Looking Back and Looking Forward
Included in this week’s bulletin are the annual financial reports for the previous fiscal year (July 2020-June 2021). As always, you have been incredibly generous. I am extremely grateful for your generosity over the past year. It is amazing and encouraging how supportive you are of your parishes. We are sincerely grateful and appreciative of your support: financially and spiritually.
Numerous projects have been completed over the past year and continue into this year. St. Lawrence is currently working on some upgrades to the rectory and looking into a fresh coat of paint in the Church. Over the past year, we’ve been able to move money to savings. St. John bought a parcel of land on the old softball field, poured new front steps, and completed the restroom project which included a septic system and pouring the dance floor.
Immaculate Conception has completed a lot of little things in the rectory so that it is more livable for the current tenants. This includes kitchen flooring, a new water heater, painting the outside soffits, and two new split units. Also the old boiler chimney was removed and new cables were installed in the elevator. In the Church, the Sacred Heart statue and crucifix received fresh coats of paint.
St. Joseph is still completing the high altar project. This week, the painters will begin repainting the mural and adding two more. We are grateful to two very generous donors who have funded this project. Also St. Joseph purchased the house on the corner of Benton St. and Blackhoof St. It has since been demolished and we are looking forward to expanding the parking lot.
All of these projects and other ordinary expenses have been completed through your generosity. On behalf of our staff, pastoral council, finance committees, and buildings and grounds committees, thank you for your generosity.
As we look forward to this year, we will have an opportunity to reflect on stewardship. Not only financial stewardship, but the stewardship of our time and talent as well. We have been offered the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ: what do we do with it? This will be a fundamental question for us in the coming year(s). Jesus Christ saved us from sin and death and offers us life… now what? What do we do with this incredible gift we’ve received?
Finally, please pray for me during this week. I’ll be on retreat in the hills of Pennsylvania. Lately I’ve been asking the Lord for a generous and magnanimous heart. Pray that He may transform me into a good father and shepherd.
Our Lord has been incredibly good to us. May we respond to Him with generous hearts.
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Sean Wilson
