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A new, yet old way of raising money

Franciscans turn to Kickstarter to save 800-year-old church

ROME – Not far from the banks of the Tiber River, the 800-year-old church of St. Francis at Ripa has never been one of Rome’s most famous destinations.

Interest suddenly ticked up. Tour groups started coming by. For the Rev. Stefano Tamburo, the Franciscan friar in charge of the church, this was welcome news, except that the building had not been significantly renovated since the 17th century. A room, or cell, used by St. Francis needed repair, yet the church did not have $125,000 for the project.

Franciscans take a vow of poverty and for centuries have depended on charity. So that is what Tamburo and the other Franciscans at the church are now doing, if with a contemporary approach: They have begun a 30-day online fundraising campaign, using the crowdfunding website Kickstarter.

Tamburo compares the Kickstarter campaign to the ancient tradition of questua, or asking for public donations, as St. Francis himself did.



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