Dear Parishioners, +JMJ
I’m happy to let you know that a couple weeks ago I got a call from the Fr. Phil Smith, Vocations Director for the Diocese, asking us to take a seminarian for a couple summer months. Of course, I said yes, because our parish has been so enriched by seminarians for the past number of years. The seminarian is Bradley McNeal, just finishing up his second year of pre-theology at Mount Saint Mary’s in Cincinnati. I’m very much looking forward to this time with us this summer.
Last week we had another finance meeting. Here are some of the highlights:
-We looked at the most recent financial reports: the balance sheet, the profit-and-loss statement, the accounts payable statement. We also heard from one of the committee members who performed the internal audit for us a couple months ago, using diocesan procedure and forms. We are a couple months behind on this though, and we hope to catch up soon.
-Hoping to reduce the school subsidy significantly, we now have an alumni committee that has gathered the names of our alumni. They produced a fine brochure for mailing to ask for financial support for the school.
-We talked about the V Encuentro Hispanic Outreach program, and how this should result in some type of parish outreach event to local Hispanics. A donation we received after the funeral of one of our Hispanic farmworkers can help to cover any costs for that event.
-We have reached 70% of our Annual Catholic Appeal campaign goal ($22,600 of $29,000 goal). Hopefully everybody will consider a donation, understanding that anything sent in above the parish goal ends up coming back to the parish. So, have no fear of giving too much!
-We noted some of the new committees being set up as part of our volunteer life structure. Some of these will affect the financial side of the parish.
-Dianne Jones is working on the first draft of our July 2018-June 2019 fiscal year budget. It has to be submitted to the Diocese by May 1st. Department heads are putting together numbers for Dianne. (Anyone planning a multi-million-dollar gift to the parish in the next fiscal year should contact Dianne by the end of April 🙂 The finance council gives input on the final budget, before it goes to the Diocese.
-At Antwerp, a fan has been installed in the crawl space above the stairwell leading up to the choir. Hopefully, the new moisture barrier, combined with constant air circulation from the fan, will prevent any further moisture damage. We still are looking at an alternative to the huge organ speakers in the loft behind the seating area. Also, we still plan on putting the music number display board on a bit of a slant, so the people in front of the congregation on the other side can see it easily.
-At Antwerp hall, for security purposes, and to be more up-to-date regarding child-protection policies, we’re looking at either including windows for all the doors, or replacing the doors entirely, to include some other security options, such as a metal sleeve that goes over the door opener, so that nobody from the outside can open it – in the case of some type of dangerous intruder.
-At the rectory in Antwerp (the Conley’s home) we’re planning to replace carpeting in the kitchen with linoleum, and the old carpeting in the dining area with new. The dryer also needs to be vented to the outside of the house.
-At Payne we’re still waiting for the patching of the carpet at the front of the main aisle. The new playground border got pretty demolished two Friday evenings ago. That has to be repaired. Bats found a new way to get into the rafters, so were looking at sealing that new entrance up. We are still planning on some cupboards/shelving to make the storage in the sacristy neater and more efficient.
-At the rectory in Paulding, we still have some light fixtures to change out. Most of the electrical outlets in the rectory had to be updated, rewired with grounded outlets. We are finishing the design for the chapel, so that we can submit it to the Bishop for permission to build. Two remaining, very necessary projects for the rectory are the porch and the siding. (All you have to do is take a quick look at both of these to see the need. We can’t let it go too long, because there is obvious weather damage that will only get worse.) The quotes are old, so they have to be renewed, but the porch repair estimate over a year ago was $25,000. The rectory siding estimates ranged from $25,000-$42,000. I want to maintain the external look of the rectory, i.e., the details that Fr. Fillman improved during his years here. Yet, I want to use synthetic materials that will make future upkeep easier.
-At the school, there was an ALICE training conducted by the Sheriff’s office. We are so grateful for their help! They made various recommendations, such as security sleeves on the door openers, and more security at the secretary’s office; possibly doubling the entry doors, to add an extra layer; and, finally, installing an alarm system and camera that will feed directly into the Sheriff’s office. Other schools already have this.
-Regarding our wish list, we still have the repair of the bells at each campus. Verdun is coming out again to update their bids, which are now a couple years old. Because the bells are connected to our liturgical life, we’re going to apply for a grant from the Reverend Auguste Schaefer Endowment for liturgical improvements – the same endowment that give us significant help to purchase our pew missiles and hymnals. The application for this grant has to be received by August 1st, and any money granted is received by the parish in December.
So, there are the highlights from the finance council meeting. Have a blessed week!
In cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Poggemeyer
