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Third Sunday of the Year
23 January 2011
Dear Friends in Christ,
When I became pastor of St. Mary’s in 2001, I set forth a 15 Year Master Plan in Three Phases to address the present and future needs of our facilities. Phase One was the restoration of the church and the renovation of the middle school building. Phase Three, not to begin for two more years, will be the construction of the new church. And Phase Two, in which we are still working, is everything else: the expansion of our campus, the provision of a new rectory and convent, constant improvements to our primary school and other buildings, construction of a columbarium, and expansion of our church sacristy and storage areas — along with the elimination of our debt. Each year since the Master Plan was established, you have responded generously to our needs for ongoing capital improvements to our ten acre campus and several buildings, and in 2010 we raised nearly one million dollars for these purposes. For 2011 I am aiming at a lower target for two reasons: we are nearing the end of Phase Two of the Master Plan, and everyone needs a bit of a breather!
In the coming year we need to accomplish four primary tasks: 1) continue to pay off our debt, 2) remove the old rectory and the former Cregger Plumbing Company, 3) provide new landscaping for the western boundary of our campus, and 4) expand the church sacristy and storage area to make up for the loss of facilities in the old rectory. All together these projects will cost $750,000, and that is the goal for capital giving in 2011. Let me break them down for you: Our present debt from all previous projects of the last decade is $490,000, and in 2011 we need to pay $150,000 in principal and interest on this debt. The removal of the old rectory and the former Cregger Plumbing Company will cost $150,000, and for safety reasons, these projects can no longer be postponed. The addition to our sacristy on the rear of the church, which will also require moving the grotto and creating a new and beautiful space of prayer, will cost $400,000. And reworking the landscaping of the vacant lot on the corner of Washington and Butler and the space that will be opened by the removal of the old plumbing supply buildings will cost $50,000.
To accomplish all of these goals and move us closer to the end of Phase Two of our Master Plan, I will ask each household in the parish to make a pledge to support our capital needs in addition to your regular offertory support that funds the operation of the parish. Our stewardship guidelines can help you determine the level of your gift: each household is asked to give 5% of their income to the regular offertory, 1% to the support of our bishop in the Bishop’s Stewardship Appeal, and 4% to other charities of your choice. Together these three constitute a tithe or the ten percent of giving taught by Holy Scripture. Your capital gifts to the parish should come from the discretionary 4% of your tithe, and if every household in the parish participates in that way, we will easily meet and exceed our goal, allowing us to reach the end of Phase Two even more quickly. Thank you for your generous commitment to St. Mary’s and your support of our witness to the Lord Jesus.
Father Newman