St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church

St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, California, has grown by 41 percent since 2000 to almost 7,000 registered families. To accommodate this growth, ministries have expanded into every nook and cranny possible on campus. The parish created office and meeting spaces out of old confessionals and the former rectory’s dining room. As space became tighter, expanding ministries and starting new initiatives became impossible. The need for a new pastoral center and gathering space to accommodate growth became acute. Still, church leaders knew that raising the necessary funds wouldn’t be easy because of past struggles and distrust among some parishioners. St. Edward proceeded thoughtfully and hired the Steier Group for a campaign assessment before developing any conceptual renderings of what the pastoral center might look like. The assessment showed positive support for the project and the parish began to develop an architectural plan in tandem with campaign preparations. The Steier Group customized a plan that proceeded cautiously and focused heavily on transparent communication throughout the entire process. With a campaign adapted to the unique needs of the church community, the parish surpassed its campaign goals and raised more than $10 million to launch the project.