St. Augustine Campaigns

THE HISTORY

The beautiful Cathedral of St. Augustine is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson. Founded in 1776, the historic building pre-dates Arizona statehood and has remained as physical expression of the influential role of the Catholic Church in creating a multi-cultural community in the Southwest. Today, it is the second most photographed building in the Southwest and stands as a significant and important example of the architectural, cultural and spiritual traditions that shaped this region.

The St. Augustine Cathedral Parish began in the late 1800s with the construction of additional structures next to the Cathedral that served as housing, offices and community meeting space for parishioners and clergy. These buildings are located on the Southwest corner of Stone Avenue and Corral Street just to the South of St. Augustine’s Cathedral. The parish has served the people of downtown Tucson for over 100 years and continues to bring together multigenerational Tucson families, Catholics from across the region and thousands of visitors every year, for inspiration and faithful worship.

THE CHALLENGE

In 2011, the Cathedral underwent a series of major renovations to improve sound, lighting, safety standards and to maintain interior and exterior historic preservation. The building was brought back to its original glory and is now as beautiful and as structurally sound as ever.

However, the additional parish buildings on the campus have not been renovated in over 45 years. The findings in a recent Capital Needs Assessment conducted by The Architecture Company highlight the need for major capital improvements to address the immediate health and safety needs of parishioners, clergy and staff.

THE GOAL

The St. Augustine Cathedral parish seeked to raise $500,000 to fund vitally needed capital improvements. Our Parish HAD TO address the following:

Make structural repairs to the floors throughout the buildings to prevent possible serious and expensive damage and injuries.
Repair the mechanical systems and roofs to both mend and end chronic damage caused by continuous leaks and environmental wear and tear.
Remove outdated and potentially toxic substances from our parish campus.
Ensure that our parish buildings are not in violation of any fire or accessibility codes and standards.

Just as the Cathedral was in desperate need of structural and cosmetic attention a decade ago, the time has come to refurbish all of the buildings on the campus.