Notes from February 2, 2025 Financial Update
Good morning, everyone. Lorie Lucke here again, your business administrator, with an update on parish finances. As you all know, we became an independent personal parish last June. Fr. Fran and your Finance Council promised you transparency, and now that we are six months into the fiscal year some trends are taking shape. Overall the trajectory is positive, but not quite where we need to be yet. I’d like to share the good news about our finances and then talk about how everyone here can help.
On the revenue side, our weekly offertory is up over 8% year-to-date vs. last year. In addition, our interest-bearing accounts at the RCAB are earning us enough to cover the surprise costs that we’ve had, including boiler repairs for the parish center, caulking for the eastern façade of the church to stop water leaks, more labor hours than budgeted, and the delay in finding a custodian which has led to outsourcing minor repairs and necessary cleaning. I feel optimistic about this part of our finances. Keep up the good work!
There is some not-so-good news, though, and that is that we’re considerably short on the Grand Annual. As of Friday, we had collected $50,396, which is almost exactly two-thirds of what we had budgeted. Not only that, but we will have to pause our appeal in advance of the Catholic Appeal coming in March. We can keep collecting, but we’re asked not to publicize any parish appeals. To be clear, we aren’t looking for five families to donate $5,000 apiece, though we wouldn’t turn that down! The average gift to the Grand Annual this year is $500. For us to reach our goal we need 50 more families to contribute that average amount. So for all those who have already contributed to the Grand Annual, thank you very much. Your support allows us to continue to build for the future and we greatly appreciate it. For those who have pledged but not yet fulfilled, I encourage you to do so at your earliest convenience. We are counting on you. For those who have not yet made their gift to the Grand Annual, please consider doing so in the next few weeks. It will make a real difference.
The other critically important way that everyone here, regardless of their individual circumstances, can help improve our financial stability is by bringing in new members. Mark writes in his Gospel that when Jesus appeared to the eleven he told them, ”Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” This is our mission, too. So I ask you to speak to everyone you know. Tell them about the wonderful liturgies we have here, how the choir is better and better every week, how our faith formation program meets families where they are and helps them to grow in Christ, how our Christian Service is deeply rooted in our identity, how we serve one another through our many ministries. We have a lot to offer, and people need to know about it. Invite them to come and see. And at the same time I ask you to speak to everyone you don’t know but who you see sitting here in the row in front of you, or whose child smiled shyly at you, or whose singing voice you admire. Welcome everyone warmly, let them know that we’re glad they’re here, invite them to join us at hospitality so we can get to know and to serve them. Building our community will strengthen us in every way.
Your Finance Council -- Barry Cunha, Dan Rapperport, Anita Parillo Shine, and I -- will be available during hospitality and after the faith formation program to answer any questions you may have. Thank you for your attention, and I’ll see you over in the hall.