• REPORT ON PARISH PLEDGING - Issued on July 25, 2010
• Saint Celestine Parish Financial Report for the Fiscal Year of July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009
• Monthly Finance Council Meeting Highlights
• ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL - BROCHURE
• $TOP Program - Form - NEXT STOP PROGRAM on September 11, 12, 25 and 26
• Financial Pledge Form in Adobe Reader (pdf - 41 KB) - You can download and fill out this Pledge Form and return it to the Pastoral Center.

Statement of Purpose of the Finance Council

"The Finance Council provides assistance and review to and for the pastor in his stewardship of parish resources. In effect, the Finance Council is a key element in maintaining the financial health of St. Celestine Parish under the direction of the pastor"

Members of the Finance Council

Roger Casty - Chairman	Carl Wisniewski - Secretary	Ed Stare
Carolyn Fahey	Michael Miller	JoanneBieschke

Nancy Mueller - Business Manager

Rev. Jeffrey Grob - Pastor

June represents the ninth month in our Pledging Program since we began the pledging year last October.

SUNDAY DONATIONS

Our Sunday donations are achieving 94% of pledge commitments. Dollars pledged this year increased by 13% over the same period as last year and actual donations are up by this same amount. We are so pleased with and grateful for this extra effort, since parishioners were not asked to increase their pledges. Again, we encourage other envelope users to join the pledging program. Only 1/3 of our envelope users are pledging. We always welcome more.

MONTHLY SECOND COLLECTIONS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND THE SCHOOL AND
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM

Capital Improvement donations were up 7% over the same period last year.

Donations in support of our School & Religious Education Program after nine months were up slightly over last year – by 2%.

PLEDGE NUMBERS AND THE YEAR AHEAD

The current number of parishioners pledging (369) is slightly behind last year, but, as indicated above, increases in donations are present across the board.

We will provide quarterly reports on pledge donations in the year ahead as we move into the new pledging year in October. Some thoughts for the year ahead:

• If you haven’t already, please join the pledging program. We hope to work towards a goal of 500 parishioners involved in the program, an increase of 131 “pledgers”.
   
• Remember – the amount is not as important as the consistency of the donation.
   
• The greater the number of donors each and every Sunday – the more realistic our budgeting becomes. If you miss a Sunday (something which everyone experiences), please do your best to make up for it the next week.

Again, we are truly grateful for whatever you can do. Your generosity and support help to keep our parish healthy and accountable.

From Pastor's Letter - Morsels and Tidbits dated September 27, 2009

Saint Celestine Parish Financial Report for the Fiscal Year of July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009
in Adobe Reader (pdf - 1,685 KB)

PARISH FINANCES – On September 20, 2009, I shared the following words at all the Masses:

Charles Dickens summarized it best when he wrote:
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."
[Opening line from A Tale of Two Cities (1859)]

Since I last spoke to you about parish finances one year ago – for many people, it has been the worst of times – financially speaking.

Factors such as loss of employment – forced reduction in work hours – decrease in pay – soaring costs – just to mention a few – have contributed to difficult times for many of you sitting here in the pews. Parishioners have struggled to make ends meet – school families have scrambled and sacrificed to make tuition payments – most everyone has been affected in one way or another. These are issues that I am keenly aware of from my conversations with a number of you.

The current trend of financially-trying times has been no less real over the past year for us as a parish as well. I have reviewed and signed off on the 2008-2009 fiscal report (this report can be found above as an Adobe Reader document). The bottom line is that we ended last fiscal year with a deficit of $129,117.00.

There is no doubt – these are challenging times – but they are not insurmountable! Yes, our deficit is substantial, but I firmly believe that we can turn it around. This parish has dealt with far greater challenges in its past. No doubt – if all we had going for us was a deficit – then justifiably we would have cause to be overwhelmed and discouraged. But that is not the case!

Since I last spoke with you about our parish finances:

1. our parish Finance Council has been restructured to make it a more functional component of the parish;
2. we have undergone a thorough audit by the Archdiocese and we either have implemented or are currently implementing a series of best practices in sound financial administration;
3. and, I am proud to say, our financial transparency to you, the parishioners, is at a level that it has never been previously. As I told you last year, this is your parish – these are your finances – we must work together on this.

