payments by seeking new sources of income for the facility and paring back all parish ministry budgets. After months of discussion, parish leadership has decided that directing $750,000 from the Faithful to Our Mission campaign towards debt repayment will alleviate the stress of decreased ministry funding that has affected the entire parish. This reduction of debt will allow us to joyfully reinvest in our Paulist roots of evangelization, ecumenism and reconciliation. St. Austin has been our spiritual home and a great blessing to our family for over 50 years. It is a joy to see the faith of our children and grandchildren grow within this vibrant community, and we are proud to support St. Austin s plans for the future. Joe and Ida Malina Honorary Chairs
methods of giving Selecting the best gift plan depends on your personal financial situation and goals. As tax laws are always changing and each individual s situation is unique, donors are encouraged to consult with their financial advisors to determine the most beneficial contribution method. Pledges Pledges are commitments made in good faith, but are not legally binding. You may want to consider stretching pledges over a three-year period to maximize the total amount of your support. This commitment can fulfilled through monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual installments. There are many options when it comes to giving a donation. We encourage all donors to consider a 10-20 percent initial payment. Cash Gifts made by cash or check are the most common, and will allow St. Austin Parish to address our immediate needs. We will also gratefully accept gifts in varying forms, including those described below. Securities A gift of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds can often be an advantageous form of giving. Budgeting Your Gift Real Estate Gifts of real property are entitled to an income tax deduction equal to the full market value with no tax on the capital gain. Planned Gifts Planned giving is the process of carefully selecting the best method and assets for making a charitable gift. Such a gift can enable you to take full advantage of the tax laws to accomplish your financial and charitable goals. A bequest contained in your will is the most common form of planned giving. Life Insurance You may donate to the campaign by making St. Austin the owner and beneficiary of your insurance policy. Matching Gifts A matching gifts program provided thought your employer or board membership may allow you to increase the value of your gift. Many companies match charitable gifts of employees, retirees or board members. 3-Year Gift Annual Semiannual Quarterly Monthly $1,500 $500 $250 $125 $42 $2,400 $800 $400 $200 $67 $3,000 $1,000 $500 $250 $83 $4,500 $1,500 $750 $375 $125 $6,000 $2,000 $1,000 $500 $167 $7,500 $2,500 $1,250 $625 $208 $9,000 $3,000 $1,500 $750 $250 $12,000 $4,000 $2,000 $1,000 $333 $20,000 $6,667 $3,333 $1,667 $556 $30,000 $10,000 $5,000 $2,500 $833 $50,000 $16,667 $8,333 $4,166 $1,388
campaign prayer Spirit Most Holy Giver of our every gift may we be about your work here in this place and time; enacting our faith, proclaiming your trust, faithful to our mission, as members of the Lord s household. May our actions and commitments speak as loudly as our words. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. St Austin s became our Church home in the early 1970 s when we were both students at UT. Our four children attended St Austin School, and now we are blessed to have three grandchildren in the school. Although we have lived on a farm outside of Austin for over 30 years, the commute to church (and school) has been worth it because this Parish, and our Paulist brothers who have walked with us, have truly been Family to us for all these years. Jack and Patti Gullahorn Honorary Chairs We were first drawn to St. Austin s by the Paulist priests serving the parish and their approach to preaching our faith. We admired their commitment to discipleship and action in living the Gospel. We became committed to the parish when we experienced the sense of community at St. Austin, the parish s diversity, and the comfort we felt being a part of this wonderful church community. This campaign is important to our parish first, to deal with a critical safety need that has developed, but secondly and perhaps more importantly, to provide the opportunity for al parishioners to be a part of the legacy we leave for future generations as others in past generations have done for us. Kevin and Barbara BArry General Chairs
Pastor Father Charles Kullmann, CSP Associate Pastors Father Robert Cary, CSP Father René Constanza, CSP General Chairs Kevin and Barbara Barry Steve and Laura Beuerlein Christopher Kennedy Honorary Chairs Jack and Patti Gullahorn Joe and Teresa Long Joe and Ida Malina Campaign Cabinet David and Leslie Blanke David Cooney John and Leah Esparza Mario Espinoza Lisa Lucero Ray and Laurie Mechler Charles and Karen Vernor Larry and Mary Worley Development Director Jennifer Anderson Development Counsel Mick Wagoner The Steier Group 2026 Guadalupe Street Austin, TX 78705 (512) 477-9471 www.staustin.org