Jean Houghton’s first year as director of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office of Mission Advancement has included a wide-angle look at the needs of parishes, schools and ministries, with an eye toward understanding the resources necessary to help fuel their efforts.

Visiting external constituents, foundations and supporters has also been part of the endeavor, Houghton told “Practicing Catholic” radio show producer Kayla Mayer for the show debuting at 9 p.m. Dec. 8 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.

“What did we hear, what have we been told, and what are the needs out there?” Houghton said. Part of her work included gaining an understanding the Archdiocesan Catholic Center and its ministries, she said.

Houghton said the first year was humbling, “surrounded by incredibly hardworking, faith-driven, passionate people, really all trying to tell the same story.”

One initiative has been reconvening a Stewardship Committee of experts able to help parishes, she said. An online stewardship toolkit is available at archspm.org/stewardship.

Inspired by hope to fulfill the vision of activating missionary disciples for Christ that Archbishop Bernard Hebda urges in his post-synodal pastoral letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses: Gathered and Sent from the Upper Room,” Houghton and others began looking at the feasibility of a major capital campaign.

A committee of clergy, external supporters and constituents and internal leadership looked at seven firms with fundraising expertise, then four, then two and finally chose CCS Fundraising, based in Chicago, Houghton said. The feasibility study is gauging stakeholders on an archdiocesan-wide campaign that would have 60% of what is raised go directly to parishes, she said.

Her office is studying the feasibility of a $325 million capital campaign to support the archdiocese’s 185 parishes, Catholic education, efforts to bolster multicultural ministries, care for priests and help preserves the landmarks Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis and Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Houghton said.

To learn more about the feasibility study and other initiatives at the Office of Mission Advancement, tune into “Practicing Catholic,” which repeats at 1 p.m. Dec. 9 and 2 p.m. Dec. 10.

Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes Bishop Joseph Williams, who invites listeners to enter deeply into the mystery of Mary’s Immaculate Conception, and Nancy Bandzuch, from Catholic Sprouts, who talks about Advent resources.

Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at https://anchor.fm/practicing-catholic-show.