Over the past year, we have:

1. reduced our telephone expenses and postage costs,
2. we have installed cost-effective lighting here in the church, and
3. we have brought in paper recycling bins as a source of revenue.
4. Recently, we have initiated the STOP program for the parish itself.
5. And we are continually looking for ways to reduce ours costs and to find concrete means to increase revenue. Perhaps, given the current trend, we will have to cut out a parish program or reduce our staff size, but I will only resort to that as a worse case scenario.

In the month of October, we will begin again our pledge program which is singularly the best way for our parish to be fiscally responsible in planning to make ends meet.

Last year at this time, I requested that every registered parishioner increase his or her weekly offering by $3.00. A number of you tried to honor my request – some exceeded it – some were not able. I am truly grateful for what you did.

This year – circumstances being what they are for many people – I am not making a new request – I am simply asking you to do your best to honor last year’s request. Please give what you can. If you can increase your weekly donation in any way, please do so. Every little bit helps.

And remember – these may have been the worst of times – but they are also the best of times. Need proof? All you have to do is look at all the good things happening in our parish on a daily, a weekly, and a monthly basis. Let us not forget – we have the Lord who convenes us, nourishes us, and makes us His own. And we are headed toward our 80th anniversary next year. God has richly blessed us in the past – I firmly believe that God will continue to bless us in the future!

SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Regarding the School:
Solid Catholic education is a value we ascribe to at St. Celestine.
Since the close of 2008-09 fiscal year, over $14,000 in outstanding tuition has been collected.
The school administration is responsible for all of its own repairs, even though it is part of the parish plant.
The School Board is planning to start an annual fund for the school in December which will assist in tuition costs and the updating of technology.
Whether the school is open or closed, it requires over $100,000/year to maintain the school building itself.

Regarding Capital Expenses/Improvements for 2008-2009:

In prayer,
Fr. Jeffrey

Highlights of the August
Finance Council Meeting

• The 2009-2010 Fiscal Year-End Report will be published mid-September.
   
• The Parish Pledging Program will begin its 4th year in October with the same format as last year. As in the past, current “pledgers” will be asked to complete new pledge cards for 2010-2011. New “pledgers” will be encouraged to participate.
   
• Responding to concerns about safety and the reality of vandalism on parish property, fencing around the “Project Fit” area (outside of the gym on the Wellington Street side of the church) is being installed.
   
• The tuck-pointing of the school windows has been completed.

Highlights of the July
Finance Council Meeting

• A total of $39,000.00 from 507 parishioners was raised in response to the “Balance the Budget” direct mailing. This represents a 21% response rate to the letter that was sent.
   
• Donation envelopes will soon offer parishioners the opportunity to clarify whether their donation is a weekly or monthly donation.
   
• Due to concerns about safety and the reality of vandalism, bids are currently being accepted to erect fencing around the “Project Fit” area outside of the gym on the Wellington Street side of the church.
   
• The tuck-pointing of the school windows is currently underway.
   
• The parish earned $1532.00 from STOP certificates purchased over the past 8 months. This program will continue and parishioners are encouraged to purchase gift cards through this easy fundraiser.

“…they left everything and followed Him.”
Luke 5:11

Annual Catholic Appeal Brochure in Adobe Reader (pdf - 416 KB)

Many of our parishioners have received a mailing from Cardinal George. He ask that you make a pledge to the 2010 Annual Catholic Appeal.

The Annual Catholic Appeal is the largest philanthropic source of financial support for ALL of the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese. In addition, it funds services that are of great help to the ministries here in our parish. For example, Appeal funds support recruitment, education and formation of lay ministers and deacons, continuing education and ongoing spiritual formation of priests, and training of volunteer religious educators to conduct parish religious education programs.

This year, the theme of the Appeal is, “…they left everything and followed Him.” This familiar phrase from the story of the Apostles walking away from their livelihoods and their worldly possessions to follow Jesus is a familiar one. But, how often do we reflect on their example as it applies to our lives. At the core of discipleship is the practice of stewardship. Stewardship is the recognition that all that we have is a gift from God and we are obligated to return a significant portion of our gifts to assist in his work. Our gifts are to be given in gratitude for what God has given us. A gift to the Annual Catholic Appeal helps to provide education, services, and ministry to thousands within and outside of our Archdiocese. Please remember that the Annual Catholic Appeal campaign is much different than a one-time special collection. It is a pledge campaign where you can make a gift, payable over five months.

