Dear Sir or Madam:

We are writing to you on behalf of the Catholic community of St. Mary’s Ridge, Wisconsin. We are a small part of an active, hard-working farm family parish and school community that has been in existence at St. Mary’s Ridge since 1856. The beauty of the land at St. Mary’s Ridge is internationally famous, with picturesque views and it’s colorful seasonal changes. We take very seriously, along with the neighbors for whom we speak, the responsibility of continuing to preserve the spiritual, moral and economic infrastructure of this remarkable place. We are writing to you for urgent financial help, to combine with our own fund raising efforts, to keep this school open, as well as preserve and restore the beautiful Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church.

Your financial support will benefit the school children with a Catholic education, further evangelize our parish community, and help in the restoration of our parish church.

Today there are 150 households participating in parish life, providing the students that are enrolled in Saint Mary’s School. The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary parish is courageously ministering to rural families at a time when the community is undergoing major economic stress. Auctions, a strong stewardship program, and other socially significant fund raising activities have been undertaken with our best effort, to try to meet the pastoral and budgetary responsibilities. Even with all our vigorous endeavors, we simply are in need of your help.

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church has been lovingly preserved throughout the years. The church is architecturally significant because of it’s Gothic style. This remarkable church and school have made significant contributions to the rural Wisconsin community, the larger Roman Catholic Church community and the nation as well. Six Catholic priests and twenty-one Catholic religious have sprung from this small parish and school. Some 40 parishioners have served our country with the sacrifice of their lives.

The spiritual, educational and social needs of Catholic farm families has been sustained by this church and school on the “Ridge” for the past one hundred and forty-four years. Our self-reliant parish must now reach out beyond ourselves, to seek, with God’s guidance, those individuals and foundations that can and will assist us in our struggle. We are deeply committed and will continue to make our Catholic witness present here in rural Wisconsin. We are asking you, on behalf of our neighbors, to help us continue it’s heritage and secure it’s future. Donors names are displayed on a plaque of recognition prominently placed in the entryway of our church.

We are presently in urgent need of the following:

St. Mary’s School: Nativity of the Blessed

Virgin Mary Church:

General Operating Support Steeple repair

($48,000.00)

Roof & Wall Repair Interior plaster and paint

($26,000.) ($65,000.00)

Boiler system Pipe Organ Restoration

($53,000.00) ($60,000.00)

Projected Budget Septic System

($157,500.00) ($24,500.00)

Pre-school/Kindergarten Program Expanded Youth Ministry
($34,960.00) ($10,000.00)

This volunteer committee invites your foundation, to join us to establish, sustain, and now preserve St. Mary’s School and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church. Pay us a visit for a first hand experience of this beautiful community! May God bless you.

Respectfully yours,

Ormand J Mack

Ormand J. Mack, Development Committee Director

Committee members:

Yvonne Mack, Melvin Schmitz, Pat Brueggen, Phil Flock, Paul Wiedemann, Gallis Schmitz, Ann Klinkner

P.S. – Please address all correspondence to:

Ormand Mack, Director

26400 County Highway ‘U’

Cashton, WI 54619

E-mail: smrdd@stmarysridge.org

Web-site: www.stmarysridge.org