+JMJ
Dear Parishioners,
On July 28th we had another finance council meeting. Here are the highlights:
– We looked at the standard financial reports: the balance sheet, the income and expense report, the aging/payables report. Also, a council member reported on the bi-monthly internal audit she did, using diocesan forms. All seemed to be in order.
– Somebody in California (true story!) stole our bank card number to order $1,800 of food at Taco Bell! Deb Brickner was able to stop payment, before it happened.
– We collected $1,080 in our offertory envelope for Religious Education. I didn't realize we still had this envelope in our packet. We are grateful for the donations, and we will use them for Religious Ed. However, the Saint Wendelin Educational Foundation graciously covers almost all of our Religious Ed expenses (at about $24,000/year), so we are eliminating this envelope from our packet.
– The gas costs for mowing lawns and manicuring at the cemetery and parish are applied to separate accounts. The cemetery has its own bank account, as does the parish. We are now even trying to reimburse the parish salary account for some of the hours Rob and Daniel put in at the cemetery, now that we no longer have part-time workers handling cemetery lawn care.
– As I am writing this letter, we just received from Petermen & Associates the near-final drawings for the new maintenance/storage building. The parish design committee is looking them over.
– We looked at the annual fiscal-year-end report (July 2021-June 2022), which is due to the Diocese. The finance committee members signed the report.
– Findlay Plumbing & Heating said that the design for our replacement a/c coil has been handed over to the engineers. The cost (about $72,000) is locked-in, as we were quoted. We have had parishioners donate to this project anonymously.
– We had to order the repair of five more valves in our a/c system. These cost $1,700 each; but we cannot ignore the leaking. Labor cost for each unit could be significantly lower, if the installation goes smoothly. Remember the system is now 30 years old.
– The time-share we are releasing back to the parent company is still in process of transfer. This transfer involves the Bishop, since the Bishop of Toledo was officially the owner. A very, very complicated process.
– We received two expected bequests, adding up to about $111,000, which will be put towards the new storage/maintenance building.
– The young man who broke into our youth room, kicking the door in and stealing some items, has repaid about $600 of the $1,200 he owes in reparation.
– The second wave of the diocesan Living Christ capital campaign starts this month. We assembled a small core team of co-chairs to help me. And I have emailed about 30 other people, asking them to be part of a larger team that will help me invite other parishioners to participate. The donation invitation stage lasts through the first week of December, but the giving happens over a five-year period. The parish will get back 35% of all monies collected, right from the very start. Everybody in the parish will have the opportunity to understand the diocesan goals for funds collected, as well as the parish goals. But here's an advance look: the parish will use funds collected to complete our fundraising for the new storage/maintenance building, to supplement the church lighting fund (what is still needed after the whole facility was updated after a campaign years ago), to put a new roof on the rectory, and finally to repair the parish parking lots (all in various states of disrepair).
– We ordered a utility terrain vehicle for use primarily at the cemetery. A private donation of $15,000 covered of the purchase amount of $19,000. Since the vehicle will help some at the main church campus, the parish covered the rest of the cost ($4,000). The cemetery accounts will cover the purchase of a salt spreader and snow blade for this vehicle, costing about $9,000. The vehicle will also be used some at the parish campus.
– We are close to having the property under the old pink house rezoned as parish property, so that we will not have to pay residential taxes on it.
There are the highlights of our latest finance meeting. Have a blessed week!
In cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Father Poggemeyer