To build a new worship space, parishes customarily ask parishioners to support capital campaigns and pledge drives. But in a parish where the income per family is not terribly high, new methods must be developed.

At Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Oxnard's older La Colonia district, the powers that be have gone well beyond the established fundraising methodology --- and for that matter, well beyond the parish boundaries. On Dec. 12 of last year --- the feast day of its patron saint --- the parish announced it would raffle a brand new, fully furnished and landscaped home, with proceeds from the sale of the $100-apiece tickets supporting the efforts to build a new worship space for the busy, largely Latino, 7,000-family parish.

Purchased by the parish at $425,000 and currently valued at $600,000, the 1,579-square-foot home lies in one of the new residential developments north of the parish and south of Gonzalez Boulevard. On Aug. 14, the parish will host an open house for the public to actually view the home.

And, next Dec. 12, the drawing for the home will be held, with the winner having an option to take, instead of the home, $350,000 in cash. (Should the cash prize be taken, a second drawing will be held to determine the winner of the home.)

It is, far as anyone can determine, the first time in the history of the archdiocese that a home has been raffled to help build a church. "People are excited," smiled Missionary of the Holy Spirit Father Jose de Jesus Sanchez, associate pastor, who has overseen various fundraising events (including new car raffles in conjunction with the home raffle). "We are dreaming big, so we have to think big in generating support."

The home itself is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom, single-story residence in the Cielo (Spanish for "heaven") development built by Capitol Pacific Homes. To date, 5,200 tickets have been sold; the goal is 15,000, and parish officials are hopeful that recent publicity and advertising, as well as a last-minute rush, will allow them to meet their goal.

The parish has raised part of the estimated $7 million needed for the project, assisted by the 2004 Cardinal's Award Dinner, but there is a ways to go, said Father de Jesus Sanchez.

"We have made progress, and it is a challenge," he said. "But it is also a blessing because as we build a church, we build a parish community. And we will have a new church. But when that happens depends on the community."

In addition to a new worship space (with a seating capacity of 1,000-plus, nearly double the current space), the parish master plan for Our Lady of Guadalupe includes a new school and parish center. Currently, the parish and its mission, Christ the King, offer 10 weekend Masses, and all are filled to overflowing.

"This is an incredible, amazing parish," said Siobhain O'Reilly-Hill, school principal during the years it earned national recognition for its students' excellence in academics. "It is a credit to Oxnard and to the people who come here to build their community."

Indeed, Father Ricardo de Alba, pastor, stressed that an active, thriving parish serves and benefits the entire community, not simply its parishioners.

"The house is a symbol of home," he said. "It suggests intimacy, warmth, relationship, community. For us, building a new sanctuary is a chance to provide a better home for our people who work hard to build better lives, who work hard to make their city a better place to live."

The open house for the home to be raffled will be held Aug. 14, noon-5 p.m., at 937 Entrada Drive, Oxnard (south of Gonzalez and east of Oxnard Boulevard). Raffle tickets are $100 and may be purchased at the event or by mail. For information on the open house or ticket sales, call Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, (805) 483-0987.