Can you help us keep moving forward?

We are planting roots here in Tucson. Four years ago, with your generosity, we purchased 2.5 acres of cactus‑filled desert land, an ideal property for a future church.

For the past two years, through God’s mercy and your generosity, we have met our annual stewardship goal of $230,000. We now have over $500,000 saved — enough to begin the next major steps: designing our Phase 1 building, securing approvals, and preparing for a construction loan. We have also begun providing our priest with a livable salary. With your continued support, we hope to move our community to its permanent home in 2027.

This year marks the third year of our five-year plan — a natural point when many long campaigns experience a “hump year,” as early excitement settles and the finish line still feels distant. To keep our momentum strong and our parish moving forward together, we have set a slightly lower stewardship goal of $190,000. This amount covers our current rent and anticipated operating expenses, the priest's salary, and the design and pre-construction costs needed to advance Phase 1. We are also adjusting our stewardship year so that it now concludes at the end of December, rather than March as in previous years.

(You can view our full five‑year plan here: Kursk-Root-Mission-5-Year-Plan.)

Phase 1 will finally bring us onto the property. It will include a temporary church, a hall, a kitchen, classrooms, an office, and a bookstore — everything we need to worship, gather, teach, and grow. But bringing this vision to life is a significant undertaking, and that is why we are raising funds now.

Picture this: a Russian Orthodox church rising in the Sonoran Desert, where cactus and cupola meet. A place of prayer and beauty for all who visit, especially those seeking warmth and rest from the snowy north.

Can we build this together?

Be part of the story of establishing a ROCOR parish dedicated to the Kursk Root Icon in the heart of the desert. Your support today helps transform open land into a living, thriving Orthodox community for generations to come.