Dear Community of Saint Joseph’s;

 

On September first we began a new fiscal year.  At our liturgies this weekend, a member of our parish Finance Council, Mr. Dick Hartman will be presenting a review of our parish finances. On the back page of the bulletin we feature a general outline of our last year’s funding in a graphic form.  The graph indicates an overall perspective of how the finances have been distributed in our community.  Please know that this information is provided with my gratitude for your generous donations over the last year.

 

As you may know the parish finances are overseen by a group of parishioners who compose the Finance Council.  This council regularly meets and thoroughly reviews all the financial data in order to make recommendations regarding the  management of our parish funds.  I am extremely grateful for their expertise and insight regarding how best to support the ministries and facilities we are responsible for at Saint Joseph's.  It is possible to attend Mass every Sunday and not ever question how the parish pays its bills and maintains it’s fiscal responsibilities.  Consequently it is vital for you as members of this parish family to be notified periodically of how our collections are providing for our parish life.  When you donate to Saint Joseph’s Catholic Community it provides us with electricity and water, we are able to pay staff salaries, support outreach efforts, print the bulletin, fund religious education,  communicate by telephone and computer, maintain our grounds, continue the ongoing and extensive repairs of our church, hall and rectory— and most important fund our wide range of ministries.

 

At this moment in time it is impossible to turn on your television or listen to your radio without being bombarded with serious and troubling information regarding the state of our economy.  I do not wish to add to those voices that cause distress, however, I do need to update you on the fact that one month into the new fiscal year we are already significantly behind in our parish donations.  In this time of financial uncertainty there may be anxiety about spending money on anything that is not absolutely necessary, nevertheless if we continue to experience such a significant shortfall each week we will have to adapt our current budget which means that certain ministries and events will be discontinued.

 

I suspect we are all a bit apprehensive regarding our financial futures but please consider how important your stewardship is to the continued well-being of the parish.  Also, remember how grateful I am for the many ways you have and continue to sustain Saint Joseph’s Catholic Community.  Your ongoing support enables us to continue our daily work of providing the most potent experience of God in the way we pray and teach and forgive and eat and anoint and change over and over again. 

 

Thank you for always being such generous people.  You are consistently abundant with your treasure, your smiles, your good will and your amazing faith.  Thank you for sharing all that you have and all that you are with this incredible community of believers. 

 

 

Father Matt Pennington

Pastor