Dear Parish Family:
As we continue our work as Living Lights, stewardship of parish finances and support of parishioners are essential. In keeping my commitment to transparency and accountability for your donations, I am sharing with you the Annual Report on our parish finances, which compares the previous fiscal year’s budget to actual revenues and expenses, as well as the current fiscal year 2026-27 budget.
The parish remains in a solid financial position, but I need to highlight a few concerns. Over the past year, offertory collections grew by two percent, while the parish’s operating expenses rose by seven percent. Mostly due to inflation, this is the second consecutive fiscal year that our operating expenses have grown faster than revenues. As the Annual Report shows, at the end of last fiscal year the parish exceeded its revenues by $272,000. Most of this overspending was due to higher than expected costs for capital repair projects, such as fixing church roof leaks, remodeling the aging parish hall restrooms, and addressing a major water leak at the rectory. Fortunately, we had reserve funds available to pay for these necessary repairs.
Looking ahead, we are developing both the spiritual and physical plans for our parish and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (SEAS) Catholic School to support our growth as a faith community of missionary disciples. To ensure our campus remains safe and welcoming, we must prepare for vital future projects that exceed our current reserves. These include building much-needed meeting and classroom space, as well as replacing the church HVAC system by 2030, which could cost up to $600,000.
Thanks to your generosity, we recently completed several essential capital projects. Together, we have refurbished the parking lot, added critically needed handicapped spaces, replaced the parish hall ovens, sealed and repaired church windows, and trimmed our trees. While remediating the stains on the church ceiling remains a challenge, we are actively seeking a cost-effective solution. None of this would be possible without your financial support, and I am deeply grateful.
As we plan for our parish’s future, I encourage you to reflect on a central pillar of our stewardship journey: "An Hour of Light." This concept is a direct invitation to re-examine how we support our faith community with our time, talent and treasure. Within this framework, we invite every working parishioner to consider giving back to the Lord through the parish, an amount equal to one hour’s worth of your weekly pay — a tangible way to honor God’s provision and support our mission. While every family’s financial situation is unique, a collective commitment to this “Hour of Light” discipline will help us navigate rising operational costs, secure our parish's daily operations today, and allow us to plan confidently for our vibrant future. I humbly ask you to join me in special stewardship of our physical campus, ensuring our facilities remain safe, beautiful, and ready to serve our growing community.
Please prayerfully reflect on the information in the financial report, and consider what an “Hour of Light” looks like for your household's regular giving. Thank you for your enduring faith, trust, and shared stewardship in our parish.
Generous and Loving God, You are the source of every good gift, and we praise You for Your abundant blessings. You call us to be the Living Lights of Your grace, mercy, and truth in our world. Send Your Holy Spirit upon our parish family, that we may grow as true missionary disciples. Open our hearts to a spirit of deep gratitude, and grant us the wisdom and courage to share our time, talent, and treasure sacrificially. Bless our parish and school, and let our giving reflect our love for You and our commitment to building Your Kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Your servant,
Fr. Michael Vaughan, Pastor
