The Catholic Community of Northern Columbia County

Since the fall of 2021, a small group of parishioners have been working diligently, exploring and reviewing various potential uses of the Colbert House that if the Diocese approves, would allow St. James to retain possession of the building. After a concerted effort, a proposal to use the Colbert House as a tri-parish spiritual and ecumenical center has been recommended and a draft proposal prepared. A non-negotiable condition that has been placed on the retention of the Colbert House is that St. James Church funds not be used to pay for any associated costs for the Colbert House. Failure to raise adequate funding will result in the sale of the Colbert House. Thus, significant fundraising efforts will be required.

A Colbert House committee has been established to review the draft proposal and provide input for the development of a final proposal that will be presented to the appropriate Diocesan officials for their review and decision. This committee will also provide the governance for the Colbert House if the Diocese approves our proposal. This committee will consist of three sub-committees:

• • • A Steering Committee that will provide general oversight and guidance;
    • An Administrative Committee that will be responsible for the actual implementation and administrative governance on the use of the Colbert House; and
    • A Finance/Fundraising Committee that will be responsible for the development of an annual operating budget, fundraising, and ensuring adequate funding is available to meet operating expenses.

The committee members are meeting on a regular basis to provide their input for a final proposal document, development of appropriate operating policies and procedures, and development of a listing of potential fundraising efforts.

A future update on the status of the Colbert House will be provided once significant additional information is available. If there are any questions related to this process or if you would like to volunteer to participate as a member of the Colbert House committee, please contact Barbara Haywood by email.