St. Mary Student Parish

THE CHALLENGE

Since 1925, St. Mary Student Parish has served as a vital spiritual home for Catholics at the University of Michigan and throughout Ann Arbor. Administered by the Jesuits since 2005 and home to more than 3,500 households, the parish ministers to a diverse community of resident parishioners, students and Spanish-speaking Catholics. When the opportunity arose for St. Mary Student Parish to work with the diocesan campaign to utilize offered resources, parish leaders faced a distinctive challenge: how to balance their unique identity and vibrant local mission with participation in a diocesan-wide effort. Leadership needed to ensure that this campaign would be seen as a local effort first, dedicated to meeting St. Mary’s own pressing needs. Maintaining this focus, while honoring diocesan partnership, required careful strategy, sensitive communication and a unified leadership team.

THE VISION

St. Mary Student Parish’s campaign vision reflected its dual commitment to resident parishioners and the growing student population of a university town. The goals were bold but essential:

• Renovate and repair the church and Newman Center to provide welcoming, functional spaces for prayer, learning and community.
• Grow the parish endowment to expand campus ministry programming, including retreats, service trips and immersion experiences.
• Strengthen resident faith formation and outreach ministries, including vital support for the parish’s Spanish-speaking community.

THE SOLUTION

With guidance from the Steier Group, St. Mary Student Parish approached this campaign with clarity, strategy and heart. The campaign team worked closely with parish leadership to carefully navigate the dynamics of a Jesuit-administered parish participating in a diocesan campaign. Consistent, diplomatic messaging helped maintain focus on the parish’s local needs while honoring the broader diocesan effort. Every element of the campaign was crafted to reflect St. Mary’s mission and speak directly to its diverse community, including Spanish-language materials for Hispanic parishioners. The parish’s campaign leadership team was deeply engaged at every stage from planning study interviews to personal visits with prospective donors. Their commitment, energy and personal outreach efforts were instrumental in the campaign’s success and surpassing the Steier Group projected low-end goal.