Posted on October 3, 2026 View all news
Laudetur Jesus Christus! Each October, our annual report gives us an opportunity to consider the life of Old St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart, to thank God for His blessings, and to examine our responsibility for the parishes entrusted to us. The accompanying financial figures cover July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.
This year, between our churches, we celebrated 55 baptisms, 58 confirmations, 10 weddings, and welcomed 16 people into the Church. Behind each number is a person whom God has called into a deeper life with Him. Please pray for these parishioners and their families, that they may persevere in the faith they have received.
We also remember those parishioners who died during the year. From Old St. Mary’s, we remember Kathleen M. Campbell, Robert Bell, Allison Christine Marie Schroeder, & John Stevie. From Sacred Heart, we remember Linda Fecke, John Carl Sheblessy, James J. Condit Jr., Mary C. Finn, Daniel Paul Engel Jr., & James M. Gebel. We commend them to the mercy of God and continue to pray for the repose of their souls. May we also remember the families who mourn them.
Financially, Old St. Mary’s reported income of $1,182,408 and expenses of $900,843, resulting in a surplus of $281,566. These totals include restoration giving and capital expenditures, alongside the ordinary income and expenses of parish life. Sacred Heart reported income of $475,280 and expenses of $500,911, resulting in a deficit of $25,631, also including capital expenditures.
We have substantial responsibilities ahead. The coming year’s capital plans include approximately $190,000 of work at Old St. Mary’s and $240,000 at Sacred Heart. Among these are roof and structural repairs to the Clay Street building at Old St. Mary’s, and an auditorium roof replacement and parking lot resurfacing at Sacred Heart. Caring for the buildings we have inherited requires planning, regular maintenance, and dependable financial support.
I am especially grateful to those who supported our parishes financially this past year. Many of you increased your donations, and your generosity has made a real difference. Thank you for the sacrifices, often unseen, that make possible the worship, sacramental life, and daily work of our parishes.
Nevertheless, our participation remains troubling. Roughly 25% of our parishioners made a recorded financial contribution even once during the year. That leaves approximately 75% with no recorded contribution. Anonymous gifts may not be reflected in these figures, but the need for broader participation remains. The financial responsibility for our parish life should be shared much more widely.
Those who already give have responded generously, and I am deeply grateful. But we cannot continue to leave the financial support of our parishes to roughly one quarter of our parishioners. If you have the means to contribute and have given nothing this past year, I ask you to begin now.
Providing for the needs of the Church according to our ability is one of the Precepts of the Church. It is an obligation of Catholic life that each of us should take seriously. Those experiencing financial hardship should not feel pressed to give what they do not have. For everyone else, support of the parish should be a regular commitment in the household budget.
If you have not been contributing, I ask you to begin this month. Prayerfully consider your means, choose an amount, and make it a regular part of your weekly or monthly budget. A modest, faithful contribution matters. If you already give, please review your support in light of your circumstances and our parish needs.
May our gratitude for all we receive from God bear fruit in generous and faithful stewardship. Through the intercession of Our Lady and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, may our parishes continue to grow in holiness and lead many souls to Christ.