Sometimes it is difficult to envision how one pledge can help an organization the size of our Archdiocese, how it can make a real difference. But each pledge does make a difference because all parishes participate in the campaign and the gifts of many enable our Archdiocese to deliver needed ministries and services.

If you received your pledge form in the mail, please complete it and mail it back or bring it to Mass. Also, when our parish reaches its goal of $38,026.14 in cash, 100% of the additional funds received will be returned to us for use in our parish.

Please prayerfully consider a pledge to the 2010 Annual Catholic Appeal.

$TOP Order Form in Adobe Reader (pdf - 113 KB)

Dear St. Celestine Parishioners,

As you know, the Finance Council reports our weekly Sunday collections, and you’ve probably noticed that these collections don’t always meet the weekly budgeted amount. This is not a surprise with today’s economy.

To offset this, the Finance Council has been taking steps to reduce expenses by:

• Installing more energy-efficient lighting in the church over the pews; additional lighting will be installed over the main aisle and altar when replacement bulbs are received.
• Reducing printing/mailing expenses for donation envelopes by nearly 50% after conducting a survey of parishioners who do not use them.
• Eliminating telephone lines by reconfiguring office spaces in the Pastoral Center.
• Other minor details to cut expenses where possible.

In addition, the council has looked into ways to generate income in addition to your Sunday donations. This has been accomplished by installing the paper recycling bins in the parking lot. The amount collected in May was 1.54 tons; in June, it was 4.12 tons. The first check for this should be received in the near future. Not only are our parishioners saving the earth, but we’re getting paid for it as well. It surely is a win-win situation! Keep up the great work!

Now it’s time to introduce yet another way to earn a different type of income for our parish. For 17 years, the St. Celestine School Parents’ Club has been sponsoring the $.T.O.P. ($HOP To Open Possibilities) Program. The possibility has been the opportunity for school parents to earn tuition credit by purchasing shopping certificates through $TOP while also earning some funds for the Parents’ Club. The program is now being offered to our parishioners at large as yet one other way to generate funds for our parish. Many neighboring parishes offer a similar program called Manna. We are fortunate to have a dedicated, hard-working, honest individual who will head this program. Many of our parishioners are familiar with her; she is Jackie Mescolotto and can be reached at 630-918-5168 if you have any questions.

Here is a brief explanation of how the $TOP Program works. You purchase gift certificates for a variety of vendors (Jewel, Dominick’s, Super Low, Caputos, JC Penney, Sears, Shell Oil, etc.) at face value from the $TOP Program. These certificates can be used just like cash for your everyday shopping, dining, and gift-giving needs. The $TOP Program purchases the certificates through a number of organizations at a discount. You are paying face value for the certificates; the discount the $TOP Program receives is kept by the church as fundraising income.

As was noted, the school has successfully run this program for 17 years. It is the parish’s goal to be as successful in an effort to make up for the decrease in Sunday offerings. The school’s success has been based on the biggest selling certificates: groceries, gasoline, pharmacies, department stores, and discount stores. Even in today’s economy, the necessity of grocery shopping and gasoline purchases don’t go away - those expenses remain. Paying for them with gift certificates purchased through $TOP will help the parish tremendously.

You can drop off your completed order form linked above with payment in the vestibules of church on the 2nd and 4th weekends of each month before mass in the drop boxes labeled as such. Order forms are also located in both vestibules of the church or at the Pastoral Center. Make checks payable to St. Celestine Church. Then pick up your order when mass is over at the 76th Court Vestibule (directly across from the chapel). Any certificates not available after mass will be available for pick up in the Pastoral Center after 3 pm on the following Wednesday of the respective weekend.

If 300 parish families purchased $100 in grocery certificates and $25 in gas certificates weekly, the parish would earn almost $1,400 weekly! This is a very “general” example; the potential is there for even more earnings based on the number of families attending mass and the variety of vendors available through this program. Use the certificates for everyday shopping in place of cash or to give as gifts.

Thank you for your support of this worthwhile program. We are always available to answer any questions you may have; feel free to call either of us. We look forward to developing this program for our parish.

Nancy Mueller, Business Manager
St. Celestine School $.T.O.P. Program Coordinator
708-453-2555

Jackie Mescolotto
630-918-5168