A CATHOLIC COMMUNITY EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS.
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Dear Parishioners,
Summer greetings from Fr. Paul! I am sure you are all enjoying this wonderful summer weather, traveling, and relaxing! I pray that you stay safe in your travels and adventures! It gives me so much joy to write to you and to share with you some updates on the life of the parish, especially, the reorganization and restructuring of the administration.
As you are aware, July 1, we fully transitioned to the new Parish Admin model with the consolidation of the administrative structure of the school and the church. I am indeed pleased with this transition, and grateful to our staff for their commitment to the success of this reorganization. I would like to specially thank Carla Russ, our interim principal, and Kim Fadden our vice principal for their willingness to lead the school in collaboration with the parish staff and councils.
This year many wonderful memories were formed, as student projects and community events seem to have sprung back to life. School masses became rich with student involvement and musically brought us great joy. We honored 48 graduating students, confirmed 26 students, baptized 14 individuals, and administered the Sacrament of the Eucharist to 19 students. This is a positive reflection of our work together as a faith community.
The finances of both the school and the church have been brought under the oversight of the Parish Finance Council. To include the school in this oversight, the finance council has been restructured by bringing the principal, vice principal, the chair of the School Advisory Council (SAC) and the lead of the finance committee of the SAC into the current Finance Council. This I am sure will help us not just in the oversight, but in understanding our finances, immediate and future needs and in directing our resources to be good stewards in fulfilling our mission. I am sure you will see significant improvement in the maintenance and upkeep of our facilities from the changes that are being made. Our Director of Facilities and Development, Kristine
Gottsch, has been entrusted with the task of creating a development plan for the church and the school in collaboration with the subcommittees of the Pastoral Council, SAC, and a group of parents and parishioners. It will be implemented in the coming school year.
While some areas have already been strengthened, there are still areas in need of help, such as Faith Formation. Unfortunately, our current financial situation does not allow us to hire a Director of Faith Formation. Therefore, I am working with volunteers and faculty members to come up with a plan to cover the different areas of Faith Formation, such as the Sunday School, Children’s Liturgy, Sacramental Prep, and RCIA. I am hopeful that we as a community will do the best we can to make sure that the treasures of our faith are passed on to our children to help them form the values we hold dear.
As you may also be aware, we are in the process of replacing our broken and aged boilers in the church. I want the school parents to know that the boilers are not just used to heat the church, but also the Parish Hall where our children eat lunch every day. I would like to thank the parishioners who have to this point contributed to the new boilers (the total cost of replacement is $85,428.00). To date we have raised $15,750. I would also like to thank the Lester P. John Foundation for their generous support. Please stay tuned for a detailed plan for replacing the school gym floor, roofing, and other projects in the upcoming months.
While acknowledging the significant projects before us and the consequent challenges we will, I am optimistic and hopeful that we can accomplish these tasks with God’s help and by working together for the future of the school and the church.
At this time, I am appealing to your generosity for our Christmas in August traditional fundraiser which helps offset our budget deficit caused by a sharp decrease of offertory during the summer months. We try to be very conservative in our budget and spending without compromising the needs for ensuring the beauty and reverence of our liturgical celebrations, service to our community, our various ministries to our parishioners and families. We cannot meet these needs without your help.
In the last eleven years that I have been privileged to be your pastor, I have been overwhelmed by your generosity and I am sure you will come through again. I am extremely grateful to you for your support. We will have our parish picnic, the celebration of our community, on Sunday, September 10. We will enjoy games, fun, fellowship with international food tables starting with Mass at 11:00 am. Enjoy your summer and rejuvenate your spirits and energies.