May is a busy month in so many
ways. We have graduations, celebrations,
anniversaries, weddings, etc. So we tend
to meet ourselves coming and going. Then
the Summer begins and at St. Timothy we plunge into the preparations for our
Festival (July 11-12 this year). What
happens without much of a thought is the end of a fiscal year. Before we get lost in all that is going on, I
want to update you on the status of our parish situation so everyone is aware
of how things stand. Please keep us in
mind at this "crossing of the bridge” into a new fiscal year and into the
Summer. We need your support in every
way – financial, personal and spiritual, now and every day!
As you will recall, when I arrived
as Pastor at St. Timothy six years ago, we were entering into the
Festival. That weekend was intense! As I began to learn the situation of the
parish, I was told that one of that challenges that St. Timothy had to face was
a debt for our new facility (parish center, gyms and classrooms, and the new
façade and gathering area of our church) owed to the Diocese of Columbus. I also learned that our parish was about to
celebrate its Golden Jubilee. In the
first few years of my pastorate, I worked with you to continue the good work
begun by the Finance Committee under Msgr. John Johnson to eliminate the parish
debt and we were able to do so by the time of our Parish Golden Jubilee
celebration in November 2011.
The Music Ministry was without a
director and the organ was on the fritz (due to a lightening strike that came
long before I knew I would be coming to St. Timothy!). We have addressed those situations. In that first year, St. Timothy was given a
new Pastor, a new Deacon and a new Director of Music. After we paid our debt to the Diocese,
individuals banded together and we were able to dedicate our new Organ on
Pentecost in May 2013.
In February of this year, Mike
Foley, the Chair of our Finance Council, addressed the Parish at all weekend
Masses concerning our current fiscal state.
Together with him, our Bookkeeper/Accountant Dottie Cocola likewise
addressed the School parents about financial concerns, explaining how our
School finds its resources to operate and reminding parish families of their
responsibility to contribute.
As was reported, in our last fiscal
year, 2012-2013, we received fewer contributions in Stewardship (the Sunday
collection) than we budgeted for, and it became necessary, in order to keep
ourselves current, to invade our parish savings to make payments. As we look toward the end of the fiscal year
for 2013-2014, we find ourselves with bills payable for a number of ordinary
expenses: Parish Subsidy payments for our parishioners who have students in
Catholic High Schools (nearly $30,000 each year), Maintenance expenses,
Utilities, Office expenses, expenses owed to the Diocese of Columbus (our
diocesan tax, the Catholic Times, etc.), School expenses and PSR expenses. We have done all we can to keep expenses
down. The Parish Office in particular waits
to meet needs such as an upgrade to our computers and parish data programs.
In short, as the fiscal year
approaches its close, we need funding for the ordinary life of our Parish and
School. Our primary source of support
for these is Parish Stewardship. Fund
raisers can help, but they cannot be relied upon. We invite you to search your heart and hear
the call of God to give in gratitude for what you have received. If all of us do this, “reports” like this
will not be necessary, except to say that God’s Providence
Here is an excerpt from the
presentation made in February. I offer
it as a renewed appeal to you to step up to meet the needs of our Parish and
School.
“Over the last several years our parish and
school staff has worked diligently to keep the parish’s expenses under control.
But, just like you have seen at your home, the Parish’s cost of living,
heating, electricity, and maintenance keeps moving higher. In the last fiscal year, we had to use our
reserves in excess of $100,000.00. Borrowing from reserves can’t continue, so
we are coming to you directly. We are all in this together.
If you
are giving regularly, and it is within your means, please consider increasing
your contribution. If you are not currently making a regular contribution to
the parish, we ask that you start.
“Please
consider using the direct deposit system we have in place. It is easy and convenient
and ensures your offering is received if you are out of town. It also helps to plan
our monthly budget: https://sttimothyoh.weshareonline.org/
“The
families and members of this parish have never failed to come to the rescue,
and for that we are truly grateful. The finance committee is asking every
parishioner once again to consider raising the level of their weekly
contribution. We cannot thank you enough for your continued support of our
“small but mighty” parish. Thank you for
your consideration. Go Tigers!!”
If you have
any questions, you may contact Mike Foley.”
This week we welcome a new
Seminarian Intern, T.J. LeHigh, as he arrives at St. Timothy for a summer
parish experience. T.J. will be entering
First Theology next fall and he has just completed two years of Pre-Theological
studies at the Pontifical College
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