Bishop’s appeal for funds for the cathedral's refurbishment was a success

Hildesheim(bph): In November 2011, 302,000 households in the Catholic diocese of Hildesheim received a letter from Bishop Norbert Trelle with a request for a donation towards the refurbishment of the cathedral. So far, about 7,000 Catholics have responded and donated more than €290,000.

The scaffolded west side of the Hildesheim Cathedral on 23rd October 2011; Foto: bph

"Send out a message for this cathedral" Trelle asked in his letter and referred to the church’s 1,200-year history as a place of worship. As well, it was stated that as the central bishop’s church and as a World Heritage Site, the cathedral has great significance for the whole diocese and beyond through. The restoration of the cathedral is meant to secure its contents and give it a new radiance. At the time, the fundraising appeal was organised by the fundraising office of the diocese of Hildesheim. For the first time, the diocese used the results of its "Sinus Milieu Study" in order to address potential donors in a more targeted manner.

Many of those contacted have responded to Trelle’s letter. An analysis shows that most donors are over 50 years of age and come from the heart of the Catholic community. What has been surprising is the high level of donations from people with more modern and experimental orientations who tend to stay clear of churches. The diocese is both surprised and pleased by the fact that many of the donations have come from the more geographically distant regions of the diocese.

300 of the addressees have personally replied, and out of these, there have been only 100 responses with critical remarks. This, according to fund-raising experts, is an extremely low percentage. In an appeal for funds of this magnitude, more criticism would be expected. All responses were answered immediately and individually within the framework of a differentiated complaints management system, some directly by Bishop Trelle himself. Overall, the diocese views the response to this appeal for funds as having been very positive.

The Hildesheim Cathedral has been closed since January 2010 and is to be thoroughly renovated in time for the 1,200th anniversary of the diocese and the City of Hildesheim in 2015. To date, some features that had been built in the fifties have been removed in order to restore the Romanesque spatial structure of the church, and a bishop’s crypt has been created. In addition, the diocese is building a new museum in St. Anthony's Church located adjacent to the cathedral, where the rich Cathedral treasure will be exhibited which, along with the cathedral and St. Michael's Protestant Church, makes up the UNESCO World Heritage site.