+JMJ
Dear Parishioners,
Just in case anybody thinks miracles no longer happen – even physical healing miracles – check out the following link on Life Site News that reports on a priest who was recently healed of a brain tumor after a visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/priest-says-his-brain-tumor-has-totally-disappeared-after-visit-to-lourdes/
We had another finance council meeting two weeks ago. Here are some highlights:
– We reviewed our normal financial reports: the balance sheet, the income and expense report, the payables report. A finance council member reported on her internal audit, covering the last couple months. Everything was in order with that audit.
– The newly created air conditioning coil that got damaged by a nail gun during packaging is being sent back to the manufacturer by Findlay Plumbing & Heating, with the hope that we can get a new one created for us.
– We replaced three pump valves in the a/c system, costing $6,537.00. There are still some small leaks that are being monitored for repair. Three other valves that have to be replaced will arrive in March.
– The lift was repaired for $1,540.00.
– Well over a year ago, we paid a legal firm $3,250 to help us transfer back to Vistana the timeshare that had been donated many years ago to the parish for school fundraising. The transfer still has not happened, although much has been done. There were technicalities about wording in the documents, and deadlines were missed. The timeshare is in the Bishop's name, so we have to be concerned with legal ramifications for him. Therefore we had to pay another year of ownership fees ($1,500), which should give us and the Diocese time to resolve the remaining details of the transfer.
– I sent a letter to the Bishop and his staff, asking permission to make the next step of creating and signing a contract for the building of the storage building. The storage building was covered in a bulletin letter a couple weeks ago, so I won't repeat the details here.
– The basement repair after the flood is moving ahead well. Floors have been cleaned and sealed. Walls have been painted. There is still some more cleaning to do. But, we are close. We don't plan on putting tile back on the floor, in case there is another flood (Flooding has happened several times before in recent years, only not to such an extent.). Just last week a back-flow check valve was installed in the main pipe out to the sewer system along Fremont Avenue. We hope this will prevent a sewer backflow flood in the future; but I am still hesitant to assume we won't have water problems. We will put down some long carpet runners and rugs to make the couple rooms and hallway that parishioners use in the basement more inviting. Because we are not replacing the tile floor in the basement, we think there will be some extra insurance money leftover. That has not been calculated. There are still purchases to be made to replace damaged items – especially for the Youth Room.
– The split boiler, manufactured by Burnham, to replace the ruined rectory boiler cost $13,900. We are hopeful that the split boiler will save significant money on heating costs in the future.
– The new utility vehicle which we ordered many months ago has finally arrived. It will be used for snow removal at the church campus and the cemetery; and it will be used a lot at the cemetery for dirt removal, and many other cemetery upkeep tasks. It can get into places where a truck cannot.
– The replacement of the tile in the Notre Dame room is a bit delayed, because somehow we came up short on tile. More is on its way. We are very grateful for the donation from Roppe Rubber.
– Late last fall we received an anonymous gift for $25,000 towards repair of the central monument in the cemetery. Rob Reinhart and I looked more closely at the monument; and it seems the main repair project is the base. The statues (which seem to be hollow, copper figures) atop the base seem to be in pretty good shape, with the exception of a rip down the back corner of the crucifix post. Perhaps we will be able to find a contractor who can create a cement box (hollow?) that looks nice enough, and is secure enough to hold the weight of the statues above it. Then we could find another contractor who can clean up the statues a bit, and repair the ripped metal on the back of the crucifix.
– From the Educational Foundation we received the second quarter subsidy of $6,000 for parish CCD expenses. We are very grateful for the ongoing generosity of the Foundation towards the parish programs to educate and form our youth in the Faith!
– I have had absolutely no other inquiries into the music position, beyond the three I got in the fall, which did not work out. Please keep praying.
– As I was creating this letter, we got the first statement from our new Diocesan Deposit & Loan, into which Living Christ campaign funds will be deposited. The account now shows a balance of $46,482. That is the first installment of the tremendous generosity of our parishioners in this campaign! That amount fills in almost the entire gap remaining in the money we have earmarked for the new storage building. Impressive generosity!
So, there are highlights from the finance council meeting a couple weeks ago. This Monday through Friday I am on my annual canonical retreat. I am going with three other priests to the Saint Francis Convent in Mishawaka, Indiana. Please pray that the Lord and I accomplish what He desires for this retreat. Have a blessed week!
In cordibus Iesu, Mariae et Iosephus,
Father Poggemeyer