The proud heritage and bright future of St. Mary’s Mission rests with the prayers, service, and support of current and past parishioners, benefactors and friends. Your investment acknowledges that the tradition of service, started by others and passed on to us, is as strong and viable today as it was yesterday when hearty pioneers traveled by horse and buggy and by train to a place called St. Mary’s Mission in Red Lake, Minnesota with a little more than a vision.

St. Mary’s Mission - Red Lake, Minnesota

St. Mary’s is a Catholic parish committed to the Native American people of the Red Lake Indian Reservation

in their worship, education, and Christian service.

Endowment Campaign

To insure and endow the future

1858 to the present

A Prayer

For the Success of the Endowment Campaign

Blessed are you, Gichi Manidoo, Great Spirit God,

You have gifted us with life and faith

and the ability to do good.

Blessed are you Great Spirit God of all holiness,

You have given us vision and hope as we

acknowledge with one mind our oneness

in the sacred Cycle of Life.

Blessed are You Great Spirit of all loving

You have given us a share

in the building up of your kindgom here

at St. Mary’s Mission in Red Lake, Minnesota.

Spirit God, we commend to your care and direction

this special Endowment Campaign.

Bind us together with a cheerful spirit of generosity,

sacrifice, and intelligent stewardship

of our treasures and talents.

May all that we do

begin with your inspiration

be sustained by your loving presence

and be happily concluded in fulfillment

of your perfect plan for us. Miigwetch!

Amen.

“Give and it shall be given you. Good measure pressed down, shaken together, running over, will they pour into the fold of your garment. For the measure you measure with will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38

St. Mary’s Mission in Red Lake, Minnesota seeks to address significant educational needs that, through endowment, will stretch far in to the future.

As such, the campaign accepts gifts in a variety of forms.

Cash Pledges: Pledges over time allow donors to consider more substantial commitments than are possible with one time cash gifts. Donors who pledge may determine pledge remittance schedules to meet their own charitable or tax needs. Pledges are not legally binding.

Securities: Stock is considered cash by the St. Mary’s Mission Endowment Campaign. By law, the value of a gift of securities is determined at the time St. Mary’s Mission takes possession of the security. A donor can reduce or eliminate capital gains taxes through a gift of appreciated securities. Those wishing to give stock should indicate this to a campaign representative so that the appropriate documentation may be completed.

Gifts of Property/ Gifts in Kind: A gift of property or a gift in kind (livestock, grain, beets, etc.) which is easily liquidated can be a significant way to make a gift to the Endowment Campaign and likewise reduce capital gains tax.

Matching Gifts: You may be able to increase your gift to the campaign if your employer offers a matching gift program. Please contact your employer’s personnel or employee resource department about this opportunity.

All gifts are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consult with you tax attorney or financial advisor regarding your individual tax situation.

St. Mary’s Mission Endowment Campaign

A million dollar campaign will ensure the ability of St. Mary’s Mission Church and School to continue and flourish in it’s spiritual and educational service to:

Pray: This dimension of parish life includes liturgical celebrations of Mass and the sacraments, and all other communal prayer.

Learn: This part of our faith community life includes school, religious education at all levels, as well as evangelization.

Serve: The aspect of service is expressed by and to the members of the parish and broader Red Lake community through emergency aid, education and action for social justice with special emphasis on poverty, racism, sexism, violence and respect for all at all stages.

Share: This area of parish life includes all group activities listed above as well as recreational activities that bring people together.

A successful campaign will strengthen St. Mary’s in it’s

v Worship

v Family

v Pastoral Care

v Education

v Formation

v Outreach

St. Mary’s Mission is hoping:

-to find assistance for Red Lake people who are committed to getting their children off to a good start in school.

-for people who believe in the ability of Indian people to achieve greater control and responsibility for their lives, and great self-determination of their future.

-for people who might be able to help us out by challenging the Red Lake community to increase their contribution toward the operational expenses of St. Mary’s Mission School.

-for people who can offer matching grants to increases in Red Lake generated revenues over the previous year.

-for people who will contribute to our Operating Fund established through the Northwest Minnesota in 1993.

Are you someone that will care enough to support Indian people who are trying to assume greater responsibility for their school, their children’s education, and their future?

Brief History of St. Mary’s Mission

St. Mary’s Mission Church was established on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in 1858 with Father Lautischar as it’s first pastor. St. Mary’s Mission School began with the arrial of two Benedictine Sisters from St. Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, Minnesota in November of 1888. Their coming along with two monks from St. John’s Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota, was in response to a request sent to the abbot of St. John’s by Chief Little Thunder and 112 members of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians to establish a church and school.

The Red Lake Indian Reservation is one of two closed reservations in the United States. This means that the Indian people themselves, through their tribal organization, have a much higher degree of self-rule. Because it is closed their reservation land is held in common and only natives live here with the exception of spouses and a few of us here at the Mission.

There are nearly 9,500 members of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians with approximately 8,500 living here on the reservation.

St. Mary’s Mission Church is the local experience and expression of the broader Crookston Diocese with Bishop Balke as it’s spiritual leader. Together with the whole church we are what St. Paul calls, “The People of God”. The work of the church at every level is to establish and develop the reign of God in our world.

The Parish Council and the Board of Education have recognized that if St. Mary’s is to have a future, the Red Lake community must provide a much greater share of the revenues needed to operate. One pressing problem which we are addressing is the heavy reliance upon charitable donations which may help us in the short term yet are not dependable for long range planning. This past year, the Red Lake community provided 15% of the revenues needed. The rest came from charitable donations and grants from around the nation. To set higher goals of increasing the percentage of locally generated revenues each year is a very difficult undertaking, especially considering that unemployment averages about 57% on the reservation.

Setting up an Endowment is:

· A positive step toward providing a legacy of hope those who and pride for come after us.

§ A spirited expression of our desire to strive to do God’s work in Christ’s Name.

“We are obliged to be stewards of the church – collaborators and cooperators in continuing the work of Jesus Christ which is the Church’s essential mission

· Proclaiming and teaching,

· Serving and sanctifying

It is our task. It is the personal responsibility of each one of us as stewards of the Church.” A Disciples Stewardship

St. Mary’s Mission School in Redlake, Minnesota is Catholic yet is open to other denominations, which provides children with specific educational goals determined by the Diocese of Crookston and the State of Minnesota. In addition it provides the children with instruction in their own culture and an appreciation of it: sacredness of the earth, respect for elders and their stories, and the history of the Objibwe Indian people. Diocese of Crookston. It has a policy making School Board which is comprised of Red Lake people who are elected by parents of enrolled students and adult members of St. Mary’s Parish. The school seeks to respond to educational needs of the Red Lake community by working with parents and guardians of enrolled students to provide a quality, Catholic education.

St. Mary’s Mission School in Redlake, Minnesota is committed to providing an excellent basic education in a safe environment to all students from families seeking a value-based education, regardless of ability to pay. Our vision is for children that are well-prepared academically to enter secondary school, that have developed a healthy self-concept, and with the self-esteem necessary to achieve a standard of education that is critical in today’s world.