February 11, 2010
Dear Friends - Parishioners and Families of Saint Ann Parish,
Thank you for all you do to support our parish. As your Pastor, I am grateful for all your hard work in caring for this parish and for one another. It is a hard task for me to write to you about financial matters; frankly, it is a task I like to avoid. Please know, however, that it has been a focus of mine to try and find new ways to address our financial stability, while maintaining a more transparent manner. To that end, I hope that this letter, which will also be posted on our website (www.saintannneponset.com) is helpful. Please know that I understand that the times that we live in remain challenging and economically difficult.
As you know this is my second year and cycle of writing to you and asking for your financial assistance in our Capital campaign which will begin on February 21st. This collection is part of our annual funding to satisfy our capital needs, including special projects and deferred maintenance. I have recently met with our Parish Finance Council and Parish Pastoral Council to evaluate our state of current finances and pastoral plan. As you will recall, last year I explained that we would continue to seek and secure the most efficient and appropriate venues to eliminate our parish debt and maintain our properties, while evaluating and addressing the current and future needs of the mission of the parish. We remain very much committed to this task. As such, I continue to work with the Chancellor’s office to come to an equitable agreement regarding old school loans and an equitable lease agreement with Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy. We have recently made some progress on this front, but further negotiation and time are needed. In addition, I am also in the process of securing new forms of rental income which will assist us in resolving our old parish loans. I will continue to strive to find an equitable path to maximize our parish's financial stability. I hope to have more information for you by Easter. On your part I need your help, continued support and professional assistance.
Since my arrival, we have completed many projects inside and outside the church, with a desire to both preserve the beauty of our church and make additional efforts to be proactive for the future. Recent projects through your support, and partially funded during the Grand Annual, included the restoration and upgrade to sections of the lower church sacristy floor (including asbestos abatement), completion of a new Reconciliation Room in the lower church, construction of a new crèche and the addition of a new door to replace the original side entrance by the handicap ramp. We have also begun repair work on the damaged chimney vents (which currently are not functioning correctly) and copper flashing to the second roof on the church (opposite of last year's repair and leak), replaced broken and damaged windows around the church building, repaired non-functioning mechanics and hardware on the church doors and provided energy-efficient additions and upgrades. Future project that I would like to see completed include restoration of the lower church worship space and chapel - notably the faulty floor and tiles. These are becoming both dangerous and impossible to restore. This will be a major project. We also have two other projects that I would like to accomplish this year. First, we need to repair some of the deteriorating cement work on the front landing of the church and second, we need to repair the paint damage from the leak over the Saint Joseph statue. It is our hope these ongoing and future projects can be funded by this year’s Capital Appeal, however, we will also need to defer some of this year’s funds to satisfy fuel costs not -provided for in the secondary fuel collections. Like all of you, our costs have increased and though we try and conserve as best we can, we maintain a shortfall.
As I did last year, I would kindly ask that each family consider making an offering of $250.00. For those of you who don’t receive offertory envelopes in the mail, blank Capital Fund envelopes can be found on the usher’s table. As in the past there are always families who have been able to make significant donations in addition to the suggested offering ... thank you! I also understand that some families are still experiencing more fiscal restraints. If you are unable to make a monetary donation at this time, please consider serving volunteer hours in lieu of being able to make a pledge. As with all your generosity of time, talent and treasure, please know that it is most helpful and that I remain grateful.
My first priority here as your Pastor is your spiritual well-being - this will always be my first priority! It is also my charge and office to maintain the property that our ancestors built with their generosity and sacrifice and that you, our families, maintain. Our property has much deferred maintenance and it remains costly to keep our parish operational. We have refocused additional work to keep our church clean and appropriately presentable for our worship. I share in the pride that we have inherited and need your help to keep this beautiful place maintained.
We are blessed to have a long tradition of taking up an annual capital collection to invest in our infrastructure. This tradition teaches us of the need and importance of maintaining what we have inherited. This year remains financially difficult and our regular support remains affected. We have been able to get much done with the little we have. I ask you in your generosity to help us invest in today and secure this parish for tomorrow. I will continue to ask you for more as we work together. Thank you for all you do for our parish and Church. God Bless you and those you love. God bless Saint Ann Parish family.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. Sean M. Connor, Pastor
P.S. I would like to offer a special invitation this year to join me in our appeal. A generous friend has offered to match the first five individual donations of $1,000 (up to a maximum of five). Join my friend in helping us work together to surpass this year's goal.