The Christmas season is filled with red and green; they are festive colors that mark the season! As you read last week’s and this week’s Parish Bulletin, however, you may notice some unwelcome red as you see that our expenses exceeded our income. This is the second time in this fiscal year that we have found ourselves operating in the red. It’s the first time since I’ve been your pastor that we’ve been in the red so early in the fiscal year. Usually, we don’t get to this situation until late spring, after all of the school tuition has been paid and the weekly expenses begin to exceed income. The reason for this early operational deficit is a decrease in tuition income that has resulted from a decrease in enrollment in our school, from 411 last year to 389 this year. But, as I noted above and you surely noticed in Statement of Operating Income and Expenses that was included in the fall mailing, we have been ended our fiscal year in the red for the last four years. Again, the reason for this is the excess in school expenses over income; the rest of the parish has been able to operate in the black. Even though we have steadily increased our school tuition – at $5,250 for the first child, it is now the highest of all parochial schools in the archdiocese – a steady decline in student enrollment (we had 451 students just seven years ago, the result of the closing of several nearby parochial schools in recent years), coupled with significant increases in medical and retirement benefits for our school staff has resulted in the school continuing to operate at a deficit. Last year, the parish subsidy for the school was $407,000 – 15% of the total school budget.
As you know, I’m a firm believer in Catholic education and I want our school to continue to succeed. I’m very grateful to our principal, Bud Tosti, and our wonderful teachers and staff, for their untiring dedication to forming our children in the faith as they challenge them to achieve academic excellence. Bud and I have been working hard to make sure that our school, which just recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, will continue to thrive. To help us in this important task, we are in the midst of initiating a Board of Limited Jurisdiction that will help us in this; we hope to establish it in the spring. A Board of Limited Jurisdiction is a model of school governance already in place – and working well – in over 20 schools in our Archdiocese as well as in schools in several (arch)dioceses throughout the country. These boards are comprised of parishioners and non-parishioners who value Catholic education and who have a vested interest in the success and future viability of their local school. These Boards don’t get involved in the everyday operation of the school but, in collaboration with the principal and pastor, they oversee development, marketing, facilities, finances, and enrollment.
We are working with our Archdiocesan Office of Catholic Education in this initiative. Staff from that office will guide us through the implementation process, train, and continue to provide professional development for our newly formed Board. I have spoken with other pastors who have established Boards of Limited Jurisdiction in their schools and am greatly encouraged by the success that they have had. I ask that you keep this initiative in your prayers so that we will be successful, too!
In the meantime, I ask that you also examine your financial support of your parish. Some of our parishioners are very generous and I am very grateful for those who are. But, many continue to give at the same rate year after year and, as you can well imagine, this will not cover the rising costs of parish operation. Fortunately, our annual October Count demonstrated that Sunday Mass attendance remains steady; the average Sunday Mass attendance this October was 942, up just a little from the 938 attendance of last year. And, our Sunday Collection has kept pace with last year, as well. I have tried very hard to keep our parish expenses under control but, just as you experience in your home and business, we experience a steady increase in costs of operating the parish. So, if you haven’t increased your support for a few years, I ask that you do so now. As we come to the end of celebrating the 125th anniversary of our parish, I’m sure you join me in wanting this parish to thrive for another 125 years. After all, we are called to be like John the Baptist who, as we heard in today’s gospel passage, preached the good news to the people. We need to continue to hear that good news ourselves and make it known to everyone we meet; we do that so well in a variety of ways and, with your continued support, we will continue to do so for many years to come!